Dessau/MZ – “Man, it’s been a long time since we haven’t heard the tracks!” It was balm for the ears and soul, admits Axel Huth, frontman of “Just Older”. In October ’21 the sentence fell at the concert in Dessau Lokheim. The only concert last year in which Huth, together with Ralf “Clapton” Pyka on bass, Gerhard “Kniepi” Kniep on keyboards, Andreas “Witsch” Krause on guitar, Tony “Mahony” Matthias on drums and Heike Huth (guitar and singing) could be seen and heard. “Corona”, Huth waves meaningfully and hopes with the other musicians of “Just Older” that everything will be better again in 2022.
And on March 12th it starts again. Where? In Lokheim, of course. Then the six want to rock again in Dietrichshain. Huth is happy with the others for those who were there last year and don’t want to miss “Just Older” this time either.
Photo: Thomas Ruttke
Despite the lull in performance during the Corona period, the six musicians never let go of one thing. Every Tuesday evening is rehearsal time. None failed. “We want to be as good as possible. You have to keep at it,” says the band leader, who fulfilled a big dream with “Just Older” in 2018. “It has always been my wish to have a band,” says the head of the Dessau printing house. And his wife, the singer Heike Huth, with whom he has been on stage for many years as “Black Velvet Live Music from Dessau”, pushed it.
And that’s how they got together: Kniepi, who had played with the “Tangenten”, Witsch from “Phagt”, Clapton from “Tarantel” and Tony Mahony from “Down Below”. Getting Clapton was the hardest part, says Huth, – but in the end a bunch came out that sticks together like sulphur. “The chemistry is right with us, we also share private things,” says Heike Huth, who actually didn’t want to take part in the men’s combo at first, but now as an organizational talent, liaison and girl for everything is indispensable.
–Photo: Thomas Ruttke
In general, everyone in the band has their part. Kniepi is the musical director, preparer and calming influence. Witsch a hero on the guitar and also responsible for the sound. Clapton as solid as a rock, as Heike Huth finds, extraordinarily musical and down-to-earth. And Axel as frontman with his extraordinary voice and presence the initiator of the whole thing. And there’s the youngest of the group on the drums. “I wish Axel had asked ten years earlier,” admits Tony Mahony.
But no matter whether they are in their early 40s or around 60 – musically they pay homage to the heroes of the 60s and 70s such as Deep Purple, Dire Straits, T.Rex or The Doors. But “Just Older” know how to surprise. “We tend to take the B-sides,” reveals Axel Huth. Titles are those that are not played that often, but are very demanding. And that’s what’s so appealing. The band has a total of 34 cover songs in their repertoire.
–Photo: Thomas Ruttke
Most of them will be heard in the Lokheim. But the performance should only be the prelude for many this year. “We would like to be part of festivals in cities,” says Heike Huth – whether in Dessau, Aken, Delitzsch or Beelitz. The fact that “Just Older” (just a little older) is far from being old-fashioned is to be shown in a video soon, with which the musicians want to show on the internet: Here, that’s us!
–
