Itchy is a three-piece German pop punk band that originally performed under the name Itchy Poopzkid before shortening it to Itchy in April 2017. The band was formed in 2000 in Eislingen/Fils. Members: ** Vocals, guitar & bass: Sibbi (Sebastian Hafner) ** Vocals, bass & guitar: Panzer (Daniel Friedl) ** Drums & vocals: Max (Max Zimmer; since 2011) Ex members: ** Guitar: Vlady Oszkiel (to 2001) ** Drums: Saikov (Tobias Danne; to 2011) Biography: 2000–2004: The Early Years In their first year, the trio focused on covering songs by other bands. In 2001, they adopted the name Itchy Poopzkid and began writing original material. In 2002, they reached the finals of the international band competition Emergenza, a festival for up-and-coming acts that also helped launch bands such as Emil Bulls. During the following years, they performed as a support act for Donots, Yellowcard, +44, boysetsfire, and The Bouncing Souls, and appeared at several festivals. Sibbi (Sebastian Hafner) and Panzer (Daniel Friedl) became known for switching instruments during live shows and sharing vocal duties. Their humorous stage banter became something of a trademark, with 89 announcements later released as bonus tracks on their first live album. In 2001, they recorded their first demo album and released the EPs Two Thumbs Down and Having a Time, as well as the live CD Fuck-Ups … Live! 2005–2008: Heart to Believe and Time to Ignite The band signed with Where Are My Records and released their debut album Heart to Believe in late 2005. A music video followed for the track “Say No!” They toured Germany as support for +44. In spring 2007, they released their second album, Time to Ignite. The single “Silence Is Killing Me” marked their first entry into the German charts. The song and subsequent singles received heavy rotation on MTV. That same year, they competed against Madsen on MTV’s Band Trip and won, earning the opportunity to host an episode of Rockzone with Markus Kavka. They also performed live during the MTV European Music Awards in Munich and played 36 shows across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on their album tour. They toured Germany with the Canadian punk rock band Sum 41. In 2008, they reduced their live appearances and focused on writing their third album. 2009–2010: Dead Serious and Lights Out London Their third album, Dead Serious, was released on January 23, 2009, and became their first album available on vinyl. The band toured extensively in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and later the UK, Ireland, and Sweden. In February 2011, they released Lights Out London under their own label, Findaway Records, founded that same year. The album marked their highest chart entry to date, reaching number 35 in Germany. The band reissued their first three albums with bonus material under the new label. In January 2011, drummer Tobias Danne left the band due to the increasing workload tied to managing their own label. He was replaced by their longtime drum and lighting technician, Max Zimmer. They toured again through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The song “The Living” from Dead Serious became the title track of a Suzuki television advertising campaign. 2013–2016: Ports & Chords and Six On January 25, 2013, the band released Ports & Chords via Findaway Records. It reached number 27 in the German album charts and featured collaborations with Charlotte Cooper of The Subways and Guido Knollmann of Donots. Extensive touring followed, including shows with MxPx and Marathonmann. After spending 2014 writing and recording, they released their sixth album, Six, on April 10, 2015. The album achieved their highest chart positions at the time: number 5 in Germany, number 35 in Austria, and number 80 in Switzerland. In 2015, they published their first book, How to Survive as a Rock Band. They celebrated their 15th anniversary in 2016 with a special concert in Ulm before taking a creative break. 2017–2018: All We Know and Name Change On April 7, 2017, the band announced they would continue under the name Itchy. The album All We Know followed in July 2017. They toured extensively across Europe and supported the US punk band Bad Religion. They released the single “The Sea” in cooperation with the environmental organization Ocean Care, drawing attention to plastic pollution in the oceans. Since 2018, the band has served as Antarctic ambassadors for Greenpeace, supporting efforts to establish a marine protected area in the Weddell Sea. 2019–2022: Ja als ob, Pandemic, and Anniversary Releases In November 2019, Itchy released “Faust,” their first German-language single. It led to the album Ja als ob, released on February 7, 2020, their first entirely German-language record. Planned tours were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the band stayed active with fan-based video projects, studio sessions, and new releases. In 2021, they published their autobiography, 20 Years Down the Road, marking their 20th anniversary. Later that year, they released a double Best Of album titled 20 Years Down the Road – Best Of, featuring 20 songs from across their career. In 2022, they recorded a cover of “Womanarchist” with Cecilia Boström of The Baboon Show. After multiple postponements, the Ja als ob tour finally took place and became the most successful tour in the band’s history. 2023–Present: Dive, Podcast, and Controversy In 2023, the band returned to English-language material with their ninth studio album, Dive, released on July 7. The album reached number 10 in the German charts, marking the second-highest chart position of their career. They also launched their own podcast, Itchy Deep Dive, in which they reflect on their history album by album. In 2024, during a performance at the Vienna Danube Island Festival, the band was removed from the festival lineup after giving members of the climate activist group Letzte Generation speaking time on stage. In 2026 they celebrate their 25th anniversary accompanied by a tour. Over the years, the band has played around 1,000 concerts across Europe, founded their own record label, Findaway Records, released nine studio albums, two books, and launched a podcast.