Nitzer Ebb’s Bon Harris interview on the 2026 European tour, new album and keeping EBM alive

(Interview and photos by Karo Kratochwil) Catching Bon Harris in the middle of Nitzer Ebb’s Europe 2026 run feels a bit like trying to grab a moving train. We spoke by phone on 24 February – EBM Day – in a rare quiet moment between shows, with Nitzer Ebb heading towards Frankfurt, where Nitzer Ebb would play at Das Bett the following night with SIIE as special guests.

For me, Nitzer Ebb is one of the groups that shaped who I became as a listener and as a person, so this wasn’t just another routine press call. It was a chance to talk with Bon about what it means to keep such a physical, influential band on the road in 2026, how they’re navigating loss and change after Douglas McCarthy’s passing, and why the next Nitzer Ebb chapter – including a completed new album that bridges past and present – still feels very much alive.

Nitzer Ebb interview

Karo: Hello, Bon, I just realized that we are meeting on EBM Day, so that’s quite accurate, I would say. So how are you? How are you doing in the middle of tour chaos? I’m just wondering how you’re feeling.

Bon: Very good. It’s obviously really challenging times at the moment, not just for Nitzer Ebb as a band, but for touring musicians and, well, everybody, really. I think the situation in the world at the moment is a little bit unsettling for everyone. But in the midst of that, you just get up and try and make the best things that you can and make the best of the situation. So, all in all, I’m feeling pretty good. I know there’s lots of challenges, but I feel like we’re meeting them pretty well.

Karo: I wanted to ask about this tour in a wider perspective, because you have played so many tours over the years. When you look at this current European Nitzer Ebb run, what does it feel like from the inside? More like a celebration, a test of endurance, a kind of audit of where Nitzer Ebb stands in 2026? How does it feel for you?

Bon: All of the above, really. It feels very much like a transition – because it still is. In many ways, there’s a feeling of transformation, that new things have to happen, which is always a good challenge. But there’s also an awareness that just because of the age we are, the finish line for Nitzer Ebb’s career is somewhere on the horizon. Whether it’s close or farther away, nobody knows yet. But at some point, nothing lasts forever.We’re aware of how old we are and the nature of our shows has always been so energetic and physical. We’re aware that we can’t do that forever. So I think for me, it feels like, at this point – because there’s been a lot of chaos and some fairly dark times recently – my main job is, wherever the finish line for the band is, to get the band across that line with some dignity and to leave people with some happy memories of the music and the shows.

A lot of the dark times came upon us so suddenly. I think it’s important for both ourselves as a band and for the audience to hear the music one last time and just enjoy the moment and maybe prepare to one day say goodbye. That’s the main job that I see that I have: for those people that still want to experience the music. Every night when we play concerts, there are so many happy faces out there that the music continues. I know there are some negative voices that don’t feel the same way, but the majority that I see at the concerts are really happy and thankful that the music continues and they get to experience it for a little while longer.So as long as that’s the reaction that I see within the audience, that makes me more determined to look after Nitzer Ebb until it’s time to put it to rest.

Karo: The Nitzer Ebb live set obviously leans on the songs that people know, and it would be very hard not to know “Join in the Chant,” “Murderous,” “Control.” These songs are iconic at this point. How do you keep those Nitzer Ebb tracks alive for yourself – for you and David? Do you treat them like fixed monuments that you try to deliver faithfully every night, or as material you can still bend, stretch, or maybe slightly corrupt on stage?

Bon: I think we’re always looking for ways to reinterpret them in some way and bring something new to them.You have to respect the audience, who’ve grown with those songs and lived with those songs for many years. So you don’t really want to change them too much, but you want to try and be creative within the limitations of the piece. It really helps that we change how we present things every so often. Previously we did more of an electronic presentation, and that helps keep it fresh. For this tour, again, because I’m aware of the age and where we are with things, I started to have the feeling that I wanted the most original members and original people in the lineup as possible, and also for this run to return more to live drums, because that’s where we started. A lot of my thinking on this tour was to go back to our roots. The fact that Front retired from touring and Tim Kroker was available in Europe was kind of perfect for me, because I’d been planning to reintroduce live drums into the set, and Tim’s such an amazing drummer that I think it’s really added a lot of depth and life to the whole thing.I’ve been singing quite a lot over the last few years of shows, but that’s still very new to me, and it’s a real challenge. I love singing. I obviously didn’t love the circumstances in which it came about that I ended up doing it for Nitzer Ebb. That was never the intention and, under the circumstances, not a job I would prefer if the situation was different.But nonetheless, we are where we are, and I do love singing, so I just try and do my best with the Nitzer songs and bring as much energy and true feeling as I can, because it does feel like that.In a lot of ways, we’ve had a lot of changes over the last years, and that in itself tends to keep things a little bit fresh.

Karo: This is something that I actually wanted to ask about as well. The passing of Douglas changed, I guess, a lot – almost everything – for Nitzer Ebb, for the fans, for the wider scene. When you step on stage now and those songs begin, how present is he for you in that moment?Does the live show feel more like a way of keeping a conversation with him going, or more like an act of handing the music over to the audience completely?

Bon: It does very much feel that he’s present. These are Doug’s words. Every single night when I sing, I remember us being in the studio and working on the songs and all the silly things that happen when you’re working together.In learning the lyrics for all of the tracks, of course we all know that Doug was an excellent lyric writer, but having to go that deeply into them really reminds you how excellent he was at writing lyrics and what a unique perspective he had.

Sometimes, as a singer, our voices are very different. My voice is a lot higher than Doug’s, so sometimes trying to capture something close to the mood reminds me how unique his voice was. I understand why people love it so much, me included.Overall, it feels like his work lives on. In some regards, both for David and myself, we were determined that it must live on. I think it would be piling too much tragedy on top to just stop.So I think that it’s very important that the music does prevail and his work does live on. That’s very important to all of us who are out on the road with Nitzer Ebb. He is very much with us in that regard and we feel that very deeply.

Karo: You also mentioned this physical aspect of the Nitzer Ebb music. You helped define a very physical kind of electronic music, something that attacked the body as much as it addressed the head. At the same time, you said you’re not getting younger. In a time when people often experience music through tiny phone speakers or algorithmic playlists, what does it mean to you to still insist on that body-first impact? Have you had to rethink how you write and produce, or does the principle remain exactly the  same?

Bon: I think the principle remains the same.Music historically is a communal pastime. Before electronic music, you had to have a group of musicians to make a band and you had to have a group of people; it performed a very social function in our lives.That’s still the true essence of music. It’s nice to have the private experience of listening to a record on your own and experiencing it, but for a lot of us, the true joy comes from live shows where you gather together, meet your friends, are in the atmosphere, feel the music for real and feel the energy.To me, that remains the main point of creating music in the first place: to get out there live and feel the energy of the people, to give your energy to the people and have them give it back to you. There’s no feeling quite like that.When I’m playing a show, that is the highest form of why music exists: so that we can all experience it together in the same place, in the same moment.

Karo: You also mentioned this role that changed because of the circumstances. I’m always thinking that from the outside, Nitzer Ebb looks like a single entity; from the inside, it is people, history and changing roles. How different is the way you communicate and make decisions now compared to the late ’80s or early ’90s? Are there habits that never really change, or is it an ever-changing matter?

Bon: The main thing that changes is that, as you get older, you just accumulate more and more experience.In the early days, we were so desperate to sound how we wanted to sound as Nitzer Ebb and to present ourselves a certain way and present a certain image. It makes you a little bit anxious and a little bit uptight until you feel that it’s right.Over the years, we’ve relaxed a little bit on that. We still have very high standards and a very clear idea of what we want to present and how we want to present it, but the act of creating it has become much more enjoyable because we’re that much more relaxed about it. Even in Doug’s final years, we worked a lot in the studio together, and to see how our relationship had matured and how much fun the creative process was – that’s the main thing that’s changed over time.The thing that never changes is the desire to be creative. I feel very much like myself, David, Simon, everyone involved with Nitzer Ebb was put on this earth to be creative and to say things in a certain way and to express things in a certain way.The importance for us to create music and express certain opinions and certain emotions through music is an instinctive force that’s with us as soon as we wake up in the morning, and that’s never changed.

Karo: The energy and the time you’ve spent active makes many younger acts in electronic and industrial music name you as a major influence. How do you relate to that idea of legacy or being a legend? Is it something that you consciously feel when you work, or is it more like a background noise that you prefer not to think about?

Bon: It’s something that you’re aware of. We had huge influences when we were starting, so I know what it means. I know what it means when you hear a band for the first time and it changes your life and you can’t get that sound out of your head.You really feel like you were meant to listen to that music, and it connects deeply with your life. It’s not just listening to records or going to concerts.

It’s something that’s in complete alignment with your spirit and your approach to the world.It was important for me and it was important for all of us in Nitzer Ebb when we had those experiences of watching a band that just blew our mind and changed the way we thought or finally made a connection that we hadn’t made.So I’m aware of it, and I’m quite proud of the fact that we’ve been able to do that for other bands. That is some of the point of touring and playing live shows: to hopefully inspire new generations and try and lead by example.I hope we’ve set a good example. If we have, and that inspired young people to do something creative – even if it’s not music, whether that be dance or whatever it may be – if the music empowers them to think, “Yes, I want to lead a creative life,” then that makes me really proud.

Karo: Going back to the Nitzer Ebb tour a bit: you have played everything from tiny, sweaty clubs to huge festival stages on this tour. Have there been any cities or specific nights where you thought, “Okay, this is exactly the kind of room and crowd this music was built for”? And what makes a room right for Nitzer Ebb – acoustics, chaos, precision, or something less tangible?

Bon: We’re so used to playing different venues and situations that we’ve learned over the years that everything comes from us, and we just deal with whatever situation we have. The tour’s still in its early stages – we’ve done three shows so far. What really amazes and pleases me is that we’ve played in very different environments on each of those three nights: different size crowds, different size rooms.But the energy has been consistent. It feels like a Nitzer Ebb show wherever it is. A lot of that’s down to the audience being really amazing and bringing great energy to the shows.It gives me satisfaction that we can almost go anywhere and bring a consistent level of energy that people can rely on and expect, and I think that helps them bring the energy in return.We’ve learned to be very flexible. Honestly, at this point, I’m just happy playing music. Wherever we have to play it and however we have to play it, I’m just happy to be doing it.

Karo: I wanted to ask about the new things coming up in Nitzer Ebb, but then you mentioned that this tour might be the last time for the fans to hear the sound, and that kind of got me off the beat. Are there any ideas or sketches circulating at this point toward a next chapter, or is this tour more about closing and consolidating a cycle? How do you feel about this?

Bon: This tour absolutely is not about closing. I’m only mentioning the final point of the career because you have to realistically be aware of that. We will keep going as long as we’re physically able to keep going. But you just have to accept, as anyone does in their life, even as a non-musician, that there are certain things you can’t do anymore as you get older. It’s wise to prepare yourself at least for that eventuality. Maybe the more you prepare yourself for it, the longer you continue, because you are aware of it and you’re not denying it. You’re keeping a completely open mind. I don’t want to give the impression that I’m saying, “Oh, this might be the last time.” There’s no intention to bring it to a halt.

There’s just an awareness that sooner or later that time will come. In the meantime, there is a complete Nitzer Ebb album written and finished. Because of how quickly things happened, there’s a lot of administration and technical things that we have to clear up and a lot of organization to be done, which is taking longer. It always does. You hope that these administrative things can be done quickly, but there are so many details. There’s a really strong collection of new Nitzer Ebb tracks. We’ve got about 15 or 16 to choose from, and we’ll probably choose somewhere around 10 for the album. There’s an album ready, and Doug sang on quite a lot of stuff. We were very conscious about staying productive in his final years. We didn’t know they were his final years at the time, but we were very conscious about being in the studio and recording good ideas as they came to us. I’m very glad that we did that. So there’s a good number of songs where Doug is singing and, in my opinion, some of his best lyrics ever – some really amazing stuff.

We don’t want it all to be about the past or about saying goodbye, so I’ve taken on some of the songs and written and sung those. There’s a mixture. The whole idea with the album is for it to be the best of one period, but also the beginning of a new period. I think it’s important to have that. There’s a slightly different sound to it, but to me, it all sounds like Nitzer Ebb. It doesn’t sound unfamiliar. If I’m singing on a track and it’s one of the songs done in later times, it all feels consistent and authentic to me. Obviously the audience will decide that for themselves, but as a creator, I’m satisfied that the new songs belong there with the ones that we previously recorded. That goes back to what I’m saying about the purpose of these tours.

There’s a really beautiful album almost ready to go. It’s written and finished in terms of being created; it’s just a case of clearing the way so that we can release it. I think it’s really important to release it. However many albums we go on to do, this one really needs to be heard by everybody. That’s what I’m putting all my efforts into – continuing touring and everything else, to keep things going so that we can release that album and, who knows, maybe many more afterwards. We’ll see. The immediate goal is to keep the touring lively and fresh. A lot of people’s response to the shows has been that it’s everything you would expect from a Nitzer Ebb show in terms of the atmosphere and the energy, but there’s a fresh, new energy to the whole thing. There’s a feeling of something new and a new perspective on it.That’s exactly what we’re trying to do. We all know that things can’t be exactly the same as they were, but there’s still a huge amount of creativity between myself and David and Simon. 

There’s so much life still within us. When I play the concerts, I see that there’s still so much life within the idea of Nitzer Ebb continuing to play live songs. There’s a lot of passion, a lot of energy, and a lot of great emotion from the audience and Nitzer Ebb, and it comes together in a really beautiful way when we play. We’re looking forward to being able to get the album done. We really wanted to play some of the new songs on this tour, but because there are still administrative things to be finished, we can’t really do it, and it’s frustrating. I really wanted this tour to be about new songs and new things, or at least to have some included. At the moment, huge things have happened to this band and we just have to continue to be patient and keep doing the best work that we can until we’re in a position to bring the new things out.

Karo: The way you describe it, it sounds like this Nitzer Ebb album will be a bridge between the past and the present, and I’m really curious about the content, about the things that you picked for this album. It really sounds interesting.

Bon: It is interesting. For obvious reasons, it’s a bridge between the past and the present. But also, the fact that it’s been – what is it now – 12 or 13 years since the last Nitzer Ebb album. Doug and I went off and did solo projects, Dave did solo projects, and we came back to writing new Nitzer Ebb material with so much more experience and a different perspective. It was amazing to see that. It’s the same band and the same people, but with a lot more depth to it and a lot more things that have happened in our lives. Every time I listen to the tracks periodically, just to check, it’s quite amazing. I’m really amazed that it happened and that the content is what it is. It’s wonderful that we were able to do it. I really can’t wait for people to hear it, because I do think it is a really interesting and unique album.

Karo: Is there any date for the release of this new Nitzer Ebb album set, or is it very wishful thinking to dream of it at this point in the administrative chaos?

Bon: I wish there was a date, and we’ve been working really hard to try and have one. I was really hoping that we could at least announce the release for this tour, but things take what they take Things are in progress and I have meetings coming up in the next month. I really hope at that point we can at least start to have a concrete date in mind and let everybody know when they can look out for it.

Karo: All right, so I’ll definitely be following the news feed. Okay, last question: when this current run of shows is over and people look back on Nitzer Ebb in a few years’ time, what would you most like them to remember? The sound, the physical experience of the gigs, the attitude – or maybe something more personal that rarely gets talked about?

Bon: Our commitment is what I would like people to remember. It’s a good lesson for anyone creatively that you are going to face challenges and you’re going to face people who are not into what you’re doing. Any creative person has to struggle not only to establish themselves as a creative person, but, unless you’re very lucky, it’s a constant struggle to maintain yourself as a creative person for a lot of different reasons – financial, emotional, spiritual. The fact that we’ve remained committed to our vision and have never really backed down from those challenges and have always been determined to continue – that’s what I would like people to remember: that we committed ourselves to our art and we stuck with it.

Karo: That was great, thank you. Is there anything important that we didn’t touch on? Any message for the people coming to the next show, or for those who have followed Nitzer Ebb through all these different phases, that you would like to share?

Bon: Specifically on this tour, I understand that there’s a lot of changes for the established audience to try and process and take on board. For the people that are coming to the Nitzer Ebb shows, from all of us at Nitzer Ebb: just the deepest gratitude that people are still supporting us, still coming to the shows and still bringing such amazing energy. We really want to thank everybody that does come to the shows and continues to support us. It really does mean the world to us.

Nitzer Ebb Tour dates 

• 25.02.2026 – Frankfurt, Germany – Das Bett
• 27.02.2026 – Gothenburg, Sweden – Film Studios
• 28.02.2026 – Stockholm, Sweden – Fållan
• 07.03.2026 – Dresden, Germany – Reithalle Strasse E
• 13.03.2026 – Berlin, Germany – Columbia Theater
• 14.03.2026 – Hamburg, Germany – Markthalle
• 03.04.2026 – Bremen, Germany – Schlachthof
• 04.04.2026 – Oberhausen, Germany – KULTTEMPEL
• 05.04.2026 – Utrecht, Netherlands – TivoliVredenburg
• 18.04.2026 – Żebbuġ, Malta – Dark Malta Festival
• 03.07.2026 – Halle Saale, Germany – Eastside Festival

More info at https://nitzerebbtour.com