Live Review: Megaherz & Combichrist - Hamburg 2023

Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany
29th September 2023
Megaherz & Combichrist - “EU and UK Tour 2023” - Support: Janosch Moldau

On September 29th, 2023, an Industrial combo hit club Markthalle in Hamburg with German one-man band JANOSCH MOLDAU, Aggrotech / Industrial Heavy hitters COMBICHRIST, and the Neue Deutsche Härte pioneers MEGAHERZ.


Janosch Moldau

JANOSCH MOLDAU is a German musician and songwriter from Neu-Ulm, who became known as a solo musician through numerous concerts as the opening act for DE/VISION, PROJECT PITCHFORK, MESH, and NITZER EBB. https://www.janoschmoldau.com/

Music & Performance
JANOSCH MOLDAU opened this evening at the Hamburg Markthalle with his melodic synthesizer program. I’ve been very familiar with his work since back in 2013 when he performed as an opening act for SOLAR FAKE as part of European concerts. Despite the fact that the musician did not fit in stylistically with the Aggrotech / Industrial of Combichrist and the Neue Deutsche Härte of MEGAHERZ, the people in front of the stage seemed to be completely delighted with the gentle voice and warm atmosphere in the almost dark, lighting it was very weak. I was very glad to hear the old hits of JANOSCH MOLDAU like ‘In Another World’ and ‘Lovestar’, thanks to which I once discovered this band, but the new single ‘We Behaved Wrong’ from the accompanying EP ‘Aid And Abet’ also left pleasant experience.



Setlist
01. Intro
02. This Is My Show
03. Aid And Abet
04. Light For Me
05. In Another World
06. Lovestar
07. We Behaved Wrong

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Light: 7
Sound: 9
Total: 8 / 10

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Combichrist

COMBICHRIST is an American Aggrotech / Industrial Metal band formed in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua, who also founded the bands ICON OF COIL, PANZER AG, Scandinavian COCK and SCANDY. COMBICHRIST was formed in Atlanta, Georgia, and is now based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The band consists of LaPlegua only in the studio, with a changing line-up of live performing members. Releases by the band have been very successful in terms of sales and charted in top positions for dance and alternative charts worldwide. At this stage, the band consists of Andy LaPlegua, Dane White, Jamie Cronander, Eric13, and Elliott Berlin. https://www.combichrist.com



Music & Performance
Light and melodic JANOSCH MOLDAU was replaced by heavy and aggressive COMBICHRIST. The contrast was felt immediately. COMBICHRIST have kept the brand for almost 20 years. Andy can’t be mistaken with any other musician, his energy, his voice, the way he moves, attracts attention. And the current band members are what I would call the most successful, each member is bright and original, and each has a number of interesting musical projects, such as Eric13, and Elliott Berlin. The latest one, by the way, was diving with his guitar into the crowd, moving around the hall on the hands of fans. But luckily, he remained safe and healthy. The set list included time-tested action songs like ‘Get Your Body Beat’, ‘Blut Royale’, ‘Can’t Control’, fun ‘Maggots At The Party’, as well as fresh tracks like ‘Heads off’ from the 2022 album of the same name, or ‘Modern Demon’.



Towards the end, Andy LaPlegua appealed to the ecstatically dancing fans to “look at nothing in life as guaranteed and to enjoy moments and evenings like this”.

Setlist
01. Blut Royale
02. Maggots At The Party
03. Modern Demon
04. Scarred
05. Get Your Body Beat
06. Can’t Control
07. Denial
08. Compliance
09. Heads Off
10. Fuck That Shit
11. Hate Like Me
12. Not My Enemy
13. Never Surrender
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14. My Life My Rules

Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Light: 8
Sound: 9
Total: 8.8 / 10

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Megaherz

MEGAHERZ is a Rock band founded in Munich in 1993, which, along with OOMPH! and RAMMSTEIN, is one of the earliest representatives of Neue Deutschen Härte. https://www.megaherz.de/

Music & Performance
In contrast to COMBICHRIST, the NDH veterans had a new album in their luggage. ‘In Teufels Namen’, the fifth LP with Lex Wohnhaas at the microphone, was released in August 2023. Seven new songs were played in the following 75 minutes, starting with the title track.



For the first time, the stage for MEGAHERZ was hidden behind a large curtain. Only the silhouette of the devil, corresponding to the title of the new album, was visible. The working team of the club nimbly fought with the curtain, and when it came down the real theatre action started. Alexander “Lex” is inimitable in his role as a Gothic clown, which is only worth his facial expressions and crazy looks. A real horror clown, as it is sung in their song of the same name. The sound was powerful, the atmosphere was great, and the frontman performed heavy passages at the highest level and rocked the audience in the hall. Overall, bringing three such different bands together was a successful experiment, it was a fantastic evening of music.



Setlist
01. In Teufels Namen
02. Roter Mond
03. Horrorclown
04. Alles Arschlöcher
05. Vorhang auf
06. Amnesie
07. 5. März
08. Nicht in meinem Namen
09. Glas und Tränen
10. Rabenherz
11. Engelsgesicht
12. Freigeist
13. Für immer
14. Der König der Dummen
15. Miststück
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16. Jagdzeit
17. Himmelsstürmer

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

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All Pictures by Iryna Kalenska