Lustfaust’s First German Tour
Van Baelen, as repentance for his secretive activities, hastily organises a West German tour for the band. He approaches many of the venues they had previously played with Randy Pie but is dismissed by virtually all of them. Van Baelen finally scrapes together 15 dates across Berlin and Northern Germany and, as recompense, Kruger buys a Volkswagen van for the band on the understanding that he and Berger will have complete creative control on the next album.
Due to Van Baelen’s booking problems the tour is over-long and sporadic which leads to increased tensions and fighting among the band. Berger, already a heavy drinker, spirals out of control, often on heady concoctions of drugs and alcohol. In an attempt to refocus Berger, Lustfaust hire a church room rehearsal space in Hamburg and begin work on the fourth album Das Ende der Geschichte.
Van Baelen contributes two songs to the album, both of which are over ten minutes in length. Kruger, in response, records his first two songs in German (he usually sings in English) allowing Van Baelen, who speaks very little English, an entry into his lyrical content. At the end of the tour Van Baelen leaves for his hometown of Ghent and the realisation of the nature of Kruger’s lyrics appears to be one of the central reasons for his departure.