Many musicians express concern that music may be on a downward trend because music lessons are so expensive. That’s why it’s wonderful that the German band Groove Onkels feat. Tante has reminded us that you don’t need expensive lessons or even an instrument.
They put on a heck of a show on the street in Lichtenvoorde, Netherlands, as part of the Zwarte Cross Festival. They are playing, believe it or not, wheelie bins! Groove Onkels feat. Tante means Groove Uncles feat. Aunt, because there are six men and one woman in the band.
The band were all students at the Institut für Musik in Osnabruck, Germany and were taught by Joachim Dölker. He is a very innovative drummer who pushes the boundaries and experiments in his classes. He formed Groove Onkels feat. Tante from his seven most gifted students.
When the video begins, it looks like a group of bin men on any given day across the world. They are wearing orange high-vis jackets and have eight bins lined neatly up the street. Something is wrong, though; where is their lorry? As they don’t seem to be moving the bins, passers-by start to throw them curious glances.
A moment later, the show starts with a bang! They shout, “Gelber Sack,” in unison before leaping on the bins and beginning to play. Gelber Sack is an original song that the band performed on Germany’s Got Talent in 2012. The audience went wild that night, so it’s no wonder they chose to reprise their performance.
It’s a high-energy performance. The band jumps on and off the bins, drumming them, kicking them, and even playing flexible sheets of metal. The best part, though, is the sense of fun that infuses performance. Their playing is joyful, and they have huge smiles on their faces. It must be incredible to be able to share your talent with the world like that.
We are lucky that YouTube allows us to see this performance years after and enjoy it over and over again. The video has been watched 11 million times, and the comments section is full of praise. Be sure to take a look, and then if you have time, check out another of their bin-related masterpieces, Trashed Alive.
If you would like to see more from Joachim Dölker, you can subscribe to their YouTube channel or follow them on Facebook.