Live report LONG DISTANCE CALLING, Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg – May 4th, 2022

Finally it happens, Long Distance Calling start their second part of the ‘Seats and Sounds’-tour. As many other concerts and tours, also this one has been postponed many times. What was planned originally to happen in 2020 starts today and no restriction can stop the band to present songs from their latest studio album ‘How Do We Want to Live?’ plus some classics in an unusual setup.

The Münster-based quartet embarked on their first ‘Seats & Sounds’-tour in 2019 which brought the post-metal band to unique location, like the Kulturkirche Altona, a concert that was later released on DVD as ‘Stummfilm – Live in Hamburg’.

Today, things get even bigger. Not exactly when it is about the intimate atmosphere of such a special show. This time it is Elbphilhamonie, Hamburg, that hosts the four-piece band. It is an absolute unique momentum, for fans and band. Although it is the smaller room at the Elbphilharmonie, it is the surrounding, the building and last but not least the sound that makes this concert to a very special one. Entering the building is the first wow and what other location offers a great view into the Hamburg harbor sunset. No surprise that the show was sold out very quickly and I don’t think that any ticket holder returned their tickets during the pandemic.

The Hamburg show is the first one on this tour which adds extra excitement for everybody involved. The premier of a new setlist is always special and to kick it off in such an environment is enlarging the thrill.

19:30 is the moment when the rubber hits the road. Without having an opening act with them on this tour, Long Distance Calling enters the stage under a generous applause by their fans. The band start with ‘Curiosity Pt.1 and Pt.2’ into the set and one thing is apparent right away. The fine arranged sound of Long Distance Calling and the architecture of this music hall is more than a match. It is an experience of sound no other location can provide, a real treat for ears.

The setlist provides some classics and a Long Distance Calling concert without ‘Black Paper Planes’ and ‘Metulsky Curse Revisited’ is hard to imagine. Both songs are the highlights tonight with fans clapping along the way. On the other hand, there is much new to offer since the band haven’t had a chance to tour properly with their lates longplayer in focus. ‘How Do We Want to Live?’ added five songs to the setlist of tonight show, great songs that smoothly fit into the flow of the fine arranged post-rock from Münster. This music lives by variety and the interaction of loud and calm. There are riffs that make the Elbphilharmonie shake and there are the calm and tangible moments when you can hear a needle dropping. This is what fans came for and it is what they get offered.

As with the first leg of this tour in 2019, also tonights concert featured two parts with a 25 minutes break in between. It was a moment to share the experience, listen to excited fans who could see from their seat all the details of the band, handling their instruments and there was the mentioned view over Hamburg, a city covered in orange colors of an early May sunset.

This night is special for everybody. It is one of these moments nobody will forget and therefor one just looks into happy smiling faces when leaving the Elbphilharmonie. Band and fans had to wait a very long time to make this concert happen and it was worth the wait. This evening made very obvious what we all missed for such a long time. Stellar music performed live and in front of an enthusiastic crowd. A wow moment, for sure.