ANCA GRATEROL // GUITARS & VOCALS
She was already a star in the 70‘s with her all girl band „CATENA“ in Rumania playing huge stadium rock.
Being persecuded and censored as an artist by socialism she moved to Germany 1977 after spending time in Venezuela and California. In Germany she reformed CATENA and later formed the fist all girl German metal band ROSY VISTA achieving big success touring with Motley Crue, Joe Cocker, Manfred Mann, Uriah Heep...
In the 90‘s she formed BIG MAMA & THE KIDS, all girls but with Ossy as drummer. Various tours & gigs with Melissa Etheridge, Jethro Tull...
Since the early 90‘s owner of FRIDA PARK STUDIO in Hannover producing, teaching, coaching and beeing "first call" for quality. Her distinctive guitar playing and especially lead & backing vocals can be heared on countless music productions round the world by turning on the radio. As Albert Hammond says - it can't be more suitable than that: "Just give me bread and water, put a guitar in my hand,
'Cause all I need is music and the free electric band"
BJÖRN DIEWALD // GUITARS
Björn is a professional musician and a multitool when it comes to music- and media production. He has been working with Ossy for many years - even before joining ITS.
Since more than 20 years now Björn plays 5 instruments in numerous rock-, jazz- and country rock formations and he toured all over Europe.
Living in Bielefeld/GER, working in his own recording studio in Herford or in collaborations, he arranges whole albums for solo artists, productions for TV- & Radio stations, commercials, sport clubs and companies.
Björn worked with Ossy on parts of the arrangements on "Ignore The Sign - A Line To Cross", he designed the band logo, the website and has always been very close to the ITS family before Ossy called him for duty.
LARS LEHMANN // BASS
What do artists like Uli Jon Roth, Vinnie Moore, Simon Phillips, Clyde Stubblefield, Marty Friedman, Bobby Byrd, Randy Hansen, Pee Wee Ellis, Gus G. (Ozzy Osbourne), Roachford, Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen), Gwen McCrae, Marva Whitney, Martha High, Lyn Collins, Mousse T., UFO, Sydney Youngblood and many more have in common? Lars Lehmann on the bass guitar!
Lars is one of the most versatile freelance bassplayers in Europe. You will find the editor in chief of german bass magazine BASS PROFESSOR either gigging at international rock or pop venues or at jazz festivals – then again you will spot him playing the double bass in the orchestra pit at some musical show. A quick glimpse at his touring shedule from the past few years speaks volumes.
Lars is an international endorser of MUSIC MAN basses and MARKBASS equipment and has written one of the best teaching method books on slapping bass: „Slap Attack“ (so far only available in german, an english translation will be available by some time in 2010).
Lars also works as a bassteacher at a course of studies called „Popular Music“ at the „Hochschule fuer Musik und Theater“ in Hannover, Germany, as well as the „Academy Of Contemporary Music (ACM)“ in London, England.
KRISTOF HINZ // DRUMS
Kristof startet playing drums at the age of 13 after sitting at a drumset at his piano teacher's room. The next day he decided to switch from piano to drum lessons and one month later he played in his first band - a heavy metal band with bandmates who where ten years older than him.
Although studying Jazz at Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover, playing music styles like rock, pop or funky stuff stay his first love.
For 5 years Kristof toured and recorded with famous band from Hannover "No Sex Until Marriage", who signed a major record deal at BMG Berlin and went on tour with bands like Reamonn, The Bates or Tea Party.
Besides playing with his own bands he has always been a freelance drummer for acts like Pee Wee Ellis, Marla Glen, Gwen McCrae, Martha High, Lyn Collins, Konstantin Wecker, Mousse T., Jan Josef Liefers and many more.
He is also a well booked drummer for a lot of musical shows (Theater für Niedersachsen) or theatres (Schauspiel Hannover).
Kristof also works as a drumteacher and bandcoach at Hochschule für Musik, Theater, Medien Hannover for students of "Popular Music". He is an endorser of Anatolian Cymbals and Kit Tools Sticks.
MOMME BOE // PERCUSSION
has seen and experienced much in life. Born in 1970 in Beirut, he was the son of a German business man and an Egyptian classical ballerina. Growing up in Egypt, Lebanon, Malta, the Philippines and Iraq, Ossy and his family were amongst the last to fly out of Beirut during the Lebanon war (accompanied by rockets landing left and right during the drive to the airport). “I've seen life's extremes, its ups and downs. One minute calm and normality in a fashionable town house, and the next debris and suffering everywhere.”
At 13 Ossy was playing hotel lobbies and bars in Baghdad to earn the money to buy the instruments which allowed him to master guitar, piano, drums and bass. In 1985 the family settled in Hannover.
From the end of the 1980's Osssy carved out a name for himself as a music producer in Anca Gratero's Frida Park Studio working with various international Bands.
And of course for the last decade, along with Hannover legend Dete Kuhlmann, Ossy has been singing “Alte Liebe” - the hymn of Hannover's Bundesliga team The 96-ers – in front of 50,000 people at every home game.
When Momme was 5 years old, he got his first drum lessons from a girl who played snare drum in the local Marching Band. Well, he fell in love with this girl immediately (she was 20 years old) and told his parents that he wants to play in this band.
During his childhood he travelled all over Europe, won a lot of prices at international competitions and had the best time in his life. It was always more important to play gigs with a band than being in school.
Since 2003 Momme lives in Hannover, working as an independent drummer for several bands, projects and theatres.
He is an international endorser for PAISTE Cymbals, DIXON Drums and SILVERFOX Sticks, teaching drums & percussion at University and MusicCollege Hannover.
Working with several artists like Pee Wee Ellis, Joo Kraus, Wolfgang Schlüter, Nene Vasquez, Marquess, Peter Kraus, Bo Heart or Regy Clasen in countries all over the world tells its own tale.