Formed amid the tumults of the punk scene in the former West Germany, Die Toten Hosen have weathered the decades to become one of German rock's least likely but most venerated institutions. Their story begins in Düsseldorf in 1982, where founders Andreas Frege (a.k.a. Campino) and Andreas von Holst (a.k.a. Kuddel) assembled a band from members of other local acts. Early favorites like "Opel-Gang" established their reputation for speedy, Ramones-style sing-alongs full of snarky humor and energy. Like their American friends and sometime tourmates Green Day, they've strived to keep up the supply even as their scrappy sound matured into something more polished but equally exhilarating.