Live report D-A-D & THE 69 EYES, Georg Elser Halle, Hamburg – November 15th, 2025

Tonight, I’m exploring a new venue. The Georg Elser Halle in Hamburg opened earlier this year, and this is my first visit to the venue. Part of the historic Flakbunker building, which has become a popular destination thanks to its additional levels, roof garden and hotel, the Georg Elser Halle is located there too, named after one of the resistance fighters against fascism in the 1940s. It is therefore a historic location, having undergone a significant transformation from a devastating and inhumane past of war to a vibrant new place where people meet and connect.

After this brief introduction to the venue, let’s turn our attention to the music and bands on tonight’s agenda. United by a passion for hard rock, a Scandinavian package is currently touring Europe. Under the banner of ‘Cowpunks and Glampires’, Danish rock veterans D-A-D and Finnish goth rockers The 69 Eyes are touring together, and tonight they will be playing a show at the Georg Elser Halle in Hamburg.
It’s a rainy and windy night, which you can feel even more intensely when you climb the stairs outside the building to reach the venue’s doors. It’s a bit of an effort to reach the venue, but you’re rewarded with a great view of Hamburg.

Photo: Markus Wiedenmann Photography

The starting point is 20:00 and there will be no delay. The 69 Eyes take to the stage with a great start, opening with “Devils”. Without an opening act, it takes a moment for everyone to get into concert mode, and the vocals are also slightly inaudible which changes after a few minutes. The sound becomes more powerful, and the fans get into the right vibe, partly thanks to classics like “I Fell Berlin”, which is played relatively early in the set.

With “Drive”, the Finns also connect with their more recent releases, and the longer the show progresses, the better the atmosphere in Hamburg’s highest concert hall becomes. It’s great to see how the earlier songs and the new material fit together to create a seamless flow tonight — perhaps even too seamless.

Frontman Jyrki 69, equipped with sunglasses, spreads a melancholic vibe, which, when combined with his deeper vocals, is one of the key features of The 69 Eyes’ identity. The band plays with full passion, resulting in impressive stage presence, and drummer Jussi 69 impresses with his relentless performance behind the drum kit. He doesn’t just provide the heartbeat of the band. He puts on a real rock show from behind his drum kit.

All in all, The 69 Eyes deliver a passionate, gloomy rock show, and it is this dark romantic vibe that fills the room during their 75-minute set, which culminates in the glorious finale of “Lost Boys”.

(click on pics to enlarge)

It takes a while to prepare the stage. Forty-five minutes is a long time, especially since it seems like everything is set up after the usual thirty minutes. However, D-A-D starts their set at 10 p.m., and it’s a great choice to open with “Jihad.” The energizer from the breakthrough album “No Fuel Left for the Pilgrims” is the perfect rock anthem to get everyone in the party vibe that will carry on for the next 80 minutes.

“Jihad” won’t be the only song from the legendary 1989 album. After a brief detour to their most recent album with “1st, 2nd & 3rd,” “Girl Nation” provides the next adrenaline rush.

One factor in D-A-D’s success is their consistent lineup, which allows them to perform like a well-oiled clockwork of rock, unleashing pure energy with each song. Jesper Binzer’s rougher voice and great entertaining skills are factors in the band’s success, and his announcements in German are pure joy. Humor and fun rule tonight, making the show a colorful experience from start to finish.

Furthermore, the show includes everything you could ask for: Stig Pedersen’s extravagantly shaped basses, Jacob Binzer’s heavy riffs, Laust Sonne’s hard-hitting drumming, and the band’s passion for rock ‘n’ roll are the highlights of tonight’s show, which everyone in the room is enjoying.

The encore includes three of the band’s best songs, beginning with the acoustic version of “Laugh ‘n’ a ½.” More than one mobile phone is raised when the Binzer brothers perform the song, which leads to a blasting version of “Sleeping My Day Away.” The song’s announcement, made by the question “Who has to work tomorrow?” introduces the classic and the extended versionof “Sleeping My Day Away” propels everyone into a new state of euphoria. “It’s After Dark” serves as the grand finale of an exceptional rock show.

D-A-D turned this Saturday night into a rock ‘n’ roll party that just started. “Cowpunks and Glampires” is a great package of bands that everyone enjoys. After three and a half hours, it’s time to go back to reality, which means taking all the steps down again to maybe pay a short visit to the Dom, Hamburg’s famous fun fair.