Guano Apes

File:Guano Apes.jpg

Guano Apes were formed in 1994 in Göttingen, Germany, by guitarist Henning Rümenapp, bassist Stefan Ude, and drummer Dennis Poschwatta. Female lead singer Sandra Nasić joined the band later that same year.

{{Listen | help = yes |filename = Guano Apes - Open Your Eyes.ogg |title = "Open Your Eyes" |description = Sample from their first single}}

The band's career took off in 1996 after they won the "Local Heroes" competition held by VIVA, beating out over 1,000 competitors with their song "Open Your Eyes". The song was their first and most successful single, followed by the release in October 1997 of their debut album Proud Like a God on BMG and GUN/Supersonic Records. The album peaked at number 4 in Germany and was certified platinum. The songs "Lords of the Boards" and "Rain" were also issued as singles, with the former being specifically commissioned for the 1998 European Snowboarding Championship.

The release of their debut album was followed by an 18-month tour of Europe and the United States. "Open Your Eyes" appeared in the Warren Miller movie Fifty (1999) and Crusty 2000: The Metal Millennium (2000). The non-album single "Don't You Turn Your Back On Me" was contributed to the Meschugge film soundtrack in 1999.

In November 2000, Guano Apes released their second studio album, Don't Give Me Names, on BMG and GUN/Supersonic Records. The songs "Big in Japan", "No Speech", "Living in a Lie", and "Dödel Up" were issued as singles. "Big in Japan" (an Alphaville cover) and "No Speech" received a lot of airplay and the album was certified gold in Germany. A concert at Paradiso, Amsterdam was filmed and released on VHS and DVD, also called Don't Give Me Names.

In 2001, Guano Apes collaborated with German comedian Michael Mittermeier on the song "Kumba Yo!", which reached No. 3 on the German charts. Also, Sandra Nasić contributed vocals and lyrics to the song "Path Vol. 2" by Finnish cello quartet Apocalyptica.

Guano Apes' third studio album, Walking on a Thin Line, was released in March 2003 on BMG and GUN/Supersonic Records. It reached number one on the German album charts and, just like its predecessor, was certified Gold. The album was supported by the singles "You Can't Stop Me", "Pretty in Scarlet", and "Quietly".

In November 2003, Guano Apes released the album Live, which was recorded during a concert in Cologne earlier that same year. The limited edition contained a DVD with video footage of the entire concert.

In November 2004, the best of album Planet of the Apes was released, which included the new single "Break the Line". A DVD by the same name was released in February 2005, containing a documentary, concert footage, and several music videos, among other things.

File:Sandra Nasic.jpg

Due to escalating personal differences among members, Guano Apes planned a farewell tour in February 2005 and subsequently disbanded.{{cite web|url=https://whiskey-soda.de/story.php?id=9769 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322104828/https://whiskey-soda.de/story.php?id=9769 |archive-date=22 March 2016 |title=archive.org "Guano Apes - Das Ende einer erfolgreichen Crossoverband" |publisher=whiskey-soda.de |access-date=15 August 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www1.wdr.de/fernsehen/rockpalast/backstage/guano-apes-rockpalast-backstage-siebzehn-100.html |title=Rockpalast BACKSTAGE: Guano Apes |date=4 November 2017 |publisher=WDR |access-date=15 August 2018}} Dennis Poschwatta gave more details on the reason for their breakup in an interview:{{Cite web|url=http://www.whiskey-soda.de/story.php?id=9769&seite=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913034104/http://www.whiskey-soda.de/story.php?id=9769&seite=2|archive-date=13 September 2009|title=Guano Apes - Das Ende einer erfolgreichen Crossoverband {{!}} Story/Artikel - whiskey-soda.de {{!}} Musikmagazin fuer Metal, Rock, Gothic, Indie, Punk, HC, EMO und Alternative Musik|date=13 September 2009|access-date=16 April 2020}}

{{Quote

|text="Basically, it was all about money. That is the most common problem that bands break up over. If someone thinks he is a born rock star or whatever, if you just lose your footing - that's what I could call it now. It was also not possible to bring Sandra back down to earth. And if your environment and lawyers encourage stupid opinions or actions, it becomes difficult. It's like a marriage or a relationship - at some point there's a fight, then it just doesn't work anymore."|author=|title=|source=}}

Poschwatta subsequently focused on his band Tamoto, in which he played guitar (and drums while in the studio) and shared vocal duties with Markus Gumball, a.k.a. G-Ball. Tamoto released the album Clemenza in August 2005, which was supported by the singles "Beware" and "On My Mind".{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Tamoto-Clemenza/release/691741 |title=Tamoto - Clemenza |date=August 2005 |publisher=Discogs |access-date=24 May 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMhLu20em_s |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421165311/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMhLu20em_s |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 April 2023 |title=Tamoto - Beware |publisher=YouTube |date=22 May 2017 |access-date=23 May 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7xDT1HqnK8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/s7xDT1HqnK8| archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Tamoto - On My Mind |publisher=YouTube |date=2 July 2007 |access-date=23 May 2018}}{{cbignore}} Stefan Ude and Henning Rümenapp were among the musicians who participated in the recording of the album. In 2007, Tamoto released the mini album Crudezza.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/crudezza-mw0001747875 |title=Tamoto - Crudezza |publisher=Allmusic |access-date=24 May 2018}}

In 2006, Rümenapp, Ude, and Poschwatta formed a new band named IO, together with American singer Charles Simmons. IO went on the road several times and released their debut album, For the Masses, on 1 August 2008. The project was put on hold after Guano Apes reunited in 2009.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/iO-For-The-Masses/release/8705234 |title=iO - For The Masses |date=August 2008 |publisher=Discogs |access-date=24 May 2018}}

In December 2006, GUN Records released the compilation album Lost (T)apes, which contains a selection of previously unreleased demo tracks recorded in 1994 and 1995. Lost (T)apes was also released as part of the 2CD package The Best and the Lost (T)apes.

In October 2007, Nasić released a solo album titled The Signal.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Sandra-Nasic-The-Signal/release/1431344 |title=Sandra Nasic - The Signal |publisher=Discogs |access-date=24 May 2018}}

In 2009, Guano Apes reunited and played a string of concerts in Europe, starting in Sofia, Bulgaria, and also including Braga, Portugal, Nickelsdorf, Austria, Przystanek Woodstock, Poland,{{cite web |url=http://www.en.wosp.org.pl/woodstock/ |title=Home - HOME - the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity |access-date=19 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325213029/http://www.en.wosp.org.pl/woodstock/ |archive-date=25 March 2010}} and Rock im Park, Germany, and Bucharest, Romania. In Bucharest, the band announced they were working on a new album.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpdR3SEkz8A |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/LpdR3SEkz8A| archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Guano Apes announce a new album |publisher=YouTube |date=7 September 2009 |access-date=12 June 2014}}{{cbignore}}

In April 2011, the group released their fourth studio album, Bel Air, on Columbia Europe.[http://www.guanoapes.org/de-en/music/bel-air ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721180701/http://www.guanoapes.org/de-en/music/bel-air |date=21 July 2011 }} The album entered the German album charts at number one.{{cite web|url=http://www.rp-online.de/kultur/musik/Guano-Apes-auf-Anhieb-auf-Platz-eins_aid_986693.html |title=Guano Apes auf Anhieb auf Platz eins |language=de |work=Rheinische Post |date=12 April 2011 |access-date=18 April 2011}} They released four singles from this record: "Oh, What a Night", "Sunday Lover", "This Time", and "When the Ships Arrive".

Sony Music released the DVD Live @ Rockpalast in 2012. It contains footage of two concerts from 1997 and 2011, both recorded for the long-running German TV show Rockpalast.

On 28 February 2014, Guano Apes released their first single in two years, titled "Close to the Sun", as well as a teaser trailer for their fifth album, titled Offline, and confirmed that the record would be released on 2 May 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GHqOnWL7_U |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/2GHqOnWL7_U| archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Guano Apes - Offline - Highlights |publisher=YouTube |date=22 May 2014 |access-date=12 June 2014}}{{cbignore}} A music video for "Close to the Sun" was released on 2 April.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FrJxzx3AWI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/2FrJxzx3AWI| archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Guano Apes - Close To The Sun (Videoclip) |publisher=YouTube |date=2 April 2014 |access-date=23 May 2018}}{{cbignore}} Later that month, it was announced that the release of Offline had been pushed back to 30 May.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Proud Like a God, Guano Apes released Proud Like a God XX on 6 October 2017. The album contains newly mixed versions of ten songs that appeared on the original album, plus the previously unreleased track "Score". The deluxe edition comes with a bonus CD containing reworked "2017 versions" of six songs from Proud Like a God (with a guest appearance by Danko Jones on the 2017 version of Open Your Eyes), as well as three cover songs, including the first single, "Lose Yourself" (originally performed by Eminem).{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Guano-Apes-Proud-Like-A-God-XX/release/10978764 |title=Guano Apes - Proud Like A God XX |publisher=Discogs |date=6 October 2017 |access-date=23 May 2018}} Music videos for "Lose Yourself" and the 2017 version of "Suzie" were released on 6 October and 10 November 2017, respectively.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQCkw-dzqac |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/vQCkw-dzqac| archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Guano Apes - Lose Yourself (Official Music Video) |publisher=YouTube |date=6 October 2017 |access-date=23 May 2018}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdoAy0TD5xo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/qdoAy0TD5xo| archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Guano Apes - Suzie (Official Music Video) (2017 Version) |publisher=YouTube |date=10 November 2017 |access-date=23 May 2018}}{{cbignore}}

Guano Apes beim Open Flair 2015 (030 by Yellowcard).jpg|Sandra Nasić – lead vocals

Guano Apes beim Open Flair 2015 (020 by Yellowcard).jpg|Henning Rümenapp – guitars, backing vocals

Guano Apes beim Open Flair 2015 (004 by Yellowcard).jpg|Stefan Ude – bass, backing vocals

File:Poschwatta.jpg|Dennis Poschwatta – drums, backing vocals

{{main|Guano Apes discography}}

• Proud Like a God (1997)
• Don't Give Me Names (2000)
• Walking on a Thin Line (2003)
• Bel Air (2011)
• Offline (2014)

{{awards table}}

!{{Abbr|Ref.|References}}

|-

|align=center|1998

|rowspan="4"| Guano Apes

|Viva Comet Award for Newcomer National

|{{won}}

|{{cite web |url=http://comet.viva.tv/pages/comet_history_gewinner_1998 |title=Shows, Musikvideos, Charts, News - VIVA.tv |publisher=Comet.viva.tv |access-date=12 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324043228/http://comet.viva.tv/pages/comet_history_gewinner_1998 |archive-date=24 March 2012 }}

|-

|align=center|1998

|MTV Select – Central

|{{nom}}

|

|-

|align=center|1999

|rowspan="2"| MTV Europe Music Award for Best German Act

|{{nom}}

|

|-

|align=center|2000

|{{won}}

|{{cite web|last=Tadeusiak|first=Aneta|title=MTV Europe Music Awards 2000|publisher=ukmix.org|url=http://www.ukmix.org/articles/2000/ema.html|access-date=19 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923005816/http://www.ukmix.org/articles/2000/ema.html|archive-date=23 September 2010}}

|-

|align=center|2001

| Sandra Nasić

|1LIVE Krone Award for Best Singer

|{{won}}

|

|-

|align=center|2003

| Guano Apes

|1LIVE Krone Award for Best Band

|{{won}}

|

|-

{{end}}

{{reflist}}

{{commons}}

• {{official|guanoapes.org}}

{{Guano Apes}}

{{MTV EMA for Best German Act}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:German alternative rock groups

Category:German nu metal musical groups

Category:Funk metal musical groups

Category:Musical groups established in 1994

Category:1994 establishments in Germany

Category:MTV Europe Music Award winners

Category:GUN Records artists

Category:Female-fronted musical groups