Meet ‘super musicians’ Otto and Astrid KickArts

I was humbled and privileged to attend super musician pop duo Otto and Astrid’s one off show at the Potato Shed last week.







The brother and sister hail from Berlin and have been performing together for over twenty years – which frankly doesn’t feel like long enough.







The website for their band Die Roten Punkte describes Otto and Astrid as “super musicians and unparalleled performers of stellar proportions” and they could not be more accurate or uncomplicated in their descriptions.







For an hour we watched as they took us on an odyssey of sound, pathos, and deep healing in a loud way.







Performing on tour together doesn’t come without its challenges and I commend Otto and Astrid for acknowledging and implementing “artistic boundaries”.







Not every band would have the wisdom and practical experience to take a roll of duct tape, divide the stage in two halves, and each take ownership over one section of the audience whilst pitting them against one another over the course of an hour…







But these siblings know how to resolve their differences in a way where the audience feel included, comfortable and free to witness a virtual estrangement played out publicly.







Personally, I find Otto and Astrid’s commitment to their craft during times of great adversity inspiring, and I was delighted when they accepted my invitation to speak with them backstage shortly before Rolling Stone dialled in.







You can keep up to date with Otto and Astrid’s hectic schedule and attachment issues by visiting ottoandastrid.com







Or head to Instagram: @ottoandastrid







– Jess Aiton







Photo: Elaine Janes