Otto Rot doesn’t think that what he and his sister, Astrid, do is particularly funny. In fact, when a team of documentary filmmakers approached the German siblings to make a series about their punk duo, Die Roten Punkte (the Red Dots), they were initially guarded.
“A lot of people try and think that we’re, like, you know, some kind of funny people,” Otto said in a heavy German accent by phone from New York City, where he and Astrid had just arrived. “But they said, ‘No, no, no. You know, this is a very serious documentary,’ because we are a very serious art-rock band.”
Unfortunately for the Rot siblings, they also happen to be hilarious. Think vaudeville meets the White Stripes or Flight of the Conchords fused with “The Young Ones.”
Die Roten Punkte are actually Australian comedians Daniel Tobias and Clare Bartholomew. Their satirical musical-comedy duo, Otto & Astrid, has toured the world extensively and built an international cult following, including an online fan base of more than 50,000. Tobias and Bartholomew imbued the fictional Berlin siblings with a tragic backstory that’s heavily disputed between them — and the outlandish proclamation that Die Roten Punkte are the “best band in the world.”
With Astrid on drums and Otto leaping around the stage, red Flying V guitar in hand, the duo blends Ramones-like punk energy with the high-octane comedic pop of the B-52s. Equal part rock concert and comedy special, its live show also often features a healthy dose of infighting.
All that and more will be on display in the new, as-yet-untitled TV series, a travel “reality” show following the German punks as they encounter new cities. It’s “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” by way of Spinal Tap.
The aforementioned documentary filmmakers who approached Otto & Astrid about the show are not only real, they’re a trio of Vermonters with a ton of Hollywood experience between them: Chris Parizo (Viceland, Kazan), Alexis Vail (Passing, Paint) and Lucien Delabruere (“The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” “Ride With Norman Reedus”). Next week they’ll bring the band to Burlington to film the series pilot, exploring Queen City culture and arts through the siblings’ comedic lens and a quintessentially Vermonty itinerary.
The Rots plan on visiting a Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop, catching a Vermont Green FC match, and taking in some farmers markets. They said they’ll also keep an eye out for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Their visit culminates with a performance and live taping on Wednesday, June 3, at Vermont Comedy Club.
In full character, the Rot siblings recently spoke to Seven Days by phone.
I was recently reading about how the two of you were orphaned as kids.
ASTRID ROT: It was very tragic, actually. Our parents were run over by a train. It was awful. It was very foggy and muddy, and I think they were holding hands, and one slipped, the other slipped, and poof! They were, yeah, they were gone.
OTTO ROT: They were eaten by a lion, actually.
AR: No, stop it, Otto. You see what I’m dealing with? There are no lions in Germany.
OR: He was on the train from Düsseldorf to meet some friends at the Berlin Zoo. He stopped off the train, and yeah, he ate our parents.
AR: Otto, listen to yourself.
OR: Every year 200 people are eaten by lions. Google it! Every year.
You’d think they’d stop letting lions take trains at some point.
OR: Yeah, well, you know, some of them are on buses and trams and trolleys. It really depends on where you are.
We don’t have a lot of lions or passenger trains in Vermont, so hopefully nothing triggers you while you’re here.
AR: We’ve never been to Vermont before. And we’ve never done a show like this before. We did make a web series once, but it was a little bit of a disaster, because Otto and I fought quite a bit. We just have to be nice to each other when they’re filming so we can show everyone our good side.
OR: A lot of people have seen our finished product, but this can show us behind the scenes, like the film with Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas. Or Taylor Swift. Or the Beatles anthology. We are a lot like the Beatles.
AR: The Beatles argued, too.
OR: That’s true.
AR: Except Ringo. He just sat there. Which is kind of what I do, as well.
OR: Yeah, you know, the Billie Eilish film, it was directed by James Cameron, but he told her she should codirect the movie, which is really cool.
Did that inspire you to codirect this project?
OR: No, nobody’s offered to do that with us.
AR: You’re not codirecting our show.
OR: Yeah, no one has offered to let us have any creative control over this at all. So in that way, yeah, it’s a little different, I guess.
How are you planning to curb your sibling rivalry for the show? You famously played simultaneous solo sets on the same stage during a schism.
AR: Otto just needs to take some more deep breaths and listen to me.
OR: Astrid has a much louder voice than me, so when we talk, it’s hard for me to—
AR: You’re actually quite loud right now.
OR: That’s just because I am closer to the receiver, Astrid.
AR: You’re actually incredibly loud right now.
OR: I am sure it is the position of the receiver relative to where we are sitting.
Are you worried things could get as toxic as the Gallagher brothers’ relationship in Oasis?
OR: When I see footage of the Gallagher brothers, they seem to get on much better than Astrid and I. I see them together, and I say, Wow, that is something for us to work towards. They actually like spending time together.
AR: What are you talking about? I just bought you an avocado for your bagel. Have you ever seen Noel buy Liam an avocado?
OR: This is true. Perhaps I am corrected.
For your new show, you plan to immerse yourself in Burlington’s arts and culture and connect with locals.
AR: We have to leave our hotel rooms and get out and meet people and convince them to come to the show.
OR: I like to meet as many people as possible. I try to be as nice as I possibly can. I radiate and glow with positive energy, and people are attracted to that. Astrid’s methods are different; she will convince people against their will … coercion, bribery. She will often commit crimes to get people to come and see our show.
AR: That is rock and roll.
If the project gets picked up, are there plans to visit other cities around America?
OR: Yes! We can’t wait to meet new people and make them come see us. We’ve already met so many incredible people lately. We met Gina Schock from the Go-Go’s and Martha Reeves from the Vandellas. Boy George says he loves us, too. Pink said online that she can’t wait to see us!
AR: I don’t think that means she’s coming to Burlington.
OR: Also, Astrid gets a little confused with the time changes when we are going different places. She doesn’t know when to be awake or when to be asleep. Sometimes we are in the middle of a song, and she is falling asleep.
AR: It’s not true.
OR: It’s true. It did happen. In San Francisco. You were asleep.
AR: No, I had an eyelash poking me in the eye, so I had to take a little break, a head-rest break. Because of the eyelash. I was awake, for sure.
What are you most looking forward to about visiting the city?
OR: We’d like Bernie Sanders to come to the show. That would be great. Does Bernie like rock and roll?
I can’t say with any real authority, sadly. He did help start an all-ages punk venue when he was mayor of Burlington.
AR: Of course he did.
OR: We always want to get some Ben & Jerry’s from the place it’s born.
AR: Maybe they will come to the show?
OR: Look, I would settle for either Ben or Jerry; both don’t have to come. That would unreasonable. ➆
This interview was edited for clarity and length.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Sibling Rock Rivalry: Punk-rock comedy duo Otto & Astrid are ready to discover Vermont”
This article appears in May 27 • 2026.
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