Fischer-Z

Fischer-Z will be at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht on 8 May 2026, with John Watts as the band’s central figure. Rooted in London’s late-1970s new wave, the band moves fluidly between rock, post-punk and sharp-edged pop. The early years—with Word Salad, Going Deaf for a Living and Red Skies Over Paradise—produced tracks like “So Long” and “Berlin,” which combine observations of politics and everyday life with dry humor. After a pause, Watts revived the project with new collaborators and steered the sound toward more melodic territory without abandoning its social focus.

That thread continues on records such as Reveal, Destination Paradise, Ether, This Is My Universe, Swimming in Thunderstorms and Til The Oceans Overflow. Live, this results in jittery guitars, prominent synths and hooks that linger, leaving room for early favorites as well as recent material. Watts delivers his stories directly—clearly sung and rhythmically tight—so that old and new material mesh coherently. An evening for anyone who wants to hear that characteristic mix of new-wave color, straightforward songwriting and underlying urgency, in a set that gets to the point without frills.