Epitaph

Epitaph is a progressive/hard rock band from Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, that was formed in 1969 under the name Fagin's Epitaph. In 1970, the band moved to Hanover, Germany, and changed its name to Epitaph. Not to be confused with Epitaph from Finland, Epitaph from Italy, Epitaph from Sweden, Epitaph from France as well as Epitaph and Epitaph from the USA.
The band evolved from a cover band called "The Red Roosters", where British musicians Cliff Jackson, Jim McGillivray and German Bernd Kolbe played in. In the basement of Dortmund-based club "Fantasio" they founded "Fagin's Epitaph". In 1970, they were accompanying there Günter Boas, who took the band to Hamburg, where they recorded an album called "Happy Piano Blues Party (opens in a new tab). In 1970, the band moved steadily to Hannover and was a "home band" of the Hannover based club "Mülltonne" and was renamed to Epitaph.
In 1971, they moved to London to record their debut album together with new member. It was released in late 1971. In 1973, after McGillivray left the band, they had a tour in Germany, which was followed up by an US tour initiated by the label, which took the band under contract. After the label went bankrupt in 1975, the band had to stop for a while, until the label was finally dissolved.
They recorded some more albums, but Kolbe and Walz left the band and in the following years, Jackson changed the line-up a couple of times. In 1981, there was a reunion of the initial line-up, except for McGillivray, but in 1982, the band disbanded for the first time. In the following time, there were occasional concerts, finally in 2000, the 1981 line-up had a revival.
The band did not stop since then and even initial member McGillivray supported the band for some years.