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Posted: 2023-11-12 23:24:37

And what should I say: Once again an absolutely great evening - a fantastic concert.

Last year I had to skip Dub FX in the summer because of vacation and this year I was so excited with the hope of no cancelation but this was not neccassary. The gig was moved from Huxleys to Gretchen but no problem et all. I invited my daughter to come with me and we had a wonderful time.

My daughter and I decited to go there pretty early so that we would find a good place to stay. So when we arrived less people were there and we found a good spot not far from the stage by a pillar where we waited for the begin. And I hoped that also Mr. Woodnote would be part of the band.

So at 8:15 pm the hall was filled pretty well by the audience and it wouldn't be long before the concert started

Posted: 2022-11-15 23:57:42

Since I have been a good 3 years on no more concert (I had to skip Dub FX in the summer because of vacation), I had decided a few days before the concert to see Alter Bridge at the Columbiahalle. I got the ticket (59 €) one day before the concert. Alter Bridge was on tour with two bands (Mammoth WVH and Halestorm), which started to play relatively early in the evening (admission already at 17:30).

But I didn't go until about 19:30 and just when I came in I heard Halestorm rocking the hall (at that time I didn't know that their name was Halestorm). After I got something to drink, I went upstairs to the gallery (like I did for Frank Turner or Ben Harber) and after a short search I found a wonderful place with a direct view on the stage.

Posted: 2019-12-25 23:55:13

Facebook is always good for event announcements. In September there was an announcement by Joe Bowie that Defunkt will play in Berlin again. But this time not at Quasimodo, but at the Kesselhaus / Maschinenhaus (Kulturbrauerei Prenslauer-Berg). I told Ville and Bengie that I would like to go there and than wait until ...

One day before I asked Ville again and he was totally surprised that this should be the next day. Half an hour later he told me that he got two tickets. So I bought a ticket too. So I at least had the incentive to go to a concert again.

On the concert day - punctually from work at home - I was exactly at 8 pm at the Kulturbrauerei. But there I had to push myself through the crowds because there was a Christmas market on the premises of the Kulturbrauerei. Just entering the anteroom of the Kesselhaus / Maschinenhaus I discovered Ville and Bengie. After we had handed in our jackets at the cloakroom, we went one floor higher into the Maschinenhaus.

Posted: 2019-06-25 20:09:34

What a weekend. The Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure, Wolfmother, Rob Zombie, Slash and finally the best band in the world Die Aerzte. And the whole thing on the "Pannonia Fields" near Nickelsdorf between Vienna and Bratislava, the Nova Rock Festival, probably taking place for the 19th time - there are said to have been over 220.000 people on the long weekend.

I would probably never have heard of this festival if a friend (Bettina) - a journalist working for a radio station - hadn't told us that she has 2 free tickets and that she is going there with her daughter (Ella). When I saw who should play at the Festival, I was very excited and accepted to take the tickets. The rest of my family was not interested or had other dates, because it was to be decided at short time. Now it had to be clarified how I would do that with overnight stay, because one thing was clear: I did not want to camp like Bettina with her daughter, but luckily we have friends in Vienna, where I had a guest bed. The last thing I had to do was to clarify who should get the 2nd free ticket. Since none of our Viennese friends had any desire/time, I immediately remembered Adil Baktir, whom I know from The Sunpilots, but who got out in 2015 and went back to Vienna again. He also accepted immediately, but unfortunately he could only come on Sunday.

Posted: 2019-06-04 09:12:37

Conclusion: I was a little bit disappointed, mainly because the performance of Jack White and Co lasted only 90 minutes. Also the sound was pretty mushy and maybe a bit too loud.

But that can be due to my place, because I sat at the top of the last row and somehow there was no atmosphere under the people.

I was sitting exactly in the extension of the staircase and it was brightly lit from above, so I always sat in the light, which didn't improve my mood either.

But from the beginning. Shortly after 8pm I left the house, only with the ticket and some money.

Posted: 2018-11-27 10:20:30

Last year Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls were in Berlin in January. Unfortunately I was too late, so I didn't get any more tickets. Now - my first time - I ordered in time and they played at the Columbiahalle - a home game for me.

Admission was already at 6:30pm - start at 7:30pm, so I had to take a train early from work to be there in time. But during the day I noticed that Frank Turner is supported by 2 other bands, so I didn't have to hurry.

Around 8pm I was at the Columbiahalle, where the second support band PUP played. But it was already pretty crowded there. I got myself a beer and went up to the gallery because from there you had a better view to the stage. There I got a wonderful place with a good view to the stage.

PUP played another 3 - 4 songs (at one song they had the bright white spotlights pointed directly to the gallery so you had to cover your eyes) before they left the stage at 8:30pm. After a short break for the rebuild they started on time at 9pm with Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls.

Posted: 2018-11-20 17:17:47

In 2004 I saw Maceo Parker already once - at that time in the Traenenpalast. Now I wanted to see him again in any case - it could have been the last time.

Since the concert took place on Saturday, it was no problem that my wife would come with me, so I got 2 tickets. Admission was from 8pm - starting at 9pm. Shortly after 8:30pm we started to go towards Columbiadamm and had no problem to get in quickly. We were hardly inside the hall, just ordered a drink, when the music got louder with Prince's "1999". And a female voice - we couldn't look to the stage yet - announced Maceo and his band - but there wasn't much engagement in her voice - a bit like Christine Westermann at Zimmer Frei.

We then looked for a place where we could look to the stage - there was a lot of traffic there (near the bar), but that was justifiable.

Posted: 2018-10-26 21:37:12

11 years ago I last saw the John Butler Trio - back then in the Columbia Hall.

Since it should take place today on a Sunday, I also bought a ticket for my wife, but this time she couldn't make it, which is why my daughter came with me. Around 7:30pm we went by bicycle to Huxley's and were surprised that outside in front of the entrance there was a very long queue of people (entrance should be from 7pm). A little bit crowded in the queue, we were quickly at the entrance, where the tickets should be checked. There it was proclaimed that the drummer of JBT (Grant Gerathy) is sick, but John Butler makes a solo appearance. If you didn't want to go in, you could probably get your money back, but only a few did.

We came in quickly and got a good place on the stairs up to the gallery, where you had a good view to the stage. I got some drinks and then it started.

Posted: 2018-10-15 23:54:07

And once again an absolutely great evening - a fantastic concert.

Although I was almost half an hour late this time, I guess I just missed the intro the way I heard a concert goer talking next to me. Maybe Mr. Woodnote, who was a special guest this time, acted as an opener and really heated up the people.

I immediately went back to the right side, where the 2 steps to the bar are, ordered a beer quickly and looked for a good place on this surface, which I almost didn't leave until the end. After about 15 minutes I was ready for the concert and danced and danced.

This time I did not make any videos at all and only took a few photos, which were of bad quality again (so here only two).

Posted: 2018-06-30 11:02:45

Already at the beginning of February I had ordered my ticket via internet (119 € - a proud price). This time with a better and closer view to the stage than at The Red Hot Chilly Peppers. I took a train home early from work, made me fresh and swung on my bike - only with my ticket, money and smartphone provided. After about 1 km it occurred to me that the last time I was asked for an identity card or something similar at the Mercedes Benz Arena. Back again or further? Then I drove on. At 7:30 pm I was in front of the MBA. No extra control.

I quickly found my block in there. First a beer ordered, briefly on the terrace and shortly before 8 then to my place. In my row were only 2 seats and next to me sat a woman who I said hello. I noticed from the first words that she was Finnish. Until the beginning we talked about Finland, Finnish musicians and of course Queen. It turned out that she is a real groupie, because she also goes to 2 or 3 other Queen+AL concerts here in Europe, "actually because of Adam Lambert but Queen is of course also great".

At 20:15 Queen + Adam Lambert started their stage show. In the background, a huge media screen was set up, where the huge robot (Frank) from "News of the World" made the introduction, before the musicians became visible on stage and played their first song ("Tear it up"). And then they played a colorful potporrie of their greatest hits with some emotional highlight and a damn good show. At times I had the feeling that Brian May's guitar wasn't 100% well mixed, but that was just a small side note.

No matter, from the first moment the audience (me too) was completely enthusiastic and sang along all their hits. For me the songs "Play The Game", "I'm in Love With My Car" and of course "Bohemian Rhapsody" were the most beautiful. The absolute highlight was Brian's solo performance when he spoke to the audience in German sitting on a bar stool with acoustic guitar in front of the stage and then tuned in to "Love of my Life". The audience took care of the rest. At the end of the song Freddie Mercury was faded in on the screen, who - it seemed - sang with the audience. Brian then turned around and thanked the audience and Freddie - visibly touched for the great support. Also the solos of Brian and Roger Taylor were musically and media worth seeing.

After "Bohemian Rhapsody", the musicians left the stage, but the audience clapped them back on stage for the grand finale, because after all, two of their greatest hits were still missing. "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" were then replaced by "God Save the Queen" and everyone knew that this was the end after just over 2 hours.

Info: Contrary to reviews that could be read in the media the next day - Lambert cover band, musical singer ... - most of the audience had left the concert enthusiastic. That's all I saw. And Lambert was good. He can't and won't replace Freddie, he gives the Queen hits his own touch and that's a good thing. I also noticed that the arena wasn't sold out. There was still a lot of room on the sides and some blocks in the upper ranks were also sparsely occupied, but summa sumarum it was a great concert and I am happy to have seen Queen again after the 1986 festival in Mannheim. Thanks Roger, Brian, Adam and the companion band (sorry - I don't remember their names).

Here is the setlist from SetList.fm:
1. Tear It Up
2. Seven Seas of Rhye
3. Tie Your Mother Down
4. Play the Game
5. Fat Bottomed Girls
6. Killer Queen
7. Don't Stop Me Now
8. Bicycle Race
9. I'm in Love With My Car
10. Another One Bites the Dust
11. Lucy
12. I Want It All
13. Love of My Life (Brian May solo acoustic, with... more )
14. Somebody to Love
15. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
16. Drum Battle
17. Under Pressure
18. I Want to Break Free
19. You Take My Breath Away (snippet) / Who Wants to Live Forever
20. Last Horizon
21. Guitar Solo
22. The Show Must Go On
23. Radio Ga Ga
24. Bohemian Rhapsody

Encore: Day-Oh
25. We Will Rock You
26. We Are the Champions
End: God Save the Queen

And here are some videos taken from YouTube (I also made some but they were in a bad quality):
    Queen & Adam Lambert - Complete show - 2018-06-19 Mercedes Benz Arena Berlin DE - video1
    Queen & Adam Lambert - Seven seas of Rhye, Tie your mother down and Play the Game - 2018-06-19 Mercedes Benz Arena Berlin DE - video2
    Queen & Adam Lambert - Love of my Life - 2018-06-19 Mercedes Benz Arena Berlin DE - video3

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