BOOMBOX

Last week the Berlin band performed in Munich and the rascals performed in their usual style, heating up the Olympiahalle like other rock bands rarely dp. Both the band and their audience gave their all on the night of the concert.

The mood was tense, iIn a positive sense. After all, only last year the band was still performing in significantly smaller venues. Since their #1 album “Boombox” this year, everything changed and the Beatsteaks now easily fill the largest public arenas. It’s no wonder the five-member formation enjoys a reputation somewhere between that of Seed and the Toten Hosen. Their music has become somewhat commercial, but that isn’t necessarily negative.

The secret of the band from Berlin was always that they could make concert halls feel like their own living room – and they did it in Munich, too. It takes a big act to animate the audience in the huge Olympiahalle and it seems each of the band members were born with the necessary bad-boy performance skills.

The Punkpop-Band from Berlin was greeted euphorically. The vocalist Arnim appealed to his audience: “Let’s do Saturday night together” and was greeted with enthusiastic response. There was rhythmic hand clapping, arms swinging through the air and the predominantly youthful audience jumping around like there’s no tomorrow. Arnim is a fantastic singer and entertainer - despite getting on in years, he continues to animate the fans to no end.

The Beatsteaks performed songs from all three albums, and the songs from “Smack Smash” were the ones most well received. “Smack Smash”, released in 2004, was the breakthrough album for the Beatsteaks. The single “I Don’t Care As Long As You Sing” became a hit and increased the band’s national exposure.

The current album compositions come from the five members, each member contributing his own musical taste and style. The differences are easy to hear live - softpop “Milk & Honey”, rocky-edgy “Cheap Comments” and reggae-sounding “Let’s See”. The punk rock rebels of the past have receded, and new pop accents are clearly to be heard. It didn’t hurt the atmosphere on Thursday night in the Olympiahalle. The new songs are more pop than punk, more catchy, and the audience showed its appreciation. Over time the Beatsteaks have earned the reputation of the Best German Live Band. We wouldn’t bet on that exactly but they freely deserve the title the Happiest Live Band in the Republic!

The five band members put their shoulders to the wheel and after two hours and two encores finally exited the stage of the Olympiahalle under thundering applause. Even if the fans got the feeling that the arena might have been a little too big for the compact sound of the band, the atmosphere was unusually overwhelming.

The Beatsteaks were guest to Harald Schmidt on April 7th. Their new single “Cheap Comment” was released one day later, on April 8th, in digital-, CD-, and 12” white label vinyl format. In addition to the original versions the new album includes remixes from Moonbootica, Phil Speiser, Luke 4000, Tobsen and Tschamp from the band Seeed.


Munich Setlist March 24, 2011
Atomic Love, Behaviour, Milk & Honey, Monster, Cheap Comments, Under A Clear Blue Sky, Big Attack, Not Ready To Rock, Summer, Frieda und die Bomben, Hey Du, Hello Joe, Demons Galore, Hail To The Freaks, Shiny Shoes, Sampler, Automatic, Hand In Hand, As I Please, What's Coming Over You, Let Me In

Encore 1: Fix It, Jane Became Insane, Ain't Complaining, Sampler, Cut Off The Top

Encore 2: Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen Cover), I Don't Care As Long As You Sin


Further stations on the current Beatsteaks Tour:

In response to current world events, the Beatsteaks will give a charity concert for the victims of the catastrophe in Japan. The Band announces in its homepage that the performance for the good of the Red Cross Japan will take place on April 16th in Berlin. Tickets can be bought in pre-sale for €27 plus pre-sale surcharge, and are available at all usual ticket shops.

12.05. Eindhoven - Effenaar 13.05. Amsterdam - Paradiso 14.05. Brussels - Ancienne Belgique 16.05. Groningen - De Oosterpoort 10.06. Berlin - Wuhlheide 11.06. Berlin - Wuhlheide | ausverkauft 26.06. Eupen - Musik Marathon 02.07. Dresden - Filmnächte am Elbufer 03.07. St.Gallen - Open Air 02.09. Wiesen - Two Days A Week-Festival