Live report MADSEN, FJØRT & RAUM27, Sporthalle, Hamburg – December 21st, 2023

It’s stormy in Hamburg and a storm tide has been announced which is keeping the entire harbor region busy. Nevertheless, on such a rather unusual pre-Christmas evening, many fans of quality rock music find their way to the Alsterdorfer Sporthalle as none other than a team of brothers from Wendland is on stage tonight – Madsen.

The start of this rock night is up to a band of youngster called Raum27. They are a young and aspiring band from Bremen who have just released their debut album ‘Anfangen anzufangen’. Having been on the road for a few weeks on an extensive club tour, the guys have the opportunity tonight to present themselves and their songs to a large audience, which they do very successfully.

The venue is only half full at the beginning of their show, which rapidly changes over the course of the 30-minute set and the fact that the indie rockers have a solid support base is evident from the loudly singing fans in the front row.

With a smile on his face, singer Tristan Stadler realizes that the Sporthalle is a little bigger than the LOGO (Iconic venue in Hamburg), where the band played just a few weeks ago. However, this doesn’t detract from the energy of their performance and so it’s no surprise that the guys leave the stage, accompanied by a hearty round of applause.

Madsen don’t miss the opportunity to personally announce their support acts. This was already the case with Raum27 and now it’s a short introduction of a three-piece formation that leaves some of the fans standing there with their mouths open. Post-core/sludge specialists Fjørt take over the stage and while it was previously rather colorful melodies that filled the hall, things are getting much darker now. The band has half an hour playing time too and they musically raze everything to the ground. Powerful riffs, screeching screams and a lot of stage acting is what characterizes band and show. Chris Hell and David Frings in particular are like dervishes of gloom on stage and it may be that some people are overwhelmed tonight by this performance. However, a small pit forms directly in front of the stage with Fjørt fans who are obviously having fun while enjoying the band. The trio seems a bit like the black sheep of tonights running order. It speaks for the Madsen fans though, who also provide the three Aachener with a deserved applause and there are even a few “We want more”-shouts resounding in the hall.

Madsen are one of the big names in Germany’s rock scene, which is reflected in the success of their albums. Since their sophomore album ‘Goodbye Logik’, each of the following releases has made it into the top 10 of the German album charts and appearances at festivals such as Rock am Ring / Rock im Park speak volumes.

In the meantime, the Alsterdorfer Sporthalle is packed almost to capacity limits and the band kick off their set with ‘Ein bisschen Lärm’, ‘Mein Herz bleibt hier’ and ‘Sirenen’. The atmosphere in the hall was immediately at its peak, which will not change over the next two hours.

As already mentioned, Madsen deliver superb records. But what the guys have to offer live is even stronger and more energetic. It is the mixture of anarchic punk roots, indie rock and great melodies that unfold their full power live on stage.

Tonight this can only be achieved because all band members are all fit again after the two previous shows that had to be postponed due to illness. Tonight, however, everyone has recovered and if there are still a few remaining virus cells in the bodies, they will not be able to cope with the power of the Madsen songs.

Despite all the loudness, there are also quiet and thoughtful moments. Lisa Who and Sebastian sing together the duet ‘So cool bist du nicht’ and it is the lyrics of the title track of the current album ‘Hollywood’ that makes you think.

According to Sebastian Madsen, the fact that the brothers’ parents are also present tonight increases the excitement a little, especially as the singer admits that he couldn’t sleep the night before anyway due to all the positive excitement. But now the boys are on stage and have an outlet for all that energy, as there are still some great songs on the setlist with ‘Heirate mich’ and ‘Du schreibst Gesichte’. In addition, Madsen is supported by Deine Cousine during ‘Love is a Killer’, while it is the ‘What is Love’ snippet that introduces the song. The band incorporated more of these snippets throughout the set, including ‘Song2′ by Blur and even Robbie Williams’ ‘Angels’.

During ‘Nachtbaden’, Raum27 frontman Tristan joins in, while tonight also has another special moment. Guitar roadie Tilman Claas has a musical project called Lampe with which he was recently on the road opening for Olli Schotz. Tonight Madsen offer the talented musician the opportunity to present a song in front of a large audience. First alone and then with the support of the entire band, the moment is a highlight and shows the class of Lampe’s repertoire.

When the expected classics such as ‘Mit dem Mofa nach Madrid’ and ‘Vielleicht’ resound, there is no holding back and it is not the first time tonight that circle pits from – in the front and in the back. Band and fans are obviously having a lot of fun, which is also apparent during the brilliant closer ‘Lass die Musik an’.

Tonight everyone leaves satisfied and exhausted. A party like this just before Christmas is what creates a positive vibe and makes you forget the stress of everyday life. Now it remains to be seen when Madsen will come back to Hamburg. 2024 means 20 years of Madsen and perhaps there will soon be a birthday party right in the same place. It will be interesting to see what the future will bring.