Hotspur means "firebrand" in English. In Shakespeare, the impetuous Henry Percy bears this nickname, and a little of that temperament also lives on in the Dresden band that chose this name in 1993. Its field of work, however, calls first and foremost for discipline: the Hotspurs play where people dance, and they do so seriously.
Balls, galas and dance competitions make up the core of their calendar. Added to that are theatre balls, the Internationale Tanzfestival Dresden and philharmonic rock-classical concerts. Anyone playing for competitive dancers has to keep tempi exact, structure forms clearly and move seamlessly between ballroom, Latin and swing. A Quickstep that rushes, or a Rumba that drags, is immediately noticed on the dance floor.
Musically, the band works with a rhythm section, a three-part horn section and vocals. That format allows a great deal: in swing, the horns carry riffs and background figures behind the singer; in Dixieland, the ensemble opens up for solos and collective improvisation; and in international dance music, the voices lend the melodies sparkle.
The current lineup includes Michael Hugo Schwarz on vocals, Torsten Hellmig on saxophone, David Hobeck on trumpet, Steffen Dubau on piano, Uwe Fink on bass and Martin Weiske on drums. The band's roots go back further. Some of the musicians already knew one another from the Klaus Fischer orchestra before they founded the Hotspurs. Trumpeter Jürgen Heinzmann was also part of the original lineup; he now plays with Jackpot and in his own solo programmes and occasionally returns as a guest.
For more than three decades, the Hotspurs from Dresden have earned a reputation through consistent stage presence as a reliable, witty and versatile band. They sum up their motto in a nutshell: live at any time. What they mean is music without backing tracks, created in the moment and responding to the audience, whether on the dance floor or in front of a jazz stage.
The Dixieland-Festival is a fixed date in their calendar year after year, for example with concerts at Feldschlößchen Stammhaus or at Jazz im Kaufpark. Anyone who listens will quickly realise that dance music and jazz are two sides of the same coin for this band.