You know him with tousled hair, a grim look and in tattered jeans. Campino, the frontman of Die Toten Hosen, hasn’t yet been seen in an elegant tails – at least not unironic. But when the British King Charles III. and his wife Camilla call, then even a real punker can dress up. In addition to a few other celebrities, such as “Let’s Dance” juror Motsi Mabuse, and numerous politicians, Campino was invited to the celebratory state banquet at Bellevue Palace on Wednesday, where he was even allowed to shake hands with King Charles.
An invitation to the event was probably one of the most coveted pieces of paper this year. Campino, whose real name is Andreas Frege, probably got hold of one not only because of his successful musical career, but also because he is half British thanks to his mother Jennie, who is English, and also has a British passport. So of course he also has a connection to the king – although it is not known whether the punk rocker is an advocate of the monarchy or whether he attended the state banquet out of curiosity. Or, as someone joked on Twitter, because a real punk won’t pass up an opportunity to grab a free meal when they get the chance.
However, the unfamiliar sight of the Tote-Hosen.Frontmann caused frowns among his fans on Twitter. Campino in tails? Campino with his hair neatly combed back? Campino bowing to the British king? Is that still punk? But the Düsseldorfer should only shrug his shoulders wearily: Since the 90s, punk fans have been heatedly discussing whether the Toten Hosen are still real punk or ever were real punk – after all, their songs ended up in the charts and their concerts were popular the big arenas.
And maybe “real punk” is exactly that: don’t give a damn about conventions and expectations and just do what you think is right. The reactions prove that Campino could hardly have provoked more than with his visit to King Charles in Berlin – in tails.
