Scary Foreigners Band

A dance band with intellectual pretensions

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Scary Foreigners are a Dresden-based 4-piece band hailing from three different countries. With the combination of Scottish, American, and Ginger backgrounds, Scary Foreigners cover a range of songs and styles, and add humor as well, proving that foreigners aren’t really scary at all, until they start talking about politics.

Scary Foreigners are available for clubs, festivals, weddings, corporate events, private parties, bachelor & bachelorette parties, children’s birthday parties, parking lot closings, left wing & progressive political events, funerals, circumcisions, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, christenings, bar & bat mitzvahs, yoga & meditation retreats, Native American sweat lodge ceremonies, bullfights, bar fights, public hangings & disembowelings, virgin & animal sacrifices, amputations, exorcisms, gaslightings, fecal transplants, mustache waxings, and clinical drug trials.

Tim's comments from March 2018 on how the band got its name can be found here.

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Meet The Band

Greg Davis was born in Oxford, England, and raised in Durham, North Carolina, USA. The product of a musical family, he began playing the violin at age 5 and decided at age 13 that the electric guitar was a much cooler instrument. First rock music, then onto jazz which he studied at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Jazz combos, jazz composition and arranging, and three years in a 20-piece big band that toured Europe, including a gig at the North Sea jazz festival. This pivotal experience eventually resulted in his decision to move to Europe. The piano came into the picture in the mid ‘90s, and after 6 years of touring in a progressive rock band (Ergot), a few tours with Claude Coleman Jr. of Ween, and stints in various other groups, he was ready to offer his strangely appropriate musical outbursts to Scary Foreigners. Greg also plays various instruments in other local Dresden bands including The Voltz Brothers, Seau Volant, and the Slingshots.

Scary Foreigners Band

Iain McKay:
“what..?...in here?...ok, what should I say….what?...about me? Aw feck off…who wants to know…what?....really?....oh ok…if I have to….”
Crushingly normal lower-middle class upbringing in a commuter village outside of Paisley, Jockland (Scotland, for the uninitiated). Heard the opening to Zeppelin’s Rock n Roll and decided he wanted to do that too. Progressed through “Church Hall” bands to eventually hitting the big time of Glasgow scene. Played with best mate Mikey “wee mee” Kinsella in The Colour Wheel, who were big-fish-small-pond types, as well as various singers, artists and bands between London and Glasgow. Ended up supporting Crowded House on their Woodface tour, Van Morrison at Fleadh and producing a very well received album that sold zilch.
Still gets a buzz when he hears the opening of Stargazer and doesn’t punch so many people in the face….which is nice.

Scary Foreigners Band

Tim Cross is from (long story short) Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. After dropping out of university he spent several years wandering aimlessly and doing stupid jobs throughout western North America from Prudhoe Bay to Oaxaca. He settled in Denver in 1985, where he started studying contrabass under the tutelage of the venerable and hilarious Mary Stribling. After moving to Boulder in 1989, he performed and recorded with Julie Hoest, played in the Longmont Symphony for a while, was a founding member of Laughing Hands and Girls On Top!, and played in a number of short-lived jazz ensembles. In 2001 he moved to Dresden. Since then he's played with the New Town Swing Orchestra, Pangaea Trio, Four Blues Band, Hot Buttered Grits, Mongrel Blues Band, Quick & Dirty, and Enough Rope. He still performs with Unlimited Blues, Lutz Kowalewski and the Red Rugs, and The Voltz Brothers. He and his wife have two cats.

Scary Foreigners Band

Quite the late-bloomer in many facets of the human experience, Christoball started to get in touch with music at the age of 16. While his youthful plans to allure the opposite sex by serenade hardly bore fruit, the strong bond that immediately formed between him and his guitar "Bettsie" keeps on culminating in all the more romantic antics. Ever since their love was officially institutionalized by the University of Mainz and the HfM Dresden, they aren't shy to display their ongoing honeymoon phase in projects like Christoball & die Koketterie, Koffergrammophon, Klezmeresque, and most recently Scary Foreigners. His civilian name was ultimately lost in translation when he started to play music with Chilean instrumentalists he met during his musicology studies in Maguncia. Whenever he introduced himself as Christoph Ball, the only response he encountered was: "Mucho gusto, Christoball.".

Scary Foreigners Band

Emeritus Guitarist (January 2018-May 2020)

Farid Ben Miles was born in Paris, France to Algerian parents. He started learning the classical guitar at 6 years old, and continued until university. Once there, he discovered the world of electric guitar and jumped into it. He went to Boston and started to learn jazz with David Fiuczynski of the Screaming Headless Torsos. He continued his education at the University of New Orleans for a year. After he came back to Europe, he played in several bands of many genres before he started digging into the oud and bouzouki worlds, playing and recording for different projects.
You can find out about Farid's solo acoustic program here.

Scary Foreigners Band

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Scary Foreigners - Technical Rider

Technical Rider (English)

This describes the (ideal) stage and technical setup for Scary Foreigners live performances.

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Scary Foreigners - Technical Rider

Technical Rider (Deutsch)

Dies beschreibt die (ideale) bühnetechnische Anlage für Scary Foreigners Auftritte.

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Live Performances

We live to play live! Make sure to follow us on Facebook to not miss any new gig announcements!

www.facebook.com/scaryforeigners

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UPCOMING

2025

Private Party

  • Dresden, Germany // Friday 9 May 2025

Hofmusik/Sankt Pieschen (Konkordienstraße 58 DD Pieschen)

Elbhangfest (Bühne Loschwitz-Elbhangpark)

Private Party

  • Dresden, Germany // Friday 12 September 2025

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

2025

Blue Note Dresden (Görlitzer Str 2b, DD Neustadt)

  • It's coming home! New songs? Yes! New jokes? Probably!
  • Dresden, Germany // Saturday 1 Feburary 2024 8 PM
  • Blue Note Dresden

Private Party

  • Dresden, Germany // Friday 17 January 2025

2024

Private Party

  • Dresden, Germany // Tuesday 19 November 2024

Irish Fiddler Dresden (Alaunstraße 62, DD Neustadt)

  • Two four-set nights in a row. We are macho dudes.
  • Dresden, Germany // Saturday 9 November 2024 8 PM
  • Irish Fiddler Dresden

Irish Fiddler Dresden (Alaunstraße 62, DD Neustadt)

  • Two four-set nights in a row. We are macho dudes.
  • Dresden, Germany // Friday 8 November 2024 8 PM
  • Irish Fiddler Dresden

Neustadt Art Festival@Alte Fabrik (Prießnitzstr 44/48, DD Neustadt) 8:30 PM Outdoors! Free!

  • Hard stop at 10 PM, because neighbors. Very cool scene, so get there early.
  • Radebeul, Germany // Friday 27 September 2024
  • Neustadt Art Festival

Katys Garage w/ Alpha Stomp from Australia

Private Party

  • Helbigsdorf, Germany // Saturday 17 August 2024

Bunter Sommer Neustadt, Martin-Luther-Platz Bühne 11 AM to noon

Private Party

  • Dresden, Germany // Saturday 15 June 2024

Hofmusik/Sankt Pieschen (Konkordienstraße 58 DD Pieschen)

Kulturhafen Dresden (Leisniger Str 53 01127 DD Pieschen)

  • The dance floor was jumping last time. More of the same, please!
  • Dresden, Germany // Friday 3 May 2024
  • Kulturhafen Dresden

Jubiläumsparty im Weinberg! Drei Herren Weingut, Radebeul

Irish Fiddler Dresden (Alaunstraße 62, DD Neustadt)

  • Two four-set nights in a row. We are macho dudes.
  • Dresden, Germany // Saturday 2 March 2024 8 PM
  • Irish Fiddler Dresden

Irish Fiddler Dresden (Alaunstraße 62, DD Neustadt)

  • Two four-set nights in a row. We are macho dudes.
  • Dresden, Germany // Friday 1 March 2024 8 PM
  • Irish Fiddler Dresden

Blue Note Dresden (Görlitzer Str 2b, DD Neustadt)

  • Home field advantage! New songs? Yes! New jokes? Probably!
  • Dresden, Germany // Saturday 20 January 2024 8 PM
  • Blue Note Dresden

2023

Private Party

  • Dresden, Germany // Tuesday 21 November 2023

Weinselig zu Hechttag

  • Dresden, Germany // 26 August 2023 3 PM - 6 PM
  • Weinselig

Oh, my Music! Bühne (Jorge-Gomondai-Platz) zu Stadtfest

Jungendkunstschule Dresden Ferienfest (Draußen! In der Sonne! Äußerst kinderfreundlich! Kostenlos!)

  • Leutewitzer Ring 5 (direkt neben Straßenbahnhaltestelle Amalie-Dietrich-Platz)
  • Dresden, Germany // 15 July 2023 4 PM
  • Jungenkunstschule Dresden

Private Party

  • Freital // Saturday 8 July 2023

Bunter Sommer Neustadt B33 Bühne

Private Party

  • Rüsseina (bei Nossen) // Saturday 13 May 2023

Blue Note Dresden

  • April Fool's Day! Who knows what could go completely haywire?
  • Dresden, Germany // Saturday 1 April 2023 8 PM
  • Blue Note Dresden

Private Party

  • Dresden // Saturday 25 February 2023

Kulturhafen Dresden (Leisniger Str 53 01127 DD Pieschen)

  • Celebrating whatever we end up celebrating that night! Also, Happy New Year!
  • Dresden, Germany // 27 January 2023
  • Kulturhafen Dresden

2022

Blue Note Dresden

  • New songs? You bet! New jokes? Maybe! Special guests? Also maybe!
  • Dresden, Germany // 19 November 2022
  • Blue Note Dresden

KunstHautNah/Neustadt Art Festival

Elbhangfest 2022

  • Elbhangfest (Wachwitz Bühne)
  • Dresden, Germany // 25 June 2022
  • Elbhangfest 2022

Metamorfosa Festival 2022

Blue Note Dresden

2021

Blue Note Dresden

KunstHautNah/Neustadt Art Festival

2020

Blue Note Dresden

  • Celebrating Donald Trump's defeat in the November 3rd US election!
  • Dresden, Germany // 7 November 2020
  • Blue Note Dresden

Jazzclub Tonne

  • Celebrating Tag der deutschen Einheit! Wir sind ALLE das Volk!
  • Dresden, Germany // 3 October 2020
  • Jazzclub Tonne

Livestream from Blue Note 20:30 CEST (still available on YouTube)

Bandstand Festival

  • Hellerau // 15 February 2020

2019

Blue Note

  • Dresden, Germany // 16 November 2019

Groovestation, Shampoo Show (with Standard Crow Behavior)

  • Dresden, Germany // 8 October 2019

Weinfest Meissen

  • Meissen, Germany // 28 September 2019

Windbergfest

  • Freital, Germany // 6 September 2019

Hechtfest

  • Dresden, Germany // 25 August 2019

Hechtfest

  • Dresden, Germany // 23 August 2019

Inselfest Laubegast

  • Laubegast, Germany // 10 August 2019

Bunte Republik Neustadt Festival

  • Dresden, Germany // 15 June 2019

Blue Note

  • Dresden, Germany // 8 June 2019

Stadtfest Heidenau

  • Heidenau, Germany // 11 May 2019

GrooveStation (with Allen-Forrester Band)

  • Dresden // 18 March 2019

Blue Note

  • Dresden // 9 March 2019

Private Party

  • Dresden // Saturday 9 February 2019

Blue Note

  • Dresden // 11 January 2019

2018

Anton

  • Dresden // 17 November 2018

Private Party

  • Dresden // Saturday 18 August 2018

Bunte Republik Neustadt Festival

  • Dresden // 17 June 2018

Riesa Efau

  • Dresden // 14 June 2018

Riesa Efau

  • Dresden // 12 April 2018