Die Roten Punkte

“Does humour belong in music?” asked Frank Zappa. Die Roten Punkte deliver a resounding “yes”. Basically a parody of The White Stripes’ stripped-down rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic but played on kiddy-sized instruments, Die Roten Punkte ("The Red Dots") showcase a handful of chuckle-worthy parodies of stock music clichés that unfold through a story of familial tragedy and rivalry.

Like The White Stripes, Die Roten Punkte’s 'thing' is that they are (or purport to be) brother and sister. The show centres on the perils of sibling co-production, and the problem that blood really ain’t thicker than water when it comes to public adulation. The tensions take musical form in squabbles over timings and song-writing credits, and a battle for the audience’s sexual desire.

One of the highlights of the show features Astrid Rot, the drummer, sharing an orgasmic moment with the audience; whilst a sonic battle between Keytar and cowbell reminds us that, as well as humour, we really do need more cowbells in pop. Although melody often takes second place to tragic tales of familial dysfunction, the songs are catchy enough to leave you humming them for days.

The show has some weaknesses. The rivalry, tantrum, reconciliation formula wears a little thin towards the end, the slapstick moments are not executed well and the balance between song-based humour and dialogue is tilted too heavily to the latter. But it's enjoyable stuff nonetheless, and you can never have enough Kraftwerk parodies featuring robots with identity crises.