About...
“Music still GOT US all!”
The story of GOTUS began in 2019, when guitarist Armand “Mandy” Meyer and drummer Pat Aeby first sat down to explore the idea of joining forces for a new project. The concept came naturally: take Meyer’s formidable songwriting legacy and bring it back to the stage with a powerhouse live band. Drawing from a catalogue that spans Unisonic, Gotthard, Cobra, House Of Lords and Katmandü, the setlist promises both classic cuts and a few unexpected gems. To bring this vision to life, Meyer surrounded himself with a who’s who of Swiss rock known musicians. Tony Castell (Krokus) anchors the band on bass, Pat Aeby (Krokus, Storace) delivers the drive on drums, and Alain Guy adds depth on keyboards. Completing the lineup is Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, among others), whose unmistakable voice elevates the project to an international level.
While GOTUS was initially stalled by the global Covid shutdown, the enforced pause proved creatively fruitful. What began as a live-focused project evolved into something more ambitious: the writing and recording of a full album of original material. The debut GOTUS album, featuring Ronnie Romero on vocals, was released in 2024.For the album, the band teamed up with Alessandro Del Vecchio as co-writer and co-producer—a collaboration that quickly revealed itself as a perfect match. “Our common work with Alessandro was a lucky match,” the band notes, and the results are set to speak for themselves.
Meyer, Aeby and Castell share a long musical history, having previously worked together during Krokus’ highly successful era, including the Rock The Block, Fire & Gasoline and Hellraiser albums. “It feels great to be back on the road with old friends,” says Meyer. While Mandy Meyer continues to tour with Krokus, GOTUS is gearing up to take the stage with a live set that blends the strongest tracks from the debut studio album with classic songs and signature hits written by Meyer throughout his career—a celebration of past, present and future hard rock power.
What to Expect Live?
On stage, GOTUS delivers a powerful set that bridges the present and the past. The live repertoire is built around the songs from the current GOTUS album, performed with the energy and precision of a seasoned band at the peak of its powers. Alongside the new material, the setlist draws extensively from the vast songwriting legacy of Armand “Mandy” Meyer. Fans can expect to hear selections from landmark chapters of Meyer’s career, including Unisonic, Gotthard, Katmandü, Cobra among others. Rather than a simple retrospective, the show is conceived as a dynamic journey through decades of hard rock and melodic metal, reimagined for the modern stage. The result is an electrifying live experience that combines iconic songs, deep cuts and fresh material—an immersive musical voyage that celebrates Mandy Meyer’s enduring influence while firmly anchoring GOTUS in the here and now…
On stage, GOTUS delivers a powerful set that bridges the present and the past. The live repertoire is built around the songs from the current GOTUS album, performed with the energy and precision of a seasoned band at the peak of its powers. Alongside the new material, the setlist draws extensively from the vast songwriting legacy of Armand “Mandy” Meyer. Fans can expect to hear selections from landmark chapters of Meyer’s career, including Unisonic, Gotthard, Katmandü, Cobra among others. Rather than a simple retrospective, the show is conceived as a dynamic journey through decades of hard rock and melodic metal, reimagined for the modern stage. The result is an electrifying live experience that combines iconic songs, deep cuts and fresh material—an immersive musical voyage that celebrates Mandy Meyer’s enduring influence while firmly anchoring GOTUS in the here and now…
About the Name GOTUS
The name GOTUS has naturally sparked curiosity among fans and journalists alike. Given the shared history of Mandy Meyer, Tony Castell and Pat Aeby in both Gotthard and Krokus. The origin of the name is rooted primarily in visual identity and symbolism rather than direct reference.From a graphical standpoint, the name offered strong visual potential. The cross-shaped “T” stands at the center of the logo, forming a key design element, while the umlauts over the “Ö” and “Ü” serve as a subtle visual nod to the KATMANDÜ aesthetic. These details help define a bold and distinctive visual language for the band. Beyond its visual impact, the meaning of the name carries a deeper message. Read phonetically as “Got us,” it reflects a sense of unity, resilience and connection—an affirmation that music continues to bring people together. In short: music still got us. For the creation of the band’s logo and album artwork, we collaborated with Tom Jermann of T42 Design, an acclaimed graphic designer and long-time close friend of the band. His distinctive visual approach played a key role in shaping GOTUS’ strong and recognizable visual identity.
Please visit t42design.com for more information about their work!
Please visit t42design.com for more information about their work!
