Bela B.

Bela B. ( born December 14, 1962 in West Berlin; civil Dirk Albert Felsenheimer ) is a German drummer, composer, singer, actor and voice actor. He is best known as a member of the punk rock band Die Ärzte.

Life

Dirk Felsenheimer grew up in Berlin -Spandau on with his twin sister Diana. Her parents separated when the siblings were five years old.

To play drums Felsenheimer came in his youth, when he undertook the first attempts in the basement of his sister's friend. He soon bought his own drums and sang in a choir in the meantime. His parents supported him and he got an own rehearsal room in the basement.

He began training for police officers, which he broke off. He then joined the Hertie his training as seller, he broke off after two weeks. He then completed a three-year apprenticeship as a window dresser in a fashion house.

His stage name, he leaned against the Dracula actor Bela Lugosi, for which he was enthusiastic about since childhood. The " example " is the abbreviation for " Barney Rubble ", the cartoon character from the television series The Flintstones and a nickname Dirk Felsenheimer already received in school.

Bela B. lives with his partner Konstanze Habermann and their son in Hamburg.

Music career

Already at the end of his school days Felsenheimer enthusiastic for Punk, the scene joined and formed his first band Empire. Afterwards he played in the bands Wild In the Streets and Kawumm and 1979-1982 together with Hussi Kutlucan, Bernd van Huizen, from 1980 also with Jan Vetter alias Farin Urlaub, in the punk band Soilent Green, named after the science fiction film Soylent Green. To reach the young musicians first successes. Consequently, also appeared the first album Meat EP. The band was in 1982 in Berlin SO36 their farewell concert. As the opening act was playing CC, the predecessor band Die Toten Hosen.

Then founded Bela B. together with Farin Urlaub and Sahnie the band Die Ärzte. After two successful albums to Bela B. and bass player of Farin Urlaub Sahnie split because of personal differences. The third album was recorded without a third member. An album was subsequently released. This was followed by a live album and the resolution of the doctors. 1988 learned Bela B. Rodrigo González know. With him he founded in 1989, the band SUMP, which was later renamed to Depp Jones. During this time, among other things, the EP Get Wise, Get Ugly, Get SUMP, which consisted of cover versions of famous songs appeared. However, the band could not build on the successes of the doctors. After two unsuccessful albums, the record company announced the existing contract. After a multi-page letter from Farin Urlaub at Bela B. let this be persuaded wiederzugründen Doctors 1993. Rodrigo González became the new bass player.

In 2006, Bela B. released his first solo album Bingo, produced by Wayne Jackson and Olsen Involtini. Among other things, he worked for the album with Lee Hazlewood, Charlotte Roche and Lula together. In addition, he performed with his band Bela B. y Los Helmstedt while touring and festivals such as Rock im Park Rock am Ring on MTV Campus Invasion and the Gurtenfestival. On 2 October 2009 his second solo album code example appeared It includes guest appearances by Chris Spedding, Marcel Eger, Emmanuelle Seigner and Alessandro Alessandroni. This time he went with Los Helmstedt on tour. For the movie Teufelskicker Bela B. sang the theme song for the day winner, who appeared on 12 March 2010 as a single.

On his official website, he has announced a new album titled Bye for 4 April 2014. The first single Abserviert appeared on March 14. It follows the Bye now! Tour in May.

Hobbies and other projects

Bela B. was the owner of the Leipzig publishing comic Extremely Successful Enterprises, who published horror comics, including German editions of Independent series such as Faust and Satanika. Also productions such as pigs and birds to a comic strip The doctors found in the published list. In an interview with the Berlin city magazine zitty Bela B. was the beginning of September 2006, the task of the publishing project known: " The publisher has hingedümpelt the last few years just before it. In 2005, we brought out the book Ten Little Gothics and three other books. That's not much for a publishing company, and therefore we have now decided to shut EEE " As an author, he wrote among other things in the vampire anthology Liber Vampirorum. Burden and Blood for his comics publisher.

Another hobby is acting. He is registered with the agency " Charade " and worked, among other things already in the scene and in several alarm for Cobra 11 episodes as well as in the film A divine job. In 2003, he starred in the independent film Operation Dance Sensation by Thilo Gosejohann a media scholar. In 2004, the film Edelweiss Pirates was published, in which Bela the lead role, the concentration camp prisoner Hans Steinbrück plays. He also participated as one of the main roles in the film Richy Guitar. As a voice actor he speaks the character Clay in the MTV animated series Free for ave Together with Thomas D of the Fantastic Four, he took the radio play Faust vs. Mephisto on and continue the audio book Venus in Furs with actress Catherine Flemming. 2003 played Bela B. in the movie Garden of Love with directed by Olaf Ittenbach. In 2005, Bela B. took over, among others, play a role in the produced by the Film Academy Baden- Württemberg short film KINGZ ( Director: Benni Diez and Marinko Spahić ), and the role of Ronnie in the crime parody Salamander ( by Barbara Gebler ), and he said all votes in the German dubbing of the Danish film Terkel in Trouble. He is also a self-confessed football fan of FC St. Pauli. He tries to be present at every home game at Millerntorplatz. Bela is considered to be a fan of Turbonegro; In 1996 he founded the Turbojugend St. Pauli was the first Chapter of the Association. He is Athletic actively as a runner. Published in 2007 a biography of Elvis Presley as an audiobook, which was spoken by Bela B..

In 2006, Bela B. played for the film Vineta by Franziska Stünkel along with the pop group We are heroes whose song Are not you tired new one. To this end, he had the original song vice writes the lyrics with the band. He also plays in the film a small cameo as a security guard mansion.

Bela B. is a member of the anti-globalization movement Attac and supports the organization Viva con Agua drinking water.

2004 was Bela B. photographed with Franka Potente and Catherine Flemming for posters of animal rights organization PETA in order to demonstrate against the wearing of fur. He also supports the launched by the Berlin punk rock band ZSK initiative " No mood to Nazis."

For the Die Welt newspaper interviewed Bela B. 2007 his favorite director Quentin Tarantino on the occasion of his new movie Death Proof - Grindhouse. Bela B. had Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, 2009 in a cameo. In the horror film production of the private television station ProSieben Gonger from 2008 Bela B. plays the chief inspector Petersen, further he plays 2012 in Alexander Marcus ' movie glamor and a mysterious Gurtmacher.

The end of 2013 Bela B. published the exclusive 7 " vinyl single " Bang! "Which was only available at participating retailers.

Since 2013 Bela B. is known as " Tin Man " directed The Wizard of Oz in the Augsburg Puppet heard.

Musical style and playing technique

Bela B. has by his own account a high affinity for the horror genre, which is also in several of his songs (your Vampyr, Mystery Land, The Count, The Night, We are beautiful, the vampire with the Colt, monster party) will precipitate. In the song light at the end of the coffin, he indicates that in fact he was doing this dark image on the mind, but this song was meant ironically.

After 1983, the Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom seen with, it is preferable Bela B. at live concerts also standing playing drums.