Lothar Alzheim (Götz Alsmann) is a cashier in a supermarket and plays at night with his unsuccessful band in the city's most insignificant club. He dreams of a major breakthrough as a musician, but does not want to give up his position as composer, lyricist, bandleader and singer. The band members give him the choice of working with a singer or breaking up the band together. Lothar's colleague Mechthild Specht (Angelika Milster), who has fallen in love with Lothar, becomes the band's singer by chance. The audience is thrilled; television is also interested. However, a live performance becomes a fiasco, quickly ending the band's TV career, but restarting the shy and quirky romance between Lothar and Mechthild.