Checkpoint Charlie | en

Multiple bands go or have gone by the name Checkpoint Charlie.


1. Checkpoint Charlie (named after the notorious checkpoint in the Berlin Wall) have often been acclaimed as the first truly German rock band. They originated from Karlsruhe, and, as early as 1967, they were performing their own uniquely groundbreaking "Terror Rock" music in German! An extremely radical political rock band, especially so in their early days, Checkpoint Charlie were also innovators along with Floh De Cologne and Ton Steine Scherben of a unique German form of rock, blending all sorts of music into a complex and often aggressive rock music.

Their debut (roughly translating as "Good God - It's A Hell Of A Noise") was very extreme, and rather difficult to come to grips with, notorious for its bizarre theatrics and scathing lyrics, but with numerous brilliant musical vignettes contained within.

Many years on, and with only two members in common, and Wilfried Sahm (from Poseidon) adding his bluesy psychedelic guitar, the later albums saw more refinement instrumentally, with complex progressive rock styles (akin to Oktober, Lokomotive Kreuzberg, et al.) making headway against the theatrics, especially so on FRÜHLING DER KRÜPPEL, which featured keyboards strongly, and lengthy instrumental sections venturing on to Grobschnitt realms even. The eponymous live album (known as "Die Durchsichtige" aka "the transparent one" in English, because of the Faust like clear package) showcased them vividly blending angst-punk and complex prog with a brash polit focus.

Throughout, even into the 1980's, Checkpoint Charlie have proven to be amongst the most uncompromising of Krautrock bands, notably on KRAWALL IN SCHWEINESTALL ("Uproar in the Pig Sty") a very Floh De Cologne-esque album that is especially worth investigation. However FEUER & FLAMME (which comes with a match-book on the front cover, and a burnt insert) is arguably a bit too angry for its own good! After this the band folded, with Sahm going on to the remarkable Schäggi Bädsch.

The more recent ECHTES LIVEBLOCKING "Gurglersinfonie" seems to be a reformation, and finds only a nucleus of two (supported by guests) for a more eccentric tongue-in-check affair more like Der Plan.


2) Checkpoint Charlie is a young band from Estonia, Tartu and was formed in the winter of 2008. They play mainly indie rock with a suddle hint of alternative and pop rock on the side. The band is currently unsignned, but have announced releasing an unofficial video for their single Split Personality in the winter of 2009.
www.myspace.com/checkpointcharlieEST


3) Checkpoint Charlie was formed in spring, 2006, in Budapest, Hungary. Their style is simple: metal. The group was founded by Tamás Süle after he had left his former group P.O.T.. Practices started in May, with no solo singer at that time. It was in September that this position was filled, too, so the group could drive all their members’ energy into fully elaborating their songs. Concerts were given from the end of 2006, and the first EP with 4 songs was made at this time, too. The members of Checkpoint Charlie had played in many different formats before, so they all know what exactly they expect from the band. Their main aim is to produce sincere, hard, modern metal music.
The band had many shows at Hungary, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Austria.
Their first LP came out in May, 2008, called Ordinary Madness.
www.checkpointcharlie.hu
www.myspace.com/checkpointcharliemusic


4) Checkpoint Charlie is also an unsigned band from the northern city of Luleå, Sweden. The band plays a heavy party pervaded rock’n’roll not far from the likes of Kiss, Mötley Crüe and AC/DC.


5) Checkpoint Charlie was a Montréal rock band fomed in 2004, that has since changed it's name to Commanders and Chiefs.


6) Checkpoint Charlie was a side project by Flo & Eddie, two of the Turtles main musicians. Flo & Eddie created a one time project album where all songs were created with toys. .