FISCHER-Z • 50th Anniversary Tour

John Watts entered the pop music scene in the 1970s after being trained as a clinical psychologist at an experimental facility that did not use medication or coercive measures. "I worked there from 8 AM to 4 PM and then jumped into a van to play a gig in Derby. I had literally spent the whole day dealing with raging psychopaths, so I wasn't afraid of the punk audience. You go out and play in Wolverhampton in front of a few snotty 17-year-olds who threaten to stub a cigarette out on your leg, and you think: 'Come on, then, do it!'"

Fischer-Z was founded in 1976 at Brunel University along with John's friend and synthesizer player Steve Skolnik. John's political songwriting and frenetic energy led United Artists to sign Fischer-Z in 1978, alongside contemporaries like The Stranglers and Buzzcocks. The first album, ‘Word Salad,’ was released in 1979 and became an immediate post-punk hit, with the single ‘The Worker’ featured on Top of the Pops and ‘Remember Russia’ supported by John Peel.

Fischer-Z's biggest chart hit, ‘So Long,’ was released in 1980 and was one of the first music videos ever shown on MTV. This brought Fischer-Z to major stages worldwide. In 1981, Fischer-Z's most successful album, ‘Red Skies Over Paradise,’ was released, featuring the singles ‘Marliese’ and ‘Berlin.’

To date, John has released 23 albums, sold two million records, and played over 3,000 concerts across continental Europe, the USA, and Canada. Peter Gabriel, Steve Cropper, and the brass section of Dexy’s Midnight Runners have contributed to recordings. Fischer-Z has performed in front of 167,000 spectators alongside James Brown in East Berlin, toured with both The Police and Dire Straits, and appeared with Bob Marley on his last European festival tour. In recent years, Watts has also established a reputation as a multimedia artist, poet, and playwright, creating an impressive and versatile body of work characterized by momentum, warmth, and humanity. The 2025 project PUNKT! brings together all of John's individual talents in music, words, and art.

2026 will be a significant year for Fischer-Z, marking 50 years since the band's founding at Brunel University in 1976. "I can hardly believe it's been 50 years already. It has been an incredible journey with ups and downs, but I can't wait to celebrate with everyone, and I'm ready for it! Here's to many more years of new music, shows, and art." To celebrate this major anniversary, John and the band will embark on an extensive worldwide anniversary tour in spring and autumn 2026. In terms of releases, Cherry Red Records will release a deluxe 3CD set of the first three Fischer-Z albums titled ‘Word Paradise’ (April 24), a new album titled ‘X-Ray Serenade’ (September 4), and a high-quality anniversary package (autumn) to celebrate John's career thus far.