Live report THE HELLACOPTERS & SUPERSUCKERS, Docks, Hamburg – April 18th, 2025

While the Easter Bunny is trying to put all his eggs in one basket, a rock’n’roll power package is rolling across Europe as we speak. Swedish hard rock powerhouse The Hellacopters, who recently released a great longplayer called ‘Overdrive’, have embarked on a European tour and joining them on this road trip are Supersuckers.

It is Maundy Thursday when this power package stops in Hamburg to play a show at Docks and it is a rather early show. Doors open at 18:00 on this gray Thursday and it is a quarter to seven when Supersuckers take the stage. The three-piece from the USA is the perfect opener for tonight. Their mix of rock, country, alternative and southern rock is an energetic experience that works even better on stage than on vinyl or CD.

I started listening to the band in 2015 when they released their album “Holdin’ the Bag” and it is this powerful fusion of genres and influences that makes the band’s music a very energetic one.

Supersuckers play for 45 minutes and even though fans keep coming in during the set, the band gives 100% and creates a party atmosphere from the very beginning. There is not much talking during this show and the announcements from the stage are very limited and brief. It is the voice of Rock’n’Roll that does the talking tonight and the fans appreciate the effort and the music from The Supersuckers.

In addition to the very positive overall spirit of their show, there are two special moments for the crowd. One is when the guys play “Maybe I’m Just Messing With You”, a new song that is a rock ‘n’ roll blast. Also, The Hellacopters keyboarder Anders Kindström joins the band for a song from a Metal Marty solo album, which also features the composer taking over the vocal parts.

Supersuckers are a great opener and even though the guys navigate in a rather small musical framework, the power of Rock’n’Roll comes across with every song. The fans appreciate this effort and give the guys a big round of applause after the last song has been played and the obligatory photo has been taken.

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After such an energetic show, everyone in the room tonight deserves some refreshment before the headliner enters the stage. The Hellacopters belong to the group of exciting rock bands from Scandinavia from the 90s that created a contrast to the grunge movement. The band formed in 1994, released a number of great albums and disbanded in 2008. It was eight years later when the band played a show at the Sweden Rock Festival which was the spark for a reunion. Two new albums have created a lot of buzz and seeing the band live is still something special as The Hellacopters haven’t spoiled their German fans with a lot of headliner shows in the last few years.

Tonight we are facing a nearly sold out Docks and it is a new song, “Token Apologies”, that starts off 90 minutes of pure Rock’n’Roll power. Like Supersuckers, The Hellacopters don’t waste time with long speeches or storytelling. This is a rock show at its finest and it’s the music that speaks.

No doubt frontman Nicke Andersson is the center of the show, but it is the band and a band effort that makes this show special. Although everyone misses Dregen tonight, it is LG Valletta who does a great job on the guitar and magical guitar duels with Andersson are just one great feature of this show.
With each song the party atmosphere increases and during “Toys and Flavors” there is a sing-along that reflects the enthusiasm of the crowd. With “Ferrytale” the quintet takes us back to the 90s, while it is “Born Broke” that reflects the early days of the Swedish powerhouse. No matter which period the songs come from, they all fit together perfectly as they are all typical The Hellacopters anthems. Here and there drummer Robert Eriksson is in the spotlight too with a little drum solo part that fits in perfectly with the flow of the show, like during “Baby Borderline”.

Everyone is having fun tonight, including a young kid on his dad’s shoulder, celebrating every minute and every song. The Hellacopters obviously unite generations, as there are younger kids standing next to fans who have followed the band from the very beginning. And no matter what age you are, this sound is pure adrenaline that unfolds during a live show. Jumping and stomping around is the credo of tonight in the pit during “Soulseller” or you enjoy kissing, like the couple that is more focused on themselves than the closer of the regular set – “Leave a Mark”.

When the band returned for the encore, it was Robert Eriksson who addressed a few words to the fans before the band entered the extra portion of tonight’s show with “In the Sign of the Octopus”. “Eyes of Oblivion” reflects the more recent hymns of The Hellacopters, before another short drum solo bridges into “I’m in the Band”. The mood in the room is at its peak before “Gotta Get Some Action) Now!” heralds the finale of a great rock show and everyone could handle more rock ‘n’ roll all night long.

The Hellacopters show why they belong to the influential spearhead of Swedish rock music. Equipped with a dense and powerful sound, the songs of the five-piece band unfolded their magic. Guitar duels and great stage acting completed the very positive impression of this show, which was the right way to start the Easter weekend.