"Die Ärzte" fans shocked: ex-bassist The Incredible Hagen is dead

Hagen Liebing, the former bassist of the punk rock combo "Die Ärzte" is dead. He died surprisingly on Sunday at the age of 55 after a short but serious illness, as the Berlin city magazine tip announced on its Facebook page: "The news came in the end not surprising for us and yet we are infinitely sad".

Hagen Liebing was born in Berlin in 1961 and joined the Ärzte in 1986, remaining in the band until they broke up in 1988. When Doctors reunited in 1993, The Incredible Hagen was gone. In 2003 he published his book "The Incredible Hagen - My Years with 'The Doctors'" about his time with the doctors. In the early 90s, the studied media scientist first worked as a music journalist for the "Tagesspiegel", later he switched to "tip". In addition, Liebing temporarily managed the public relations of the sports club Tennis Borussia Berlin.

Hagen joined the doctors in 1986 when Bela B. called him and asked if he wanted to be a pop star. The first joint concert was a benefit concert for "the true Heino" in Berlin's Tempodrom. It was the first great period of the doctors, when the band was on the one hand on the way into the charts, on the other hand, with their deliberately provocative songs, they got into trouble with the authorities again and again. An official scandal band. Unlike Rodrigo González and Hans "Sahnie" Runge, he was employed as a bass player and not a member in the true sense of the word, which is why every doctor's CD he worked on carried the note "featuring The incredible Hagen". When he joined, Farin and Bela gave him the choice of either being employed, which meant a fixed salary, or joining the band completely, which would have meant sharing in the profits but also bearing the band's losses. Since Hagen was still studying at the time, he decided to take the job. He was brought into the band because Farin and Bela found a quiet person in Hagen after Sahnie. In 1988 the doctors disbanded and each went his own way. He wrote about it a few years ago on spOnline:

At some point we decided to play our very last concert in Westerland on Sylt. In the Kursaal. Because we could only fit around 1.500 people, we actually wanted to play two shows, but that wasn't approved. The city administration was afraid that there would be a "punk invasion". Of course that happened anyway. Because it was the last concert, many friends and companions came to the island. Rocko Schamoni and the Golden Lemons, Rod Gonzales, who is now my successor on bass with the «Ärzten», Lanrue from Ton Steine ​​Scherben. Tour people, crew members, roadies, old friends from the Berlin punk scene and lots of fans who always followed us also came. With them we made the beach chairs unsafe in the afternoon.

In the evening the time had come. We sat backstage just before the gig. Jan did singing exercises. Not me. It was fruitless for me, and Dirk didn't do any either. Then we went on stage like at any other concert.

We went upstairs, it was dark and when everyone was at their instruments it started with a bang - lights on, music off! From then on it was practically just a single roar from the fans. The normal concert-goers were downstairs, our friends were standing upstairs in a gallery that went around once. You could see everyone from the stage. I kept an eye on all the people I knew. And when they all watched so touched, it became clear that it wasn't a normal concert after all. Everyone was really aware of this unique situation: this is really the last concert now.

Of course it was still funny. A "Doctors" concert is always funny. But that was like sweet and sour - you had both intus. At some point we were through with our standard set. It was only then that we realized that we didn't want to stop. We played the encores... and then more encores. At some point we realized: crap, it should be over now - and then we played more encores. It was really, really long. At the end we bowed, saying goodbye to the people. Then we left the stage. Music that Jan had specially recorded was playing from the tape. I don't even remember what it was at the beginning of the concert. But in the end "Non, je ne regrette rien" by Edith Piaf ran.

During his time as a bass player and as a backing singer with the doctors, he studied media studies. When the band was re-established in 1993, however, he was no longer there. But even after he left "Die Ärzte", music played a major role in the bassist's life. He worked as a journalist first in the music section of the daily mirror and later for the Berlin magazine Tip. In 2003 he published his book "The Incredible Hagen - My Years with 'Die Ärzte'". Hagen lived with the music director of Radio Eins, Anja Caspary, and their two children. For me, the incredible Hagen lives on, Hagen himself of course has no clue that he is dead. Hagen is just not on the same timeline as us anymore, like a photon that can traverse the entire universe in zero proper time. Bon voyage Hagen, take care. Rock on!

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