Punk Band The Toten Hosen Open The Ski Season In Schladming-Dachstein

"The Toten Hosen rock the hut" - in the truest sense of the word. The Düsseldorf cult band is opening the winter season this year in the Austrian holiday region of Schladming-Dachstein.

- The Düsseldorf cult band rocks on 1.12. at the big Ski Opening in the WM Park Planai

- Spectacular: Huge stage modeled after an oversized alpine pasture

- Weekend packages with 2 nights, 2-day ski pass and concert ticket from 217 euros

On the 1st of December, ‘the trousers’ will be warming up the thousands of fans expected at the big "Ski Opening" in the World Cup Park Planai on a huge, redesigned stage modeled on an oversized alpine pasture. Special packages including a concert ticket, two nights and a 2-day ski pass for Ski amadé are available from 217 euros. All information online at www.schladming-dachstein.at/skiopening. This will be the only Austria concert by  the "pants" this year

Founded in 1982, the punk rock band, the name of which translates as ’The Dead Trousers’  is one of the most successful music groups in Germany with 20 million records sold. The band bult around front man and singer Campino regularly fill large halls at their concerts - nationally and internationally. The band's special strengths are its stage performance, musical competence and unmistakable sound.

As part of the Ski Opening in Schladming Die Toten Hosen will give their only Austrian concert this year. The other acts at the open-air event promise a rocking evening in a class of their own: Donots, Schmutzki and Last Band Standing, who always sell out locations in the German-speaking rock scene, will be readying the fans' warm-up.

Unique: the Planai Alm Stage

A very special highlight at this year's ski opening will be the stage. The "Planai-Alm Stage" measures an impressive 50 by 20 meters and is modeled after an alpine hut. Equipped with state-of-the-art sound and lighting technology, it enables unique listening and viewing experiences. Hundreds of square meters of cleverly installed LED walls as well as a multitude of spots and lasers will provide the background for the acts. For additional surprise effects will ensure a precisely choreographed pyrotechnics and laser show.

Die Toten Hosen formed in 1982 at the Ratinger Hof, a Düsseldorf bar frequented by punk musicians. Its founder members were Campino and Andreas von Holst, both from local punk band ZK, with Andreas Meurer, Michael Breitkopf, Trini Trimpop and Walter November.

For the most part, The Toten Hosen have not departed substantially from their original style of music, choosing power chords, straightforward lyrics, simple melodies and anthem-like choruses over long instrumental solos. Other influences on the music of Die Toten Hosen include hardcore punk, punk blues, heavy metal, thrash metal, and hard rock. The focus of the band's music has gradually shifted from funny and nonsensical to serious. The songs from the band's first LP were mostly about having fun, but by the end of the 1980s they were focusing more on political and social issues such as racism.

According to their friend and one time promoter Andrea Berzen, they chose the name Die toten Hosen – which literally translates as "the dead trousers" but connotes the German idiom "hier ist tote Hose" or "hier herrscht tote Hose" meaning "there is nothing going on here", "it’s boring here" – over Die Pariser. According to Andrea Berzen, Campino preferred the former because it implied that their concerts might not be sold out, but there might be "tote Hose" on the nights