Christuskirche, Bochum, Germany1st May 2026
Subway To Sally - “Nackt 3 - Lügen und Legenden”
For over three decades, SUBWAY TO SALLY have been among the defining forces of the German music scene. From their beginnings in Potsdam’s Folk scene to becoming pioneers of Medieval Rock, they have undergone an impressive evolution. With their current tour, “Nackt 3 - Lügen und Legenden”, the band returns to one of their most successful concepts.
‘Nackt 3’ is the third iteration of their acoustic series - ‘Nackt 1’ (2006) and ‘Nackt 2’ (2010) have already won over fans’ hearts in the past and been immortalised as live albums. With ‘Nackt 3’, the band will once again demonstrate between late March and early May that their songs can pack a tremendous punch even without electric amplification. We had the privilege of accompanying SUBWAY TO SALLY at the sold-out Christuskirche in Bochum.
Music & Performance
That building provided the perfect setting for this undertaking. The excellent acoustics of the sacred building promised to make every plucked instrument and every nuance in the vocals sound crystal clear. Only the visual design raised a few eyebrows: throughout the tour, and thus also in Bochum, SUBWAY TO SALLY used their own large backdrop, which obscured the otherwise imposing architecture of the chancel in order to create a distinct, intimate atmosphere for the evening instead.
At 8 pm sharp, guitarist Ingo Hampf took to the stage alone and sat down at his spot on the “lower level” of the stage to open the evening with ‘Lacrime ’74’. After the instrumental piece had lasted just under two minutes, the other six members of the band finally took to the stage one by one; finally, singer Eric Fisher led the only woman in the group, Ally Storch, up the few steps to the stage and helped her, in her voluminous costume, to take her place on stage. Visually, the violinist stood out. In her flowing, long red dress, she was the undisputed centre of attention on stage, lending the evening a certain elegance not only musically on the violin but also visually.
Performing as a septet, the band launched into ‘Feuerkind’ and were in absolutely top form right from the start. Whilst Ingo Hampf, on the lute and guitar, demonstrated with his usual precision why he is regarded as the musical mastermind behind the arrangements, Simon Michael provided a rhythmic foundation on the drums that never lost its intensity, despite the stripped-back acoustic sound.
Bodenski, the band’s lyrical conscience, provided his usual strong backing vocals and that presence that has defined SUBWAY TO SALLY since the nineties. Singer Eric Fish guided the evening through in his usual good spirits and close connection with the audience. He underlined the tour’s resounding success with a proud announcement: today’s concert on 1 May was completely sold out, and for the additional concert on 3 May, there were currently just 19 tickets left.
A special moment of the show was the performance of ‘Krähenfraß’ during the second half of the concert. During the song, a dancer dressed as a crow made her way through the centre aisle onto the stage to perform there. Eric Fish was inspired by the performance and tried his best to imitate the bird-like movements. He proved just how much energy this took afterwards: with an exhausted sigh, he sank back into his chair, which drew hearty laughter from the audience.
Although the concert was officially a seated event, the “church-like silence” didn’t last long. As soon as the photographers had cleared the pit after the first three songs, the central aisle at the front filled with a small crowd of dancing fans. By the end of the second set, there was finally no holding back: after more than two hours of playing, no one was left in their seat. With ‘Nackt 3’, SUBWAY TO SALLY have once again proven that they can strip their music down to the bare bones without it losing its soul. A magical evening.
Setlist
Set 1:
01. Lacrimae '74 / Feuerkind
02. Eisblumen
03. Auf dem Hügel
04. Böses Erwachen
05. Traum vom Tod II
06. Minne / Herz in der Rinde
07. Mitgift
08. Das Rätsel II
09. Kleid aus Rosen
10. Was ihr wollt
11. Weit ist das Meer
---
Set 2:
12. Wenn Engel hassen
13. Leinen los
14. Unsterblich
15. Krähenfrass
16. Henkersbraut
17. Post Mortem
18. Falscher Heiland
19. Die Ratten
20. Arche
21. Sag dem Teufel / Ohne Liebe / Tanz auf dem Vulkan
22. Sieben
23. Veitstanz
---
24. Maria
25. Julia und die Räuber
All pictures by André Wilms
