Petra Tank

“Bah! When I hear that I reach for my feather Boa!” said the Angel Headed Hipster...
Queen Of The Wild Frontier, Petra Tank was lead vocalist in numerous Berlin bands. She is now based in the UK and works as a singing teacher and vocal coach in Brighton (Contact: [email protected]).

Petra was born in (West-)Berlin by the Wall. She grew up with the Allied Forces listening to their radio stations British Forces Broadcasting Service, American Forces Network and Radio France Inter. She felt truly inspired by this unique historic situation and was quite fond of the Wall and the whole East/West juxtaposition.

Her other source of inspiration is the spirit of the Roaring Twenties, Berlin's decadence and its dark, smoky cabaret bars. She worships Marlene Dietrich for her courage, beauty and great sense of style. Petra has done Marlene Dietrich shows in Berlin (2001), Devon (2002) and Brighton (2007).

One of her favourite pastimes was going for a walk by the Wall at night from Moabit to Kreuzberg. She's always enjoyed being in the spotlight, even East German border patrols' watchtower spotlights. With these cheap but entertaining leisure activities a thing of the past, she felt she had to look out for new shores. She's found some crappy old brick walls and derelict buildings in Brighton and London, giving her that cosy, warm, fuzzy home feeling. So, things are on the up really...

June 2009
DJ on beach in Cornwall (Seaton)
December 2008
Session singer on "No Way Through" for R.J. Harwood
October 2008
Jazz gig at "The Chichester Inn" in Chichester
2008
Studying Jazz in Chichester
2008
Recording pop songs in French for an educational project, Brighton
2007
Marlene Dietrich act with Russian pianist Tamara Cresswell in Brighton
2007
Gigs with guitarist Mickey Wynne (Guitar teacher to John Lennon's son Julian Lennon) in Brighton
2006
Vocal Coach to Uta Feldmann for film “The Penalty King” in collaboration with musical director and composer Tim Howarth, cast included Clare Grogan (Altered Images)
2006
Sound for The Italia Conti Associate School Reigate production 'Family Matters'. Director Nicola Haydn.
2006
Actress in play ‘Find Me’ by Owen Wymark. Director Daniel Finlay, Brighton
2005
Actress in play ‘After Liverpool’ by James Saunders. Director Daniel Finlay, Brighton
2005 – 2006
Work at Marlborough Theatre, Brighton
2005 – 2006
Audience surveys for Brighton Festival and Brighton Dome's Marketing Department
2002
Marlene Dietrich act with pianist, South Devon
2001 - 2002
Worked for Palast Orchester & its singer Max Raabe, Berlin in orchestra management office. Tour booking, PR work. Organised orchestra’s performance with Bryan Ferry at 'Wiener Festwochen', Vienna, May 2002. Co-ordinated concerts with Annenberg Theater in Palm Springs, Maison de Radio France in Paris, UCLA Los Angeles Royce Hall
2001
PR work for Alternative Country artist Gandulf Hennig aka Norrin Rad to promote CD release “Where She Danced”, Berlin. Prepared licence deal with US record labels. Gandulf Hennig is also known for his documentary 'Fallen Angel' about Country legend Gram Parsons, produced and directed together with writer Sid Griffin for BBC Four.
1999
Headline Agency Ltd., Dublin, Ireland. PR work in artiste & concert promotions agency. Artists included Billy Bragg, Stand, Relish, Freddie White, Agnes Bernelle
1999
RTÉ Radio One, Radio Drama Department, Dublin, Ireland. Internship. Production Assistant to producer Laurence Foster. Digital editing. Got to know Pete Holidai from Irish punk band The Radiators who produced young bands in studio 9
1998 – 1999
Radio DJ at American rock radio station Star FM (affiliate of Voice Of America), Berlin
1998
Production of radio feature "Das bisschen Haushalt' for NDR 4, Programmgruppe Gesellschaft und Familie, Norddeutscher Rundfunk Hamburg
1997
M.A. Degree in Latin American Literature, Portuguese and German, Freie Universität Berlin
1997
Music festival Co-ordinator at Landesmusikakademie Berlin. Organised samba festival 'Samba Syndrom' as Assistant to Music Academy Director and wonderful alto sax player Mr Joachim Litty
1997
Organised and co-ordinated fashion shoot for ELLE Fashion London in Berlin. Photographer: Manuela Pavesi, Fashion Editor: Claudia Navone
1993
Worked for record label ZENSOR MUSIKPRODUKTION with Burkhard Seiler in Berlin. Partner labels: Rounder Records, Bull's Eye. Distributors: EFA and Indigo. Artists included Lee Scratch Perry, Sonic Youth, Jonathan Richman, Sun Ra, Anne Peebles, The Holmes Brothers, Rory Block, Beau Jocque, Ivan Kral (Guitarist Blondie, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith)
1992
Berliner Festspiele GmbH (Berlin Festival Company). Work for festivals "Junge Musikszene", "Theatertreffen der Jugend", featuring young actors, directors, writers and musicians
1991 – 1994
Vocalist in a cappella choir ‘HardChor’ in Berlin. CD release 'Just Vocals'
1991
Lead vocalist in four-piece function band, Berlin
1991
Radio presenter at pirate radio station 'Radio 100', Berlin
1990
Actress in play 'Waschsalon'. Director Jean Verdier, ÜBÜ Theatre, Berlin
1989
Lead vocalist in four-piece pop band 'The Twats', Berlin
1988 – 1989
Lead vocalist in Rock’n’Roll band 'Hart an der Grenze', Berlin
1989
Compère at newcomer bands talent contest, Weisse Rose, Berlin
1989 - 1992
Professional vocal training. Tutor Ute Kannenberg (Stage name: Tanja Berg). Jazz, pop, rock, cabaret, blues, speech & singing
1987 – 1988
Lead vocalist in four-piece pop group ‘Condomandos’
1986 - 1987
Lead singer ‘The Femmes Banales’, Berlin
1983 -1986
Appearances in short films by artist Bernward Weber, Aachen and Berlin