Live report THUNDERMOTHER & LORD BISHOP ROCKS, Fabrik, Hamburg – May 20th, 2023

If there would be an award for ‘Most Touring Band’, Thundermother would certainly be a nominee. Not even the pandemic could stop the band from trying to play shows whenever and wherever possible. These days, the Swedes are on tour, supporting the Scorpions. Since the Scorpions have planned a few off days, the four girls from Sweden fill the gaps with some headlining shows and one of those takes place at Fabrik, Hamburg.

Opening for them tonight is Lord Bishop Rocks. I must admit that I haven’t heard of them earlier and I guess the same goes for quite some of the crowd tonight. The show starts with an announcer, which is a rather unusual beginning. Then comes Lord Bishop on stage and with him his guitar and a half-empty bottle of Johnny Walker whiskey. The trio starts off with ‘Monster’ from the ‘American Lies’ album and the longer the band plays the more people get excited.

Lord Bishop Rocks is more than a name, it I what the trio delivers. These guys rock for sure. ‘Symptoms of the Stone’ and ‘My Song’ follow, showcasing the great feel of the guy for rock and blues, spiced-up with a pinch of funk. Lord Bishop Rocks get 30 minutes for their energizing music and the with the Ike & Tina Turner cover ‘Nutbush City Limits’ the trio create a great vibe at Fabrik with even some “We want more”-shouts can be heard when the band leeaves the stage.

After a surprisingly long pause, the stage is ready for Thundermother. The four girls storm the stage and it is ‘Loud and Free’ which is the starting point for 70 minutes of pure hard rock power. Although the band underwent another line-up change in early 2023, Thundermother performs tight and as one unit. Being constantly in motion the girls create an energy at Fabrik that is exactly what one need on a Saturday night. ‘Heat Wave’, ‘I Don’t Know You’ and ‘Dog From Hell’, all these great songs are part of tonight’s set.

A calmer moment comes when Filippa Nässil picks up the acoustic guitar and what follows is the soulful performance of ‘Fire in the Rain’. To not make it too calm, Thundermother goes ahead with a drum solo, followed by the vivid and heavy ‘Loud and Alive’.

With ‘Driving in Style’ the band has also a great song at the end of the set and after approximately 70 minutes this rock’n’roll blast comes to an end.

Thundermother showed tonight, that they are a brilliant live band that loves to be on stage. Always in motion, rock’n’roll postures and always in contact with the fans, that is what the band stands for and what the crowd loves. This is the absolutely right way to start a Saturday night.