Who are the band members of Noisy Aperitivo?

Bettina Stach (DE) – keys/melodica/harmonies, the curator of odd instruments, the band’s psychologist, the conjuror of spontaneous banquets (what can’t she do?!)

Elizabeth Vangilbergen (UK) – rhythm guitar, the vibe and soul generator

Ivona Skoko (B&H/HR) – bass guitar, the master beatmaker

Julian Penvela (CO) – bass guitar, the prodigious music shaper 

Maciek Szuba (PL) – solo guitar, the sound scientist and gatekeeper of taste

Randolfe “the lens” Camarotto (BR) – drums , the wielder of the golden sticks + the band’s videographer

Zainab Celik (DE) – vocals, the celestial songstress and weaver of vocal tapestries 

How did you meet? 

We are complete strangers who met for the first time at the first band coaching meetup! For many weeks the conversation was: “How does the air con work?”, “Is this the on button?” “Is anyone having a moment?” Now we’re in the zone saying “Nice!” and talking tritone substitution and stacked fourths!

Where does the name of the band come from?

“Noisy” as we had band practice at the Noisy Studios and “Aperitivo” as we always rehearsed at aperitif-o’clock, around 6 p.m.! We did consider anagrams of our collective country codes, since we come from all over the world, but names like “Heckler Dub Drop”, “Burped Elk Chord” and “Kerb Cred Holdup” didn’t really capture our groove 😀

Tell us about your musical style.

Bossa nova cha cha, neo soul, nu jazz? No-one can pin us down. There’s no specific style, we’re a band who follows the zeitgeist, playing up our strengths and down our weaknesses until we get to that soulful place.

Where does your inspiration come from?

We’re open for all genres, including electronic music and sound art. What we produce is always a surprise and really depends on the vibe of the day. It can be influenced by the room, the general mood, our instrumental restrictions, or what we’re listening to at that moment. Julian sometimes has Robert Smith moments, while Maciek might have an Emily Remler epiphany… the influences run deep. To quote Quincy Jones: “Every music has its soul”.

How did you get into the OMS band coaching program?

Surfing the net in search of a music school and being blown away by the inspiration behind the Give Something Back to Berlin and the amazing work it does in all areas, not just music. We were all randomly picked by human algorithms and just happen to have a shared love for world music.

Do you have any funny stories about the band?

Lots! Like the time Zainab launched into an improvised vocal rant about her date who was invited to our gig that night and who turned up three hours late. All eyes were upon him when he eventually walked through the door. If looks were daggers, they’d have left him so full of holes he could have whistled a tune when the wind blows. 

Or the time we all turned up at Insomnia, because no-one could find Pirate rehearsal studios in Tempelhof….. 

Or the time we couldn’t afford a rehearsal studio so we met on Tempelhofer Feld. Randolfe had raided his landlady’s flat for kitchen utensils and produced a series of pots and pans from his Tom Waits style suitcase…. Pure performance art! 

Or the time we met for our first band practice. We were all dying for our first band beer together after rehearsal, but were too shy to ask. Zainab, totally up for the idea, just bent down to tie her shoelace. But when she got up everyone had gone. She’s left her laces loose ever since! 😀 

Or Bettina who has an impressive arsenal of intriguing and thought-provoking instruments, ranging from a xaphoon to an electric kazoo and latterly a homemade clarinet made from a carrot. That is until the hunger pangs set in one day and she had nothing left in the cupboard for dinner. 

What are your plans for the future?

We’ve been a regular sight at Hoffests and beer gardens throughout the summer and welcome any opportunity to liven up a celebration! (All polite requests considered). We are constantly working on new songs. We might start by jamming on a chord progression until we discover the sweet spot, but sometimes we switch strategies and start on a melody, or a special drum line, or change the rehearsal location for a different vibe. We’re all super motivated to keep the magic alive. All discovered thanks to the OMS!