Bavarian rap band’s Oktoberfest experiment ends at police station

The Bavarian hip-hop band Dicht & Ergreifend was taken to police after filming a begging experiment at Munich’s Oktoberfest, BR24 reported. The musicians dressed as punks to see how visitors would react to their appearance.

Rapper Lef Dutti, whose real name is Fabian Frischmann, and bandmate Michael Huber, known as Urkwell, wore leather jackets, heavy boots, chains and spiked hair. They asked visitors, “Do you have 16 euros for a Maß of beer?” Dutti said the response was more generous than they had expected, with one man handing him 20 euros.

The experiment ended at the Oktoberfest police station because begging is prohibited at the festival and in Munich. Dutti said the experience showed how much clothing can shape people’s perceptions of identity.

The band’s video for its new track “Identität” is also intended to show that people are “ultimately all the same” beneath their clothes. In the footage, the punks dance around a fire with visitors in traditional dress and burn their clothes. The song is the first track on the band’s new album, “Zweiländerdreieck,” due out on 16 October.

In a statement on Instagram, the musicians called for support for diversity and freedom of expression, including the freedom to dress as they choose without being judged or caught up in police checks. They said the officers had been “extremely nice,” recognised them and asked for selfies.

The band could still face consequences from the city. Police are reviewing the case with city representatives, according to the report. Munich’s Kreisverwaltungsreferat is responsible for any action over the begging ban and could impose a fine. The musicians also needed a permit from the city’s Department of Economic Affairs to film on the Oktoberfest grounds for commercial use.