Die Roten Punkte (or The Red Dots as it translates) are a brother and sister band (Otto and Astrid Rot) – she plays the drums and he plays guitar. They both sing. Sound familiar? The Robot/Lion Tour is their latest tour after seeing a psychologist to work out a lot of deep underlying psychological issues from their childhood.
They appear onstage dressed in black, red and white costumes in a German stereotype style (they are from Berlin) and Vaudevillian make-up. Their songs are hilariously crafted and “inspired” not just by The White Stripes but also by Nick Cave (a disturbingly fantastic lampoon of his work) and Kraftwerk.
Their bickering in sibling style is spot on, adding hilarious interjections and black humour to the proceedings (wait til the psychological issues start to come out) as they argue, converse and vie for affections of audience members throughout.
Die Roten Punkte are genuinely believable as brother and sister and you are instantly lost in their world that contains elements of childishness, playfulness, passion and struggle. Their songs are witty, punchy and thrilling to watch. When one sibling holds the limelight and engages with the audience, the other innocuously distracts with perfect comic timing. This dynamic throughout, with their seamless interaction and improvisation is utterly watchable and creates a show that flows with ease. The audience are involved in the joke and it has that rare quality of presenting dark material in an innocent and funny manner without being contrived or trying to shock the audience for sensation. All shows should have this much love poured into them.
5/5 
Catriona Ruth Paterson
Loading ...