The Berlin Wall performed more than just the geographical slicing of Berlin, it also neatly divided two distinct cultures, philosophies, and political ideologies for almost 30 years. During the Soviet stranglehold of the East, counter-cultural punk and rock bands rose, influenced by their Western counterparts, whom they viewed illicitly on banned radio and TV stations - and with more to fight against, namely the systematic pulverization of privacy by the government, they were arguably more authentic. After the Wall fell, the cultural vacuum kicked in. German punk became so ubiquitous it is now a tired cultural cliché.
America's powerful cultural influence on Germany continues to this day, but with Tonträger, a Berlin-based indie classic rock 'n' roll band, that inspiration reaches way back to rock's roots:
