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Draft:Christopher Zabel

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Christopher Kiki Zabel playing live

Christopher „Kiki“ Zabel (born July 22, 1988 in Berlin) is a German bassist and musician. He primarily plays electric bass and double bass.

Life

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Youth and Education

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Even before finishing school, Christopher "Kiki" Zabel decided to dedicate his life to the electric bass. He began training as a bassist at the age of 15. Concurrently, he took lessons in piano, composition, and arrangement. In 2011, he successfully completed the contact studies program in popular music at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg (HfMT Hamburg). During this time, he also began performing as a bassist. He played with various bands in Berlin.

Professional Career

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Die Skeptiker and Strom

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Christopher "Kiki" Zabel's professional career began in 2007 when he joined the band Strom as a bassist.[1] He played in this punk-rock formation for five years.

In 2008, Zabel became part of Die Skeptiker. Die Skeptiker is a punk band founded in 1986 in East Berlin. It was one of the most significant punk rock groups in the GDR and has managed to establish itself in the unified German music scene after the reunification and to this day.[2]

With Die Skeptiker, he recorded the album "AUFSTEHN" in 2013.[3][4] Zabel toured extensively with the band until his departure in 2018, primarily in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.[5]

During this time, Zabel continued to study bass intensively, including with American bassist Carol Kaye, Henry Mex (mainly double bass and new music)[6] and Berlin bassist Simon Pauli.[7]

Show and Music Productions

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In addition, he started playing as a bassist for the renowned show production Stars in Concert in Berlin in 2018, where he is still part of the show band for productions like "ABBA – Thank you for the Music," "DIVAS," and "It's all Musical."[8]

Prior to this, Zabel was engaged as a bassist in various show productions, including ABBA shows, film music ensembles, and symphonic pop/rock shows, engagements he continues to maintain.

The Adicts

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Since 2017, Zabel has been the bassist for the legendary British punk band The Adicts.[9]

Zabel has toured extensively with the Adicts.[10] The Adicts have played across North America, Mexico, South America, and Europe.[11][12] This included a performance at the Wacken Open Air in 2019.[13] The band also performed as the opening act for Die Toten Hosen during the Laune der Natour tour.[14] One of the highlights of the Adicts' tour in Latin America in 2018 was the concert at the "Altavoz Festival" in Medellín, Colombia.[15] In addition to other concerts primarily in the USA, The Adicts played at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2024 in Indio in the Coachella Valley in California.[16]

Kiki and the Heartbreakers, Basssonor, and Other Projects

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Zabel's other projects primarily include the bands Jawa, Kiki and the Heartbreakers, the experimental bass ensemble Basssonor, and Zuckermaul:

Zabel founded the band Jawa in 2018. The band name Jawa is inspired by a battle cry used in dragon boat races. The band aims to break conventions and create a new form of punk. Critical German lyrics, sophisticated rhythms, and sometimes uncomfortable tones are trademarks of Jawa.[17]

Kiki and the Heartbreakers is a trio that plays groovy and lyrical pop music of all kinds with the sound of an acoustic piano trio.[18]

Basssonor was founded in 2018 by Henry Mex and Christopher "Kiki" Zabel as a bass ensemble. The idea is to play music exclusively with double basses and electric basses that combines elements of new music and experimental jazz.[19][20]

In 2021, Zabel joined Zuckermaul, a band from Berlin Kreuzberg, as a bassist.[21] Zuckermaul does not adhere to a specific genre. Instead, the band focuses on presenting original songs from almost all genres through the characteristic interplay of the individual musicians.[22]

In all bands, Zabel also contributes as a composer and arranger.

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References

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  1. ^ "Strom – die Band - Bandpage" (in German).
  2. ^ "Die Skeptiker – Interview with Away from Life" (in German). 12 March 2018.
  3. ^ "Die Skeptiker – discography" (in German).
  4. ^ "Wann oder wie - Die Skeptiker – Video on YouTube". YouTube (in German). 10 September 2013.
  5. ^ "Die Skeptiker – Tourdates at concert archives".
  6. ^ "Henry Mex - website" (in German).
  7. ^ "Blackbirds TV – Profile Simon Pauli" (in German).
  8. ^ "Stars in Concert – Homepage" (in German).
  9. ^ "The Adicts at Discogs". Discogs.
  10. ^ "The Adicts, Concert history at concertarchives.org".
  11. ^ "The Adicts, Live beim Hellfest Festival 2019, Arte, YouTube". YouTube.
  12. ^ "The Adicts, Live in Athens, YouTube". YouTube. 19 July 2017.
  13. ^ "The Adicts, Wacken Open Air, Musik Reviews" (in German).
  14. ^ "Die Toten Hosen, Laune der Natour, Website". 3 January 2018.
  15. ^ "The Adicts, Altavoz-Festival, YouTube". YouTube. 17 November 2018.
  16. ^ "The Adicts Live at Coachella – Video on YouTube". YouTube. 16 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Jawa - Website" (in German).
  18. ^ "Kiki and the Heartbreakers – Website" (in German).
  19. ^ "Basssonor – Ensemblepage on YouTube". YouTube (in German).
  20. ^ "Henry Mex - Projektseite".
  21. ^ "Zuckermaul - Website" (in German).
  22. ^ "Zuckermaul – Bandchannel auf YouTube". YouTube (in German).



Category:German bass guitarists Category:German composers Category:German punk rock musicians Category:1988 births Category:Male musicians

Christopher Zabel
Born (1988-07-22) July 22, 1988 (age 36)
Berlin, Germany
NationalityGerman
Other namesKiki (nickname)
Occupation(s)Bassist, composer
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