Trickster | |
|---|---|
 Juergen Pichler (Trickster) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Juergen Walter Pichler |
| Born | Austria |
| Occupation(s) | musician, music producer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | vocals, piano |
| Website | trickster |
Trickster (real name: Juergen Pichler) is an Austrian musician living in the UK, known for his eclectic musical style.
The singer Trickster debuted in November 2022 with the single Thank Fuck It's Christmas, in which he performed alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra a not safe for work expletive-ridden song reflecting the tensions and stress of that year. The lyrics were written by Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams songwriter and producer), in collaboration with the comedian Steve Furst and Trickster. [1] [2] [3] Billed as "the only Christmas song that could have come out of 2022", its lyrics took aim at problematic factors of that year, like the UK government activity, cost of living crisis, pandemics, ultra-rich trying to move to Mars. [4]
A clean version titled Praise Be It’s Christmas was also released and its two videos went viral, with several million views on YouTube. One of these music videos was directed by Phil Griffin (known for his work with Amy Winehouse, Diana Ross, Paul McCartney) [5] and the other one, shot in the Swiss Alps, was directed by Norbert Blecha (Requiem for Dominic, Wolfsliebe). [6]
Money raised from both songs were donated by Trickster to charities tackling child welfare and social hunger. [7] [8] Under the motto "real change is no joke", Trickster and his team distributed food produce to several food banks in the UK. The South-West Belfast Foodbank, in one of the most deprived areas, received a significant boost through this campaign (they almost missed it though because, at first, they thought it was a prank, given the unexpected amount directed towards this rather unsupported area of the country). Specific attention to details like the nutritional value of the food provided were explained by the singer by his own childhood experiences with adequate nutrition insecurity. [9]
In these music videos, Trickster's real identity was hidden by animation, which prompted speculations about who he might be, some wondering if he is the lyrics co-writer Steve Furst [5] or some popular personality Guy Chambers has worked with previously or some faded former famous name with a score to settle. [4]
In May 2023, Trickster released the single Still Kicking, inspired by a car accident he survived in 2017 in southern France, with a musicality described as drawing on late '90s alternative rock, Americana and cinematic soundscapes. [10] The track was produced by Guy Chambers, Richard Flack and Trickster. The music video features the singer without any hiding animation and, along with the story behind the song, some more information appeared in press mentioning that he is an Austrian residing in the UK. [11]
In November 2023, Trickster released "Silent Night" vs "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", a mash-up blend of the two Christmas classics featuring the vocal group The Swingles. On this occasion, the media coverage also mentioned this singer's real name, Juergen Pichler [12] (owner of this Trickster brand). [13] [14] He was already known as a producer of various bands and musicians (like the Austrian band Hunger) [15] [16] and as a songwriter (like Olé Hola of Patrick Lindner). [17] He also supported charity work initiatives, like "Stop the Puppy Mafia" in Austria. [18]
On 23 April 2024 (Saint George's Day), Trickster launched his version of the UK national anthem God Save the King, recorded together with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road. He mentioned that he wanted to create this version to express his love for the United Kingdom. The track was the first recorded for King Charles by a foreigner. [19] In the production phase, when returning from Portugal as a co-pilot on a helicopter, he had to make an emergency landing on a farm in north-western Spain, due to technical difficulties. [20]
Robert Peter Williams is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, Life thru a Lens, was released in 1997, and included his best-selling single "Angels". His second album, I've Been Expecting You, featured the songs "Millennium" and "She's the One", his first number one singles. His discography includes seven UK No. 1 singles, and all but one of his 14 studio albums have reached No. 1 in the UK. Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the UK, with two of them in the top 60, and he gained a Guinness World Record in 2006 for selling 1.6 million tickets in a single day during his Close Encounters Tour.
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Life thru a Lens is the debut solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. It was Williams' first solo album following his departure from Take That. Released on 29 September 1997 through Chrysalis Records, it is influenced by Britpop, a departure from the poppier tone of the music Take That employed. The album's working name was The Show-Off Must Go On.
Guy Antony Chambers is an English songwriter, musician and record producer, best known for his work with Robbie Williams.
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"Millennium" is a song by English singer Robbie Williams from his second studio album, I've Been Expecting You (1998). On 7 September 1998, it was released as the first track from the album and became Williams' first single to top the UK Singles Chart. The song also received extensive airplay in the United States and Canada, where it was the lead single from Williams' 1999 compilation album, The Ego Has Landed.
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"She's the One" is a song by British rock band World Party. It was written and produced by Karl Wallinger for World Party's fourth studio album, Egyptology (1997). The song won an Ivor Novello Award in 1997. It was featured in the 1997 movie The Matchmaker and the 1998 movie The Big Hit. World Party performed the song live on British TV show, Later... with Jools Holland in 1998. Robbie Williams released a cover of the song in 1999, which reached number one in the UK Singles Chart.
"Angels" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. It was included on Williams's debut solo album, Life thru a Lens (1997), and released as a single on 1 December 1997 by Chrysalis. "Angels" was written by Williams and Guy Chambers, based on an earlier song written by Ray Heffernan.
"Feel" is a song by British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. It was released on 2 December 2002 as the lead single from his fifth studio album, Escapology (2002). The song became an international hit, peaking at number one in the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Romania and reaching the top five in several other countries, including Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
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