by MacKenzie Wilson The Beatsteaks formed in 1995 in their native Germany, playing local shows at food festivals and by the end of that summer, the punk-popsters were recording a demo Beatsteaks - die Erste which went on to sell more than 1000 copies. Still only in high school during this time, the Beatsteaks steared straight for their musical dreams, constantly participating in area competitions and talent shows. In 1996, the band won a competition that led them to open for the Sex Pistols in Berlin, marking the band's tenth show. The latter '90s were also spent recording and touring; in 1997 48/49 was released and a spring tour followed as well as support dates with Lagwagon, the Bloodhound Gang, Dog Eag Dog, and Faith No More. By 1999, the band inked a deal with Epitaph and recorded their major-label debut Launch with Uwe Sabirowski (Mad Sin, Thumb). The following year found them on the road, but by the end of 2001 they had settled down and were ready to step back into the studio. The results, 2002's Living Targets, were more melodic and aggressive than previous releases.