Billions
"In crisis situations you have to stimulate your creativity"
Ben Hartmann (left) and Johannes Aue are the two front men of the band Billions.
© Christoph Voy
The band Billions remains creative even in lockdown. Johannes Aue reveals how the musicians are holding a concert despite the pandemic.
The band Billions makes the most of the lockdown: On February 5th, they will release their third album "Schuldig" and get their fans in the mood for the new songs with a streaming concert. The event takes place in CLUB100, a pilot project from Bremen that realizes events under conditions suitable for pandemics. "It's good that it is taking place and that CLUB100 enables us to do all of this," says keyboardist Johannes Aue in an interview with the news agency spot on news. "It is important that culture takes place in a responsible manner. Even so, we are a live band and hopefully there will only be one streaming show for the band Billions."
Creating performance concepts in lockdown is not easy. "All players in the creative industry are struggling with the current situation and of course outside the industry anyway," says Aue. "Of course, creative solutions to deal with this situation are great. However, we also know that there is a natural limit to implementation." In order for artists to survive the pandemic financially, fans should support them. "The fact that all music in the world can be streamed for everyone is a luxury. For musicians it also means that there is a lack of income. Support artists: buy records," explains the keyboardist.
Concerts with masks and distance? No permanent solution
The band Billions already experienced a concert with masks and distance at the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg. For the future, however, Aue "does not want to see this as a permanent solution". Does he think that concerts can take place again under normal circumstances in 2022? "Yes. Faith is hope," says the musician. The tour for the current album should also be rescheduled for next year. However, when he is currently looking at photos of full concert halls, he feels "like a contemporary witness".
The band's plans for 2021 are clear: "Make music somehow, have little or no money and enjoy life", Aue sums up. In addition, the keyboardist and his bandmate, singer Ben Hartmann (35), have found a special way to stay in touch with their fans. "Especially in crisis situations you have to boost your creativity in order to break new ground," says Aue. "For example, we are currently building a corona-friendly club on four wheels."
For a short time the band has also been working on their independence: Billions have separated from Universal and founded their own label "Zuckerplatte". "Since we have an incredibly great team around us, the decision to wander through the musical landscape more independently was a very easy one," says Aue. The keyboardist has also been working on his appearance lately. He currently has bleached hair. "My wish for pink hair has always been great. To make this dream come true, I first had to bleach it. I found the result so beautiful that it stayed blond for the time being. But pink will come soon," he says.