Live report GOTTHARD & Y&T, Grosse Freiheit 36, Hamburg – May 27th, 2025

Tonight’s event at Grosse Freiheit 36 is a blend of Switzerland, California, and Hamburg.

Gotthard recently launched a new album and are on the “Stereo Crush Tour 2025.” Joining them on this road trip for a few shows is none other than Y&T and both bands will perform tonight at the legendary venue in Hamburg.

Y&T‘s driving force, Dave Meniketti, and his bandmates kick off the hard rock night at 7:30 p.m., and more than a few fans arrived early to see the band live. There haven’t been many opportunities to see the band in Europe in recent years, so the guys receive a warm applause when they take the stage

“Hurricane” is the first song, and we are right back in the early ’80s. Y&T don’t waste much time, igniting the flame of rock ‘n’ roll at Grosse Freiheit 36. The repertoire of songs tonight includes tunes from the earlier heydays, such as “Black Tiger” and “Rescue Me,” which take me, and probably a few more in the room, back to the days of youth.

It’s amazing how passionately Y&T perform their classic rock songs. Considering that Meniketti is 71 years old, it is impressive how much power and energy the founding member brings to the stage. Surrounded by John Nymann, Mike Vanderhule, and Aaron Leigh, Y&T show why they belong at the forefront of melodic rock and metal. Regardless of whether they’re playing older or newer songs, like “I’m Coming Home,” it’s the unbridled joy of hard rock that drives the band.

Y&T represent music from the ’80s, when the band was at its career peak. However, they don’t sound old-fashioned. Tonight’s performance is a trip down memory lane for those in attendance, and perhaps there are some new fans in the room as well, as the great applause at the end of their set shows that Y&T is still a highly esteemed, relevant band. The four-piece band from California played a 55-minute set that completely met people’s expectations. Meniketti and his band represent the essence of hard rock, which goes beyond age. Passion and dedication are what drive this music, and the four-piece has inhaled a solid dose of both.

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“Wanna rock, rock till the morning dawn” — that’s from “Lift U Up,” and it could be tonight’s theme. It takes a moment to prepare the stage for the main act before the Gotthard start their set with “AI & I.” The opener, taken from the new album, is a great choice to kick off almost two hours of rock ‘n’ roll delight. Gotthard is sometimes perceived as a band that has lost some of its rock roots by focusing too much on ballads. Tonight, however, their rock roots are certainly present, echoing in songs like “Thunder & Lightning,” which is much more powerful live.

There’s no doubt that heart-touching moments are also present this evening, as shown by the soulful beginnings of songs like “Remember It’s Me” and “Heaven,” which comes later in the set. Another peaceful moment tonight is the short acoustic jam. Leo, Nic, and Freddy take a seat on their barstools, and the guys invite Steffi to join them for this part of the show. You might be wondering, “Who is Steffi?” Gotthard welcome a fan to sing with them during the acoustic interlude, and Steffi was that lucky fan. “Angel” and “Let It Be” generate emotional momentum before “Burning Bridges” brings everyone back to straightforward rock ‘n’ roll.

The second half of the show is mainly a “best of” with adrenalizing classics like “Boom Boom”, “Top of the World,” and “Lift U Up” that are made for sing-along sessions which also works tonight. In between, we find another new song from the latest effort, “Rusty Rose,” which fits perfectly. A better bridge between “Feel What I Feel” and “Lift U Up” than the drum solo would have been another song nut however, fans enjoy it.

The band returns to the stage after a brief intermission with “One Life, One Soul,” marking the start of the encore performance. “Hush,” the Joe South cover song, is the one that everyone always wants to hear, and it’s a must-play during any Gotthard set. Last but not least is “Mighty Quinn,” which, after nearly two hours, concludes a professional and authentic show.

Although Gotthard didn’t “rock ’til the morning dawn,” the Swiss hard rockers delivered 115 minutes of energizing hard rock, covering everything from heartwarming moments to hard rock grooves. More importantly, the band and their music made you forget the outside world for an evening of pure rock. Both Gotthard and Y&T provided great rock shows with a positive vibe that will certainly resonate in people’s minds for at least the rest of the night.