Robert Carrithers

Mark Steiner and his Problems

This is a down home portrait of Mark Steiner deep in the heart of hillbilly country in the Kentucky mountains, swilling moonshine and trading tales with the locals and of course playing his music. He lives in the East Village of New York, but actually lives in Norway and truly, he lives all over the world. He is constantly playing all over the world. He is the true world troubadour. An international strolling minstrel, who travels from one town to another singing his heart out. He does not travel with a band. He has a band set up to join him in whatever city that he goes to. He has ready and able musicians that he knows and have played with that beckon to his call when he has a concert in their particular city. Last year he traveled to Hong Kong to do one concert at a place called Kubrick with Chinese musicians and then on to a 2nd full tour of Australia!,He then went to his old haunting grounds in the East Village and back to his private retreats in Oslo, Norway. He is presently touring as Mark Steiner and his Problems. His problems are happy to help him with his deep lush swampy ballads best served with strong drink and many of them. In this photo he is in the wood cutting yard outside of the most smokiest pub in Prague called the Shot Out Eye/U Vystrelenyho Oka. They burn extra logs in the pub just to make it smokier. Yes, I lied at the beginning of this post, but it was the feeling I wanted to give. Mark could be anywhere, any time, including in deep hillbilly country, instead he happens to be deep in the heart of Zizkov in Prague. Some compare it to hillbilly country. Please click on Mark's name above to read more about him and to listen to his music. And if he comes to your town, give a listen, give a shout and buy him a drink, damn it!

Berlin Portraits: Chris Hughes

Chris Hughes is known as a drummer extraordinaire and a true Berlin spirit of the night. I took this photo of Chris in a mad rush, before going to do a film interview with him and Alex Hacke for the documentary that we are doing. Chris ran madly up some stairs taking me to some unknown location that proved to be perfect for his portrait. It was on top of a building next to the Jewish cemetery, where he often escapes to meditate on his mad life. I have known Chris for awhile now and got to know him better when I started making a documentary about the band Fatal Shore, which he is a drummer in. When I think of Chris, I see him riding his bike through the streets of Berlin madly rushing about from one band practice or gig to another. He has played with up to seven bands at once.

Chris was born in Melbourne, Australia. He was a founding member of the band Once Upon A Time. They eventually found themselves playing support to Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds in Europe starting in Vienna. They ended up in Berlin and have been there ever since. He is also one of the founding members of Hugo Race and the True Spirit. He plays with the psychedelic garage punk band The Methylated Spirits and in the band The Act. He has played with Rowland Howard, Nikki Sudden, Nina Hagen, Mick Harvey and many many others. Chris has a unique style of playing drums with his explosive electronic shuddering syncopations. He founded The Fatal Shore along with Bruno Adams and Phil Shoenfelt. It is a pleasure to make a documentary about this talented unrecognized band. I hope to shed some light on them to give them some rightly deserved recognition.  It is also a pleasure to call Chris a friend.

Berlin Portraits: ALEX HACKE AND CHRIS HUGHES

Chris Hughes and I arrived at Alexander Hacke’s studio to do a film interview with him for the Fatal Shore film documentary. Alexander was always very supportive of The Fatal Shore. He was always seen at most of their concerts from their very beginning in Berlin, but then again Alexander has always been a shining light of support and creativity for most musicians and music lovers in Berlin. Alexander first joined Einsturzende Neubauten when he was 15 in 1980.He first played guitar, switched to playing bass in the 90´s and the rest is history. He put out his first solo album out in 1992 called “Filmarbeite”. He has played with The Jever Mountain Boys proving his versatility playing country and western music. In 2000 he travelled throughout Europe and North America with a mobile recorder collaborating with various artists to create what is known as the road record called “Sanctuary”. This was documented by the artist Danielle de Picciotto. Danielle and Alex went on to do many creative collaborations together creating a series of brilliant music performances such as “Ship of Fools”, “History of Electricity” and in collaboration with The Tiger Lillies, “The Mountain of Madness”. Alex has contributed to numerous film scores and has produced the music for Fatih Akin´s award winning film “Head On” and is the main character in Akin´s documentary of the Istanbul music scene “Crossing the Bridge” the sounds of Istanbul. There is so much more to write about Alex, it is best to click on his name at the top of the page and go to his website to find out further information.

Berlin Portraits: Rudi Protrudi

What to say about the legendary Rudi Protrudi, the king of ´80s garage rock? I first met Rudi in New York in the 80´s. I have quite a few photos of Rudi here on the website in the 80´s New York and Club 57 categories. I met Rudi at Club 57 along with Deb O´Nair. They had just terminated their new wave band Tina Peel and formed a band called The Fuzztones. I went to see them play many times throughout the years and was always blown away by their raw and real garage kick ass performances.  They have gone on to have a legendary status among rock fans. After spending many years in New York Rudi moved to Los Angeles and reformed the Fuzztones to test the waters out. After playing abroad in Europe they soon shook L.A. rock realities and were the premier garage band on the scene. I should mention that Rudi formed Link Protrudi and The Jaymen, an instrumental tribute to Link Wray. They ended up recording several albums and successfully toured Europe and North America. Rudi has played with legends such as Screaming Jay Hawkins, Sky Saxon and lots more. He also appears in the Screaming Jay Hawkins documentary. I remember him playing in the fun heavy metal band that Ann Magnuson formed called Vulcan Death Grip. Flash forward to somewhere around the year 2000: Rudi went to a concert to see the legendary The Bonniwell Music Machine in Los Angeles. He then saw Lana Loveland playing her Hammond organ on stage with them and was entranced.  At their last concert in 2002, Rudi finally approached Lana and asked her to join the Fuzztones. It took some time, but they soon found themselves whisked off their feet and living together in Berlin doing various creative collaborations together.

I should also mention that Rudi is a prolific artist and… Hell! There really is too much write, so let me conclude with this, the important thing is: The Fuzztones still live! It is their thirtieth anniversary this year and they plan to tour again. I am also happy to say that we plan to make a film documentary about the Fuzztones where we are going to capture the rawness and madness of The Fuzztones from their origins to the present time. We hope to capture the Fuzztone reality without holding anything back and to make it a real rock and roll viewing experience. Read more about Rudi  and Lana by clicking on their name above.

The Einsturzende Neubauten 30th reunion party at Tresor in Berlin on 1.4.2010

I thought that would be a first good image to start this series.

Einstürzende Neubauten celebrated their 30th anniversary in the Tresor Club in Berlin on April 1rst, 2010. I filmed an interview several weeks ago with Alex Hacke for the Fatal Shore documentary that I am making. Danielle de Picciotto told me about the reunion party after we had finished filming. I told her that I could possibly photograph and film the event. I was in contact with Danielle over the next few weeks. I was told to email N.U. Unruh of Einsturzende Neubauten. I did not hear anything and I assumed that I was not going to do it. The night before the party I got an email from Andrew that told me to come and document it. I really did not expect it. I had been through some health routine of being at a fitness center for two hours and had to go to a film festival in Prague that night. I got back after midnight and woke up at 6am the next morning to do some work and had to quickly decide if I was going to do it. I decided to do it, changed my plans for the next two days, threw a bag and film equipment together and caught the train at the last minute. I arrived at 8pm in Berlin and I went straight to Tresor. I was tired, but proceeded to do my best to photograph and film the night. I stayed up through the night and went back to Prague the next morning with no sleep. I took the photos with a Canon 7D camera that I am still getting used to. I have included photos with flash and without. I was trying mostly to take the photos without flash, but had some difficulty getting results. The following are some of the photographs that I took. Some of them I write something and the rest I am waiting to get more details about who these people are and what they do. I will write in much more detail when I have the information.

The Einsturzende Neubauten 30th reunion party at Tresor in Berlin on 1.4.2010: Steve Morell

I entered Tresor and the first person I saw was Steve Morell . He was doing the door that night. Steve is a Musician, DJ, Remixer and Producer with his own production company & record label, Pale Music Int. Two photos of Steve with flash and without. Click on his name above for further information. 

The Einsturzende Neubauten 30th reunion party at Tresor in Berlin on 1.4.2010: N.U. Unru

N.U. Unru is one of the founders of Einsturzende Neubauten. He has been called an experimental percussionist and instrument inventor: The utilization of found objects for musical purposes for performances and concerts, building the tin sheet drum kits, working with amplified metal bass springs and different non-musical materials. He organized the party. I have included two photographs of him, one with flash and one without.Please click on N.U. Unru above for further information.

The Einsturzende Neubauten 30th reunion party at Tresor in Berlin on 1.4.2010: Danielle de Picciotto and Alexander Hacke

Two photos of Danielle de Picciotto and Alexander Hacke. They have done a lot creative collaborations together and one of the few perfect couples that I have met. I have written in detail about Alexander in a photograph above with Chris Hughes. He has been a member of Einsturzende Neubauten since he was 15 and has a lot of creative projects happening please read more in his photo. Danielle is an American artist living in Berlin. She is a painter, illustrator, filmmaker and musician. She was one of the founders of The Love Parade in Berlin. She sang with the band Space Cowboys and with the Ocean Club with Gudrun Gut. She has also collaborated with the Tiger Lillies, Dr. Motte, Gudrun Gut, Mick Harvey and many more. Please click on her name for further details.

The Einsturzende Neubauten 30th reunion party at Tresor in Berlin on 1.4.2010: Chris Hughes and Bob Rutman

Chris Hughes with Bob Rutman who creates his own instruments and plays them.Bob Rutman was born in Berlin in 193` and emigrated to the United States when he was 19. He founded a gallery in New York where he developed prototypes for his steel cello and bow chimes. In 1975, he founded the Steel Cello Ensemble. In 1990 he returned to Berlin, where he currently lives. He has worked with Peter Sellars, Merce Cunningham, Einsturzende Neubauten, Robert Wilson, Dorthy Carter, FM Einheit and many others. He is a musician, painter, instrument builder, sculptor and inventor of sounds. Click on his name above to get more information and to listen to his music.

The Einsturzende Neubauten 30th reunion party at Tresor in Berlin on 1.4.2010 Claudius Kielholz

A photo of Claudius Kielholz at the Einsturzende Neubauten 30th reunion party at Tresor in Berlin on April 1rst, 2010. Claudius is a well known musician in Berlin and a member of the band Haunted Henschel. Click on the band name and it will take you to their myspace page. You can listen to their music there. Most of the writing is in German and some in English.Claudius is also a self-employed writer for books and magazines. I am going to write more about him when I receive more information about him.