OLD, DEEP AND DIRTY formed in the early 1990s in Hamburg's St. Pauli district. At the time, the band was called 'Right Now,' but the name is no longer available for legal reasons.
The founding members
„Franky“ Neubert / Vocals
Arne Schröder / Guitars
Mike Keller / Keyboards
Thomas Behrens / Bass
Klaus Maria Kurtenbach / Drums
Michael Starrs / Vocals on Bonus Tracks 13 und 14
Arne and Franky had previously played together in various bands and were the creative minds of the band. Thomas and Klaus harmonized perfectly from the very first note, forming an incredible, perfectly coordinated musical foundation. In addition to his soulful piano playing, Mike conjured up various sounds that were new for the 1990s.
Pictures
Hamburg's Best Rehearsal Room
Klaus, Arne, and Thomas worked at the "Neue Flora" musical theater in the 1990s, and so the band was able to use the orchestra's rehearsal room free of charge. A gift and a heartfelt thank you to the theater's management at the time.
St. Pauli Next Door - Creative Input
The performance of "The Phantom of the Opera" ended at 11:00 PM, and the orchestra called it a night. From then on, the band could rehearse as they pleased. It was a ten-minute walk from the rehearsal room to the heart of St. Pauli.
After rehearsals, the guys often walked through the streets of St. Pauli, away from the tourist crowds, where the originals lived and celebrated. The creative input was practically on the street.
Gigs and Parties
The songs "Five-Minute-Fucker", "Long Legs," "Everybody's Town," and "Can You Tell Me?" were written in St. Pauli. The band played in small clubs, at parties, and, most notably, at the legendary Hamburg "LOGO" club. Their repertoire consisted entirely of their own songs.
The End
In 1995, Mike and Franky left the band for professional reasons. Singer Michael Starrs from the "Phantom of the Opera" ensemble joined them for a few months.
That was a completely different story, as Michel was a full-time singer with classical training. The band recorded a few songs with him in the theater's recording studio – thanks to Klaus – but stopped gigging. The magic of the original lineup was simply missing.
At the end of 1995, the band finally scattered in all directions. Michael returned to New York, Klaus moved to Switzerland, Thomas changed theaters, and Arne went into television.
The search for the old friends
After the album "Walking Alone" was successfully remastered in 2025, Arne set out to find the old band members to play the results and obtain their approval for a release.
Arne Schröder: "We were deeply shocked to learn that our dear Klaus passed away back in 2012. That hit us pretty hard. Klaus was a wonderful person, a brilliant drummer, and without him, this album wouldn't exist."
That's why "Walking Alone" is dedicated to Klaus Maria Kurtenbach. R.I.P., old buddy.
Perhaps a final word
Why this project is called OLD, DEEP AND DIRTY:
OLD – because it's 30 years old - and the musicians even older
DEEP – because the lyrics have depth
DIRTY – listen to "Long Legs"
Thanks!
Dear Boris - Homepage, dear McCoy - Master, dear Karin - Cover, thank you so much for your wonderful, generous, and incredibly professional support!