Chris von Rohr

Christoph von Rohr (born 24 October 1951) is a Swiss musician and record producer, best known as a founding member of the hard rock band Krokus.

History Childhood, youth and first experiences as a musician (1951–1975)

Chris von Rohr, along with his half-brother Stephan von Rohr, comes from a middle-class family in Solothurn, where he spent most of his childhood. His first musical experience Chris von Rohr gained at his parents piano. During his school years in mostly local schools (apart from a brief interlude at a boarding school Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz – where he was able to play drums for the very first time), von Rohr's father gave him his first drum set as a gift. In 1967, he formed his first band called The Scouts. The band changed names multiple times, from Tears Of Love to In and finally Indian Summer. With this formation the young drummer also completed his first public appearance at a student ball in the Hotel Krone in Solothurn. After a two-year stint at the public business school in Neuchâtel von Rohr founded more bands: first, the Plastic Joints and thereafter Inside. Meanwhile, the musician von Rohr kept himself financially afloat as a cook in the Solothurn Restaurant & Hotel Kreuz – the first Genossenschaftsbeiz of Switzerland. After a for von Rohr in terms of musical style all in all very unpleasant but at least financially lucrative short stint with a dance band called On the Road, he and their keyboarder Michi Szabo formed the two- man band Night Train. However, all these attempts to make it in the professional music business failed and so von Rohr worked again as a cook at the Restaurant Kreuz, followed by a semester at the Jazz School in Bern.

Rise and international breakthrough with Krokus (1975–1983) After finishing studies at the Jazz School, von Rohr returned to Solothurn to form another band in November 1975: Krokus. Their first public gig was opening for Nella Martinetti at the Saalbau of the Swiss town of Gerlafingen. Together with lead guitarist Tommy Kiefer, with whom drummer von Rohr alternated lead vocals, rhythm guitarist Hansi Droz and bassist Remo Spadino finally the very progressive debut album Krokus. Shortly thereafter, guitarist Tommy Kiefer was brought back to the line-up and the band was complete once again. With this line-up the band recorded once more at the Sinus Studio in Bern, produced again by Peter J. Mac Taggart and released in 1977 their second studio album To You All, which was released in 1977 and revealing for the first time a hard rock sound.

With the same line-up, still with von Rohr as front man, Krokus recorded their third, totally hard rock album Pain Killer, which was also released as Pay It in Metal. This album was recorded within six days in Manor Studios in Oxford in 1978, and produced by von Rohr and von Arb. This album proved to be the band's international breakthrough. Triple-platinum in Switzerland and first concert tours in Great Britain and the United States followed, including the "percussion battle" between von Rohr and drummer Freddy Steady. As with its predecessor, the album turned out to be a total success and earned gold status in Switzerland. Mandy Meyer replaced Kiefer for the tours throughout Europe and the USA. This line-up eventually recorded at the Battery Studios in London – produced by Tony Platt, von Rohr and von Arb – their sixth studio album One Vice at a Time. Released in 1982, it not only validated the status of Krokus but raised it one notch higher.

Meanwhile, Krokus lineup changes continued: Drummer Steady was dismissed and replaced by Steve Pace. As a result of this album's success, the band was invited to join the second-largest U.S. tour of the year as "special guests": The Pyromania tour of British rock band Def Leppard, who became popular in the U.S. at that time, and Gary Moore as opening act. Even though, or perhaps because of the wave of success the band enjoyed at this time, within the next few months two serious negative experiences changed the course of events once more: First, Krokus was kicked off the Pyromania tour because of several missteps by singer Marc Storace and band manager Butch Stone – the band eventually finished their North American tour as supporting act of Judas Priest – and on the other hand another wave of line-up changes. First rhythm guitarist Mark Kohler was dismissed and replaced by Patrick Mason, and finally von Rohr, the last remaining founding member of the band, was ousted because he openly talked to Switzerland's daily newspaper Blick about his experience on the road and the tour excesses that followed as well as his rebellion against the business antics of their U.S. manager Stone.

Forced reorientations: activities as music producer, author and solo artist (1983–1987) Dismissed by Krokus at once, Chris von Rohr found himself on his own overnight. During this period, the ousted bass player and founder of the band took on diverse projects: firstly, he produced in 1985 the first and only self-titled studio album of the Swiss band Headhunter. In addition to his first official job as a producer, von Rohr also started to write his first book, which was published in 1991 and entitled Hunde wollt ihr ewig rocken (Dogs, do you want to rock forever). The book described the insane events around and within Krokus and helped him to process that entire experience mentally, thus finding closure. In addition, von Rohr released his first and so far only solo album Hammer and Tongue in 1987.

Brief return to Krokus (1987–1989) Shortly after releasing his solo album, von Rohr returned to Krokus in 1987. Plain and simply stated, it turned out to be the best solution for all parties involved. Together again at last, von Rohr and his old bandmates Marc Storace, Fernando von Arb, Mark Kohler and Dani Crivelli, who played drums on his solo album, recorded at Jürg Naegeli's Pink recording studio in Zuchwil their tenth studio album. Produced by von Rohr and von Arb, Krokus released Heart Attack in 1988. The album charted 5th place in the Swiss albums chart, a first for von Rohr and Krokus. It was the return to Hard Rock, which had catapulted the band in the early 1980s into the worldwide spotlight and away from the shallow pop-metal orientation the band presented itself on the previous album, Change of Address. Shortly thereafter, von Rohr founded a band called Grand Slam with Peter Tanner on vocals as well as lead guitarist Many Maurer, rhythm guitarist Tony Castell and drummer Peter Haas. With this group he toured Germany, Austria and Hungary – mainly playing material from his solo album – until he left the band in late 1989. He also wrote articles for various music magazines. Subsequently, the literary work, in which the author recalls the highs and lows of his career in his own words, became a cult book and bestseller not only for rock and metal fans. That same year, Chris von Rohr also started his collaboration with the Swiss hard rock band Gotthard, via their band manager Marco Antognini. This cooperation turned out to be the beginning of a success story for both sides, as already the first, released in 1992, self-titled studio album Gotthard reached a significant chart position by making it to No. 5 in the Swiss chart. A year later, besides his duties with Gotthard, von Rohr also re-released his 1987 solo album Hammer and Tongue, this time however under the title The Good, The Bad and The Dög including the bonus track "See You Walking". Following this reissue, von Rohr's focus was again entirely on Gotthard and what followed was, despite or because of persistent internal tensions – at least in Switzerland – a single musical triumph. All of the following studio and live albums of the band, produced by von Rohr, particularly Dial Hard in 1994, G. in 1996, D-Frosted in 1997 and Open in 1999 reached number 1 in the Swiss albums chart. Finally, in November 2003, his second literary work Bananenflanke (the second part of his autobiography) was published and rather quickly turned out to be another best seller for von Rohr. At the same time, his first bestseller, Hunde wollt ihr ewig rocken was released as a five-CD audiobook.

During this time, a documentary was published in February 2004 entitled Krokus: As Long as We Live, which dealt with the turbulent history of Krokus in an informative and multi-perspective way by letting people that were part of this journey tell their story in their own way. The creation of this film ultimately initiated the reconciliation of Chris von Rohr and Fernando von Arb – and the subsequent reunion of the original line-up of Krokus. Von Rohr earned even more popularity with his slogan "Meh Dräck" during a broadcast of MusicStar, when he discouraged candidates to continue a music career due to their lackluster performance. The cult status that evolved because of his saying, convinced him eventually to write a song with the same title. This was ultimately released as a single and Meh Dräck! reached number 14 in the Swiss Singles Chart. Furthermore, «Meh Dräck» was even chosen as "word of the year 2004" in Switzerland.

After completion of the second season, von Rohr eventually left Musicstar to get back to work as a radio moderator. The broadcast VollRohr – Rock'n'Talk (full power ahead – Rock'n'Talk) was heard from May 2005 to June 2006 on various radio stations in Switzerland. Alternating with Peter Bichsel, Peter Scholl-Latour and Helmut Hubacher, von Rohr started in 2005 also to write each month's column Notabene for the magazine Schweizer Illustrierte. Meanwhile, he additionally started in October 2005 together with Roman Kilchsperger on SF two a late-night TV show called Black'n'Blond. Here, at the first broadcast of the show, von Rohr got the attention of the Swiss television viewers my mooning the camera. But von Rohr's absence on TV was short-lived, as he could be seen from October to December 2006 as a juror in the uniquely produced talent show Superstar, which was broadcast on Swiss TV channel 3+.

In December 2007 – despite Marc Storace still touring with the then active line-up of Krokus – an increased movement to revive the classic line-up of Krokus started when the Storace, von Arb, von Rohr and Steady performed in the Swiss TV show Die grössten Schweizer Hits (The Greatest Swiss Hits of All Time). After their performance and a standing ovation, the original members of the band were presented with the Diamond Award for over a million records sold in Switzerland. After that event, an artistic pause was announced on the band's own website. Shortly thereafter, the return of rhythm guitarist Mark Kohler was announced, and the original line-up that recorded the 1982 album One Vice at a Time was reunited at last. Subsequently, the original Krokus line-up performed their much acclaimed reunion concert at the Stade de Suisse football stadium in Bern; then the band contributed the anthem for the Hockey World Cup, that was held in 2009 in Switzerland, called "Live for the Action". Following the release of the album, the band played numerous large festivals and a few headlining shows in Europe until late December 2010. Simultaneously von Rohr found himself again in front of a TV audience as of July 2010, hired as a profiler of 3sat and their broadcast Tonspur – Der Soundtrack meines Lebens (Soundtrack – The soundtrack of my life).

Before the preparations on a new album of Krokus could take place, Chris von Rohr published his third book Sternenstaub (Stardust) in October 2011, which includes some of the columns he had written over the years for the renowned magazine "Schweizer Illustrierte". The literary work of the multi-talented, most successful rock musician and producer in all of Switzerland jumped to No. 9 of the Swiss Fiction Book Chart and therefore established itself as a bestseller, like his two autobiographies Hunde wollt ihr ewig rocken (Dogs, do you want to rock forever) and Bananenflanke. After von Rohr finished work on 2012 as executive producer of the debut album of Swiss hard rock band Fox, he started recordings of Krokus' seventeenth studio album in the famous Abbey Road Studios in London in the fall of 2012. Again, von Rohr is also credited as producer of Dirty Dynamite, which finally was released in February 2013. Mandy Meyer, who in the meantime had joined the band permanently (again) as third guitarist, was part of the recording of this album. Like his predecessor Hoodoo, it shot straight to No. 1 in the Swiss albums chart before earning platinum award status in the Alpine republic of their home country, Switzerland. In the summer of 2013 the band appeared at several festivals throughout Europe. Last year's 4th sold-out show at the Kofmehl, a.k.a. "The House Of Rust" in their hometown of Solothurn was recorded and the live album, produced by von Rohr, would be released in April/May 2014 in 45 countries around the world as Long Stick Goes Boom: Live From Da House Of Rust. Immediately after release it shot to No. 3 in the Swiss albums chart. This was the first live album of Krokus that von Rohr played on. Starting out the 2014 concert season, the band embarks on a German tour, followed by multiple festivals all over Europe.

Discography as musician

Krokus Studio albums 1976: Krokus 1977: To You All 1978: Pain Killer/Pay It in Metal 1980: Metal Rendez-vous 1981: Hardware 1982: One Vice at a Time 1983: Headhunter 1988: Heart Attack 2010: Hoodoo 2013: Dirty Dynamite

Live albums 2014: Long Stick Goes Boom: Live From Da House Of Rust

EPs 1981: Industrial Strength EP

Singles 1977: "Highway Song" 1978: "Susie" 1979: "Bedside Radio" 1979: "Tokyo Nights" 1980: "Heatstrokes" 1981: "Rock City" 1981: "Winning Man" 1981: "Smelly Nelly" 1982: "American Woman" 1982: "Bad Boys, Rag Dolls" 1982: "Long Stick Goes Boom" 1983: "Screaming in the Night" 1983: "Stayed Awake All Night" 1983: "Eat the Rich" 1988: "Everybody Rocks" 1988: "Let It Go" 1988: "Wild Love" 2010: "Hoodoo Woman" 2010: "Too Hot" 2013: "Dirty Dynamite" 2013: "Go Baby Go" 2013: "Dög Song"

Chris von Rohr Studio albums 1987: Hammer and Tongue (1993 re-released as The Good, the Bad and the Dög)

Singles 2004: "Meh Dräck!"

Discography as producer Krokus Studio albums 1976: Krokus 1978: Pain Killer/Pay It in Metal (co-produced with Fernando von Arb) 1980: Metal Rendez-Vous (co-produced with Martin Pearson and Fernando von Arb) 1981: Hardware (co-produced with Fernando von Arb) 1982: One Vice at a Time (co-produced with Tony Platt and Fernando von Arb) 1983: Headhunter 1988: Heart Attack (co-produced with Fernando von Arb) 2010: Hoodoo 2013: Dirty Dynamite

Live albums 2014: Long Stick Goes Boom: Live From Da House Of Rust

EPs 1981: Industrial Strength EP (co-produced with Martin Pearson and Fernando von Arb)

Singles 1978: "Susie" (co-produced with Fernando von Arb) 1979: "Bedside Radio" (co-produced with Martin Pearson and Fernando von Arb) 1979: "Tokyo Nights" (co-produced with Martin Pearson and Fernando von Arb) 1980: "Heatstrokes" (co-produced with Martin Pearson and Fernando von Arb) 1981: "Rock City" (co-produced with Fernando von Arb) 1981: "Winning Man" (co-produced with Fernando von Arb) 1981: "Smelly Nelly" (co-produced with Fernando von Arb) 1982: "American Woman" (co-produced with Tony Platt and Fernando von Arb) 1982: "Bad Boys, Rag Dolls" (co-produced with Tony Platt and Fernando von Arb) 1982: "Long Stick Goes Boom" (co-produced with Tony Platt and Fernando von Arb) 1988: "Everybody Rocks" (co-produced with Fernando von Arb) 1988: "Let It Go" (co-produced with Fernando von Arb) 1988: "Wild Love" (co-produced with Fernando von Arb) 2010: "Hoodoo Woman" 2010: "Too Hot" 2013: "Dirty Dynamite" 2013: "Go Baby Go" 2013: "Dög Song"

Steve Whitney Band 1982: Night Fighting

Headhunter 1985: Headhunter

Chris von Rohr Studio albums 1987: Hammer and Tongue (1993 re-released as The Good, the Bad and the Dög)

Singles 2004: "Meh Dräck!"

The Heavy's (under the pseudonym J. LaCross) Studio albums 1989: Metal Marathon

Compilations 2008: Mega Metal Marathon

Singles 1989: "Metal Marathon"

Gotthard Studio albums 1992: Gotthard 1994: Dial Hard 1996: G. 1999: Open 2001: Homerun

Live albums 1997: D-Frosted

Compilations 2002: One Life One Soul: Best of Ballads

Singles 1992: "All I Care For" 1992: "Hush" 1992: "Firedance" 1993: "Mountain Mama" 1994: "I'm on My Way" 1994: "Travellin' Man" 1995: "Father Is That Enough" 1996: "One Life, One Soul" 1996: "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" 1997: "One Life, One Soul" (Live) (Split-Single with Montserrat Caballé) 1997: "Fight for Your Life" 1997: "Love Soul Matter" 1997: "Someday" 1998: "Let It Rain" 1999: "Blackberry Way" 1999: "Merry X-Mas" 1999: "You" 2000: "Heaven" 2001: "Homerun"

Blue Cold Ice Creams 2007: The Blue Cold Ice Creams 2008: Funky Town 2010: We Love Rock'N'Roll 2012: Sweet Moonshine

Polo Hofer and The SchmetterBand 2000: Härzbluet (co-produced with Polo Hofer, Eric Merz, Hans-Peter Brüggemann, Martin Diem and Remo Kessler)

Patent Ochsner Studio albums 2003: Trybguet (co-produced with Patent Ochnser)

Singles 2002: "Brandstifter" (co-produced with Patent Ochnser) 2002: "Trybguet" (co-produced with Patent Ochnser)

Lovebugs 2005: Naked

Fox 2012 (co-produced with Mark Fox)

Books

Chris von Rohr: Hunde wollt ihr ewig rocken. Mein Trip durch den Rockdschungel, Steinblatt-Verlag, Lugano 1991 (also released as 5-CD audiobook). Chris von Rohr: Bananenflanke. Neue Geschichten aus dem Rock-Dschungel, Steinblatt-Verlag, Biel 2003. Chris von Rohr: Sternenstaub. Die besten Kolumnen. Giger Verlag, Altendorf 2011.