Live report DIE HAPPY & FRIDO, Gruenspan, Hamburg – December 30th, 2024

As Lemmyversary in Hamburg’s Markthalle it is another beloved tradition that German alternative rockers Die Happy start a four show tour between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, this tradition comes to an end today as the band is on the Last Christmas Tour and tonight’s show at Gruenspan in Hamburg is the last show of this tour.

With Die Happy on tour is a young musician named Frido. He and his band mates play a modern fusion of alternative rock and hip-hop with German lyrics. Tonight’s set consists of songs from their latest album “Kammerflimmern” which he performs with the title track of the album being the emotional peak. Frido does a good job and although everyone is waiting for Die Happy, the crowd appreciates the 30 minute set. Frido gets some well-deserved applause before passing the baton to the main act.

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Die Happy on stage means good music, energy and a good mood in the room. All three things are present tonight, and the four-piece couldn’t have chosen a better start than “Big Boy”. The band has a wide fanbase, which is also very loyal, as you can see by the frenetic applause already early in the set.

The atmosphere at the packed Gruenspan gets better with each song. Hits like “Here I Am” are great alternative rock anthems, while “Easy Come Easy Go” is the perfect sing-along tune. Almost everyone in the room is open to singing the chorus and a loud/silent dynamic adds to the enjoyment of the show.

It seems that the majority in the room has seen the band on stage before and celebrates each of the 23 songs that make up tonight’s setlist. During “Peaches” the temperature at Gruenspan rises again and all hands are up in the air when the band plays “I Could Die Happy”.

Family, that is something that Die Happy puts in the center. Not only does the families join the tour and watch the show from the balcony. It is also a family vibe that connects the band and their fans. An important factor in this is Marta Jandová. She is not only a great singer. Her talent for entertaining is obvious as well, including some stories about the band’s history and the effects of getting older, which by the way doesn’t mean that Die Happy sound retro. It is more like a nostalgic journey into the 90s and for some fans in the room a walk down memory lane (including the author of this report). It was also fun to hear the story of Die Happy, Marta and the idea of using pyro effects many years ago.

An emotional moment is “I Am”, which is the acoustic moment where Marta forgets some of the lyrics in the beginning and I think only a few people would have recognized it if she hadn’t mentioned it. But this honesty is one of those authentic moments that makes Die Happy so special.

You can’t stop Marta from jumping around and there are songs like “Rebel in You” which is the perfect jump-around anthem. It’s getting warmer and warmer at Gruenspan and we’re getting closer to the end of the set as “Goodbye” fills the room.

After leaving the stage, Die Happy return a few moments later and it is Marta who performs Tracy Chapman’s “Baby Can I Hold You” a cappella after introducing the song with a story from her childhood and her growing passion for singing. With “Slow Day” we move on to the timeless anthem that the band wrote very early in their career. There cannot be a show without “Supersonic Speed” and here it is.

The last show of the last X-Mas tour was another example for the relevance, the skill and the attitude of the band. The positive atmosphere during the show made everyone forget the hurdles of everyday life. Such a show is a very much of a here and now moment. And although there is a certain melancholy feeling in the room, it is Thorsten Mewes who makes it very clear that this is not the end of the band. On the contrary. Die Happy are currently working on a new album and retirement seems to be far away which is very good news.