So today we are presenting to you the new release from The Heizer Monkeys, The TF Song.
The TF Song is rock track and a satire on boy racers and overeager young visitors to the Ring, or any circuit. Beginners in motorsport can feel fear. This fear turns to adrenaline, and gives rise to bravado, and sadly often results in sticky consequences. The message is clear: Respect the Ring.
The song tells us the story of would-be Ring warrior when he discovers TF and aspires to become champion of TF and with the help of some legendary characters. The true, Pineapple King!
The Pineapple King is a reference to the German phrase ‘Goldene Ananas’ or Golden Pineapple, perhaps the equivalent of the ‘wooden spoon’ in English. It’s a non-existent prize for, has come to be associated with people who treat public ring sessions as a race. You can’t win a prize on public days, except perhaps the metaphorical and far from desirable Pineapple.
The video features many familiar local faces plus there are also some race legends making their on-screen appearance as well. Filmed at many locations around Nürburg, everyone involved had a good time and hope that you enjoy the result.
We at Nürburgring Life were involved in a minor way with parts of the video filming so we are pleased to be able to share with you the final video.
Here it is, The TF Song:
Who are the Heizer Monkeys?
The Heizer Monkeys are a band (and a race team), who hail from Vienna, Austria and Manchester in the UK.
Drummer Leo Willert is the current Porsche Challenge Middle East champion.
On organ is Christian Eigner, not currently on duty in his other role as drummer in megastar group Depeche Mode.
Joey wrote the song and is both lead singer of the Heizer Monkeys and an incurable petrolhead. He has raced a 911 GT3 Cup at the Le Mans Classic but his first love is the Nürburgring, and specifically TF or Touristenfahrten, where he hurls an M3 CSL RingTool round the track.
The Song
Joey says the song is kind of autobiographical:
‘I think most of us develop into more mature characters over time, but as far as track driving was concerned, I was starting a bit from behind! When I first came 12 years ago, I loved the ring from the first stroll around the car park during a TF day, but I really had no clue. More specifically, I had no clue about what I didn’t know, and that of course can be dangerous.
‘The Ring is such a magical place, the people are so warm, and on a busy Saturday during TF there can sometimes be almost a carnival vibe. But driving fast can be dangerous. If people have serious crashes on the ring or even worse on the local roads, there’s a risk of bad consequences, not just for the people in the cars, but for TF itself. TF is allowed to happen only because people respect the danger. The Nürburgring and TF is allowed to continue to exist but it would be hard to imagine permission for them to be brought in for the first time if they didn’t already exist. TF is the beating heart of the local economy. If it goes, businesses will fold, people will leave the region, and a little of magic of the place will go with it. I hope the TF Song is enjoyed, but also that it helps people think about how privileged we are to visit this place. The truth is that our attitudes when we visit here can actually influence whether it survives in the future.’
The Video
In the video you will see some of The Rings greatest characters and some true giants of motorsport including: Olaf Manthey, Walter Röhrl, Misha Charoudin’s and his alter ego Boosted Boris.
As well as legendary people, there are some legendary cars (as you would expect) including German legends of VLN and motorsport. Nürburgring Regular the Foxtail Manta features, as does the recently rediscovered and restored race Porsche 964 in which a certain Olaf Manthey won his very first Porsche Supercup title.
Also in the video are local TF Heroes such as:
The blaze orange Jägermeister Mk1 VW Golf
The Unicorn E46 M3
Local tuner Valiant Ecosse’s stunning modified Aston Martin Vantage plus many many more.
The video was shot over three days around the Ring and in Sankt Englmar in Bavaria.
Covid and the Floods – Helping the Community
It Is not just this great tune the Heizer Monkeys are known for, they were very active in trying to help the community since the devastating floods faced by the region around the Ring. Joey volunteered in the aftermath and ended up giving dozens of short concerts to emergency workers and volunteers who had returned coming out of the disaster zone.
The band also recorded and released the song ‘You Ahr Not Alone’ to raise money for the victims.
TF Song T-Shirts and other merchandise will be available through the website heizermonkeys.com and proceeds go directly to the EifelKind Charity, made up of VLN racers who have been collecting donations in the paddock for disabled children in the region for more than a decade. EifelKind has been at the forefront of disaster relief fundraising and is now fundraising on behalf of the motorsport community for Ukrainian refugees.
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