The PUHDYS, later nicknamed the ROLLING STONES of the East, emerged from the UDO WENDEL COMBO in 1965. With the demise of band leader Udo Wendel a new band name was needed and the initial letters of the first names of the founding members Peter Meyer, Udo Jacob, Harry Jeske and Dieter Hertrampf were put together to create the new moniker. During the military service of Dieter "Quaster" Hertrampf, nicknamed after THE SHADOWS song 'Quartermaster's Stores', later well known East German musicians like Herbert Dreilich (KARAT) and REINHARD LAKOMY helped out on guitar and vocals. With the return of Hertrampf, who brought also a new drummer Gunther Wosylus and an additional guitarist DIETER "MASCHINE" BIRR into the band in October 1969, the first long-term stable lineup of the PUHDYS was complete. That year the band also received their stage license, an administrative decision needed for East German bands to perform in the public, and so 1969 is now regarded as the official birth of the PUHDYS ignoring the fact, that the "U" in the band name of founding member Udo Jacob was already gone. The first gig followed on 19th November 1969 at the Tivoli in Freiberg. The repertoire consisted of 15 titles of DEEP PURPLE, EMERSON LAKE & PALMER, URIAH HEEP and LED ZEPPELIN amongst others. The very first title played was 'Venus' of SHOCKING BLUE. Because 15 songs were not enough for a whole show a lot of the titles were played two or three times. This first concert would be followed by an impressive amount of nearly 3800 stage appearances until the end of 2010. In some years the band played more than 180 concerts during the 12 month period.