Beatsteaks is a Berlin-based alternative rock/punk rock band, founded in 1995.
Around that time, they were playing hardcore punk, cover songs and selling a homemade mixtape “Die Erste” (German: The First) on the streets and to friends. In 1996, the band won a competition in the famous SO36 Club in Berlin, to play as opening act for an upcoming Sex Pistols concert. This marked the band’s only tenth live performance.
In 1997 the Beatsteaks released their first studio album 48/49 (XNO Records), with founding members Alexander Rosswaag (Bass) and Stefan Hircher (Drums), who had written “The Beatsteaks” on his bass drum at the time. In 1999 they teamed up with Epitaph Records for their second album Lanched, which unlike the first, no longer included German lyrics. Thomas Götz came along to play the drums from this point forward. Some months after the release of Lanched Torsten Scholz, a former roadie and Beatsteaks fan of the first hour, quickly learned how to play the bass from scratch, to take Alexander Rosswaag’s place.

In 2002 Living Targets marked the first album as a group of five friends that should last to this day. Due to complications Summer was delayed so Let me in became the first official single released.
At the end of that year, the band had a special surprise for fans attending the final concert of the tour at the Berlin Columbiahalle, handing out an exclusive EP called Die Wohnzimmer EP for free. This is the first collaboration with producer Moses Schneider, who should influence their work for years to come