Sportfreunde Stiller: “Always stick with what brings you joy!”

TEXT: SILKE HENKELE

Sportfreunde Stiller reflect on 30 years of friendship, their current tour and new album, Happy Birthday.

In the wake of the band’s current tour and release of their new album, Happy Birthday, drummer Florian ‘Flo’ Weber and bass player Rüdiger ‘Rüde’ Linhof sit down to talk about the band, friendship in times of silence, and their new album and tour.

The documentary Sportfreunde Stiller – Mit dem Herz in der Hand is now available to watch on the streaming platforms of ARD or BAYERISCHER RUNDFUNK. Photo: BR/Florida Factual GmbH/ Berlin Producers Media GmbH/Ingo Pertramer

30 years: the beginnings

30 years after their formation, Sportfreunde Stiller remain one of Germany’s most distinctive indie rock bands. What began in 1996 as a student band has evolved into a career spanning chart successes, festival triumphs, periods of silence and, ultimately, new beginnings.

“30 years is such a long period of time. A time frame I simply couldn’t grasp when we started out in our 20s,” Rüde laughs. “I honestly couldn’t even imagine turning 40, never mind being in a band 30 years later.”

Reflections like these have been fuelled by the documentary Sportfreunde Stiller – Mit dem Herz in der Hand. which was recently released by German public broadcaster ARD and is now available to stream on its platform. Flo shares a similar perspective: “We were young maniacs, students who were happy if five people came to see us play. If someone had told us then what would happen to these young men, I wouldn’t have believed it for a second.”

What makes the drummer proud today is not necessarily their immense commercial success but their stamina. “We’ve been together for such a long time. We’ve gone through great times as well as challenging crises, but our relationship is strong and maybe more relaxed than ever.”

Photo: BR/Florida Factual GmbH/Berlin Producers Media GmbH/Ingo Pertramer

Milestones of success

Sportfreunde Stiller’s early years were characterised by relentless touring and very little money. At one point the band played 27 concerts in 30 days. Those were the days when the students were unable to afford hotel rooms and off-days simply felt like a waste. When the band received their first substantial payment, 1,000 Deutsche Marks for a show, the party was modest. “We stopped at a petrol station and everyone bought ice cream,” the musicians recall.

Yet, the transition from student band to professional act was not marked by a single breakthrough moment. Instead, it was a gradual process. “ We were really lucky,” says Flo. “We always played in front of a slightly bigger crowd than at the previous gig.” Over time, the days when a well-paid show was celebrated with ice cream from a petrol station became part of the band’s folklore.

While Rüde considers a sold-out show 1999 at Bayreuth’s Glashaus as one of his personal milestones, where the band played in front of 180 people, Flo highlights different moments. “The concert was one of the times when we felt a real connection with our audience,” Rüde recalls. “It was one of the moments when I thought this could become something bigger.” Another standout memory for him is the band’s legendary appearance at the Bizarre Festival in 2000, where they played to a packed crowd that went wild – at half past three in the morning. For Flo, signing a record deal was a decisive milestone, as was seeing the band’s videos appear regularly on MTV.

From left: Rüdiger Linhof, Florian Weber in the studio with producer Tobias Kuhn. Image from the documentary Sportfreunde Stiller – Mit dem Herz in der Hand. Photo: BR/Florida Factual GmbH/Berlin Producers Media GmbH/Marcel Chylla

Times of silence and new beginnings

Of course, longevity as a band also means experiencing and, in the best of worlds, weathering difficult periods: Sportfreunde Stiller went through a lengthy period of near silence during which contact between members became sporadic. “We met maybe once a year for a coffee,” Linhof recalls. “And we avoided the elephant in the room, namely talking about the band.”

Eventually, it was singer Peter Brugger who suggested returning to the rehearsal room. What followed was both awkward and reassuring. “We had to Google guitar chords,” Flo jokes. And yet within moments the old chemistry returned. “The vibe was still there,” Rüde recalls. “We felt that we were able to grow naturally back into the band we always were. We still spent most of the rehearsal making each other laugh. Just like we always did. I instantly knew that it’s true: always stick with what brings you joy.”

Photo: © Ingo Pertramer

Happy Birthday and a tour

It was this important insight that inspired the musicians to produce their new album, Happy Birthday, which was released this June. It reflects both the band’s maturity and lasting curiosity. Instead of approaching the songwriting with a fixed concept in mind, the record evolved quite naturally. “We simply started writing,” Flo describes. “And what emerged were songs about people, looking beyond our own horizon and friendship; a perspective that we particularly honour in our song Hey Buddies!” For Rüde, the album is also a snapshot of the present. “It’s full of life,” he points out. “Full of things we celebrate and things we still wonder about.”

Fittingly, the opening track, Immer noch hier (Still Here), functions almost like a mission statement. Yet Flo rejects the idea that it expresses surprise. “The song is about gratitude, not astonishment,” he explains. “We want to point out that people should be more thankful instead of constantly complaining.”

Peter Brugger on stage. Image from the documentary Sportfreunde Stiller – Mit dem Herz in der Hand. Photo: BR/Florida Factual GmbH/Berlin Producers Media GmbH/Sybille Koller

In the wake of their new album, Sportfreunde Stiller are currently touring the DACH region. While the three musicians are back on the road and play sold out venues, they are careful not to frame 30 wunderbaren Jahren as nostalgia. “This isn’t a jubilee tour,” Linhof stresses. “It’s simply a Sportfreunde Stiller tour, 30 years after forming.”

And what do the musicians hope audiences take away from their concerts? “People should leave with good, positive feelings,” Rüde says. “Going to a Sportfreunde Stiller concert should mean having a great time and meeting nice people. It should make you realise that there are more good people in the world than idiots. And you’ll find those people at our shows.”

As the conversation draws to a close, one question remains: how would Flo and Rüde describe the last three decades of Sportfreunde Stiller? “Optimistic. Wild. Sweaty,” the drummer says, before deciding three words are not quite enough: “And full of love.”

Sportfreunde Stiller: “Always stick with what brings you joy!”

Tour dates:

7 October 2026 Luxembourg Atelier

10 October 2026 Bozen Stadthalle

12 October 2026 Linz Posthof

13 October 2026 Augsburg Kongress am Park

22 October 2026 Oberhausen - Turbinenhalle

23 October 2026 Aurich - Sparkassen Arena

24 October 2026 Bremen - Pier 2

26 October 2026 Magdeburg - AMO Kulturhaus

28 October 2026 Wien - Gasometer

29 October 2026 Kempten - bigBOX ALLGÄU

30 October 2026 Frankfurt - myticket Jahrhunderthalle

Get your tickets on www.sportfreunde-stiller.de