Dave Doughman / Swearing At Motorists at Millerntor, photo by Jim Rakete
Dave Doughman is the heart and voice behind Swearing At Motorists. This gtr/dr-duo has written and recorded their 2025 album - “31 Seasons In The Minor Leagues” - entirely at FC St.Pauli’s Millerntor Stadion. Obviously Dave has a special connection to the famed football club, so here’s…:
Dave Doughman’s story with FC St. Pauli
25 years ago I looked out from "the stage" at the legendary Astra Stube, and noticed that many in the audience were wearing some form of clothing with the skull and crossbones on it.
This was the first ever headlining gig in Europe for my band Swearing At Motorists, so I had no idea what was going on.
"Did y'all just come from a Pirate Convention?" I asked, pointing to several Totenkopf-wearing people.
After the show, some fans explained how the skull and crossbones had come to represent FC St. Pauli and their values standing against Fascism, Racism, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Anti-Semitism.
The rest of that tour, we continued to see St. Pauli stickers, shirts, scarves, hoodies, hats, in EVERY city, at EVERY show.
We knew we were in a safe space when the bartender was wearing a St. Pauli hoodie, or the bathroom was covered in St Pauli stickers.
For the next 5 years when we would tour Europe, we would connect with the friends we had made via St. Pauli.
In 2005 I moved from the United States to Berlin, relocating to Sankt Pauli in 2010.
Living only a few hundred meters from Millerntor, I was fortunate enough to have my son Ludwig enrolled in the new Kita in the stadium.
We spent the next few years watching home matches from the Kindergarten Balcony (the away days at Kleine Pause).
Ludwig and I went to an event for the 2011/12 trikot launch, and I ended up being photographed by Paul Ripke for the campaign.
That led to me being in the FC St. Pauli Anleihe campaign to finance the new Gegengerade.
After that photoshoot on the field at MIllerntor, I woke up in the middle of the night and wrote/recorded St. Pauli 'til I Die.
The next season Ludwig and I were featured in the 2012/13 FCSP Shop Catalog.
And Swearing At Motorists made their first of many performances at MIllerntor, by rocking the newly opened Gegengerade during the first Fussball und Liebe Festival...
Fastforward to 2025.
For 9 years I have been running the Levi's Music Studio.
I am lucky to be involved in giving back to the community.
This amazing job also allows me the luxury of rehearsing and recording IN MILLERNTOR STADION!
Which has led Swearing At Motorists to be the first band to record an album in a Bundesliga stadium.
"31 Seasons In The Minor Leagues" was recorded at the Levi's Music Studio in Millerntor on late nights, away weekends, and international breaks, as FC St. Pauli fought their way back into the Bundesliga as Champions of the second league.
"31 Seasons In The Minor Leagues" will be released November 7, 2025 on Hamburg's own BB*ISLAND Records.
Watch a mini docu by FC St.Pauli TV (in english) about Dave Doughman at Millerntor
Photo by Davis Kettering