‘We are going to do a concert’ says Otto of Otto & Astrid before the pair launch into a song about playing a rock n roll concert.
As with the White Stripes, who the band seem to be partially based on, these Berliners claim to be brother and sister. Otto, who bears a sticking resemblance to Gary Numan, is wearing a CBGBs-styled t-shirt with the letters replaced with ‘OTTO.’ Astrid is wearing a pair of wings, later referred to as ‘my hedgehog,’ and makes jokes about her size, promising not to stage dive.
They’re playing to a very small audience at the beginning of their set on the Sensation Seekers Stage at Glastonbury, but, by the end, the crowd has been significantly boosted by people drawn in by the hilarious set. The two bicker and fight – even during songs, when Astrid stops playing to berate Otto for playing a wrong note and forces an apology out of him.
Some of the songs could be genuine hits without the comedy element. The synth motif of one song is still bouncing around in my head hours later. The biggest cheer comes for their shortest song, the wickedly funny The Situation – it’s a hilarious live performance, as is the whole show.
‘Are you ready to dance and have emotions at the same time,’ Otto asked before a song he claimed had sad verses and a happy chorus. Otto, we did dance and we did have emotions – laughter is an emotion, after all.
Otto & Astrid, Die Roten Punkte performed on Sensation Seekers Stage at Glastonbury Festival 2024, running from 26 to 30 June
