Twenty years Tankard-and, oh, what a joyous fest it is!
„Mornings a mug, the afternoon sees two- by evening we then lose count of the Brew"
(A popular saying in the southwestern coastal region of Germany)

The Matthäus Church is about to be torn down. The local school band from 1982 that practiced in the basement shall live on, though. Amidst a time of a thousand reunions. The inventors of "Alcoholic Metal" celebrate their twentieth anniversary in spring 2002 with the release of album number 10 – "B-Day". Let us raise our glasses to Tankard, who have continuously blessed the community with records on a regular basis. Five minimal line-up changes have done nothing to keep them from remaining an exclusive Frankfurt combo. Even the local soccer team SG Eintracht can´t keep up with that. The closest being in the seventies with dream team Grabowski, Hölzenbein, Körbel, Doctor Hammer and Doctor Kunter.

Around then a 13-year old Andreas Fritz Johannes Geremia got drunk for the first time when the Eintracht won the UEFA cup back in May 1980, their biggest success to date. Two years later future shouter "Gerre" joined forces with long haired 10th grade classmates Axel Katzmann (G) and Frank Thorwart (B), who had just founded the band we know today. At first they called themselves Vortex and Avenger until they discovered Tankard (beer mug) in a dictionary. After weeks of practice they wrote their first song, an eight minute long tune called „Ray Death"-"A boring song about nuclear war" according to Gerre.

They soon realized that they had to double the tempo. A successful formula was found and remains so until today. "Fast thrash-punk". It was the usual screaming and pounding, however with an element of pure anarchy and fun. "We wouldn't exist without humor" says Gerre.

After a year of finding themselves they played their first gig in a classroom on May 28, 1983. Since alcohol was not allowed in school they poured their beer in milk cartons which they consumed while playing. Guitarist Bernard Rapprich left the band beforehand because his conservative father did not want him hanging around a bunch of drunks. They've never heard from him since. He's probably a brain surgeon now. The first choice for his replacement turned out to be the best one. In the parallel class was an AC/DC maniac named Andy Bulgaropoulos. He was immediately kidnapped and chained in the catacombs of the Matthäus Church, finally escaping in 1999 to Berlin to rejoin with his wife and kid.

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