Fischer-Z: 50 Years of Post-Punk at the Alte Kongresshalle Munich

Fischer-Z are celebrating their 50th anniversary and stop at the Alte Kongresshalle in Munich on 20 October 2026. The “50th Anniversary Tour” takes the band around frontman John Watts through Germany and other European countries. For the first time, the schedule also includes shows in Australia.

Five Decades of Fischer-Z

The band was formed in 1976 at Brunel University by John Watts and keyboardist Steve Skolnik. Political songwriting, distinctive melodies and high-energy live shows made Fischer-Z internationally known. “The Worker”, “So Long” and “Marliese” are among their best-known songs. The 1981 album “Red Skies Over Paradise” includes “Marliese” and “Berlin”, among others.

John Watts looks back on more than two million records sold and over 4,000 concerts. The musician, who first studied clinical psychology and worked in psychiatric institutions, toured with The Police and Dire Straits with Fischer-Z and appeared alongside Bob Marley. The band also shared a stage with James Brown in East Berlin. Peter Gabriel and Steve Cropper, among others, contributed to Watts’ recordings. He is also active as a poet, playwright and multimedia artist.

New Album for the Anniversary

To mark the anniversary, Fischer-Z released their new album “X-Ray Serenade” on Cherry Red Records on 4 September 2026. The anniversary year is therefore also a year of new music.

“I can hardly believe it has been 50 years already,” Watts says about the anniversary. He says he is looking forward to celebrating together with the audience.