Eisbrecher - Dortmund 2010

Written by Sebastian Huhn Monday, 27 September 2010 14:41

FZW, Dortmund, Germany
26th September 2010
Eisbrecher, Stahlmann

On their tour through German lands, EISBRECHER and STAHLMANN only have left excited and happy people according to the reactions read. The date in Dortmund was the final show of that tour and such shows do have the habit of becoming an extraordinary event. We were there to find out…

Stahlmann

STAHLMANN kind of just started their career, founded in 2008 and already making a kick-start with their first release, which is the EP ‘Herzschlag’ that cracked into the German Alternative Charts on #20. Their tour credits already include sharing the stage with DORO, IN EXTREMO or SALTATIO MORTIS. The eponymous debut album has just been released on 17th September right in time for the start of the mutual tour with EISBRECHER. STAHLMANN is Mart (vocals, programming), Alex (guitar, programming), Tobi (guitar, programming), Fire-Abend (bass) and O-Lee (drums). http://www.myspace.com/stahlmannmusik

Music & Performance
Before the guys of STAHLMANN entered the stage we would be bearing witness to a rare occurrence with the main act, represented by Alexx, introducing to the evening and the support band just like we know him. I wouldn’t dare asking how he knew they're good in bed but that's another story. The most obvious optical feature of the band now entering was them being all dressed in suits and being painted in steel colours. I must admit the dressing had style. To the first sounds of opening cut 'Willkommen', the action started and singer Mart began walking around on stage while the rest chose to pose while playing their instruments. Whenever Mart involved the audience into the show, mostly with clapping, those who did could mostly be spotted within the first few rows. The farther you would go backwards the rarer a movement got.

Yet the people seemed to like them a lot since they screamed and clapped loudly after nearly every song, may it be the steel hard 'Stahlmann' or 'Kaltes Herz'. I could share the excitement only to a certain extend. So the show itself was good, but musically it didn't catch me, really.

Setlist
01. Willkommen
02. Marschieren
03. Stahlmann
04. Kaltes Herz
05. Göttin
06. Hass Mich... Lieb Mich
07. Herzschlag
08. Teufel
09. Nur Einmal
10. Stahlwittchen
11. Kokain
12. Hier kommt Alex (Die Toten Hosen cover)

Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 7
Sound: 8
Light:7
Total: 6.8 / 10

Eisbrecher

EISBRECHER was formed in 2003 after former MEGAHERTZ singer Alexx Wesselsky left the band over creative differences, co-founding member was another ex-band member Noel Pix. Then in 2004, they debuted with their self-titled album; there was a heavy outcry due to the band adding two CD-Rs as an incentive to copy the album and as a statement against the criminalization of the end-customer through the music industry. The sophomore ‘Antikörper’ became a big success for EISBRECHER charting at #85 of the German album charts. Ever busy with touring, the band meanwhile has a huge following and EISBRECHER shows usually are nearly or completely sold-out. The newest part of the saga is named 'Eiszeit' and has been released in April. EISBRECHER is Alexx Wesselsky (vocals, composition, management), Noel Pixx (programming, guitars, backing vocals, engineering, production, composition), René (drums, percussion), Jürgen (guitars) and new bass player Dominik Palmer, who replaced Oli Pohl. http://www.eis-brecher.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/eisbrecherkommando

Music & Performance
Now, after the changeover, happened what everyone has been waiting for. A cold wind started blowing and the band walked in wearing their Arctic winter jackets to start with 'Eiszeit' by the end of which a myriad of paper streamers rained down from the ceiling. 'Angst' followed in its footsteps but the audiences' reactions still was not as excited as I had hoped for to be honest. They could do much more. On the next tune the motto was 'Willkommen im Nichts' (Welcome to nothingness)', but the track was far more than nothing of course. Actually, it would've been the perfect tune for the crowd to go wild. But they just got started with that. After we got sorted out that no one yelled “Booh” but “Huhu” and that Alexx was looking good, it was time for 'Leider' and that was actually the point where the crowd finally got into action better. Was high time!

Next up followed the discovery not only alcohol is fatal, water is as well. “You can drown therein... Ask your cats they hate it, too” So the following 'Komm Süßer Tod' (Come Sweet Death) was the perfect tune to underpin the statement. Now it was our pleasure to watch a demonstration of how good Alexx got the lessons told in the chapter “How to pose with a microphone stand” in the book “Posing for Rock Stars” before 'Böse 'Mädchen' hit and had the audience raise their hands. One little moment in the set belonged to the reflective, the calm, to a flat “schlager” song and the whole audience sang along ‘Tränen Lügen Nicht’ (Tears don't Lie) with a little incursion of a nameless dread... ähm sorry, I was going to say bits from a song of German musician called WOLFGANG PETRY. Everyone knew the chorus to that one inside-out as well.

EISBRECHER's suggestion for the new German national anthem was 'This Is Deutsch' and I strongly second that. That's an anthem I would like to sing as well. Oh, and beforehand a genuine yodeller was showcased. 'Kinder der Nacht' concluded the set with a long mutual chant by the audience. But you don't think the show was completely over with that do you? The self-bought barrels were carried on stage for 'Amok'. 'Miststück' shouldn't be left out as well, but the track closing up the last show of the tour completely was 'Mein Blut'. Still, we got to see the band one more time when doing the collective bow with the entire crew on stage. Once again, EISBRECHER excited with good music and a charismatic stage appearance. Looking forward to the next time already!

Setlist
01. Eiszeit
02. Angst
03. Die Bombe
04. Willkommen im Nichts
05. Leider
06. Komm Süßer Tod
07. Böse Mädchen
08. Vergissmeinnicht
09. Schwarze Witwe
10. Tränen Lügen Nicht
11. Die Engel
12. Heilig
13. This is Deutsch
14. Kinder der Nacht
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15. Amok
16. Ohne Dich
17. Miststück
18. Mein Blut

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 9
Sound: 9
Light: 8
Total: 8.5 / 10