This Saturday it was time again. As has become tradition, THE BUSTERS play in January at S.O. 36 to make the cold winter a bit more bearable for the people of Berlin with warm rhythms. On this Saturday, the bands had to put in extra effort, as the winter in Berlin was really cold that evening.
Temperatures dropped to -14 degrees and more at night. Siberian frost was in the forecast.
To warm up after arriving at S.O. 36, DJ Bela started spinning records at 8:00 PM. The hot Ska tracks he played quickly made everyone forget the cold outside. People warmed up quickly and felt comfortable.
At 9:00 PM, BERLIN BOOM ORCHESTRA started right on time. The band has made a name for itself in Berlin and throughout the country. Their traditional New Year's concert at Festsaal Kreuzberg was sold out, so it was no surprise that the hall was already well filled at the beginning of the band's set. The mostly young fans were eagerly awaiting the band. BERLIN BOOM ORCHESTRA was received with enthusiasm. As soon as the first notes sounded, people started dancing and singing along.
The fans of the band were all quite young, just as the band is still relatively young. However, BERLIN BOOM ORCHESTRA managed to musically impress with their mix of Ska, Dancehall, Pop, and a touch of Reggae. Unfortunately, some of the songs were a bit weak lyrically. One song that stood out positively during their set was “Nein, Mann.” A song against borders, against the illegality of people and their persecution, and especially against the indifference of wealthy countries in Europe. A song that resonates both musically and lyrically.
As BBO played, the club filled up more and more, making it tight not only at the front. The warmth became more present, so that despite using the coat check, some clothing items were removed.
The good 40 minutes that BBO had to showcase their talents were well utilized, providing a solid 40 minutes for everyone to warm up dancing for the main act of the evening, THE BUSTERS!
The changeover took relatively long, but that was fine, as the atmosphere was already so lively before the band from Wiesloch took the stage that it made for a pleasant wait.
Needless to say, it got quite crowded at the front, and when the band finally stood on the boards that mean the world, the dancing began immediately.
THE BUSTERS started off relatively calmly. The band played a few songs from their new album like “We do it” and “Waking the dead.” It was easy to warm up dancing. As the set progressed, the tempo picked up significantly.
The first highlight was a duet by singer Ron with Katharina Wackernagel. They sang the songs that the band wrote for the film “Resisté - Aufstand der Praktikanten,” some of which can also be found on the new album. Especially the song “Resisté” is a real live hit, but “Live it Up” is great too. The video for the song was filmed at the Moviemento cinema in Berlin, where the film was also shown along with a subsequent short live acoustic set by the Busters. Whether it was because singer Ron recognized me or if he just wanted to cuddle is hard to say, but he suddenly jumped from the stage into the audience right towards me. Wow!! Cool move.
But back to the show.
Well, from the halfway point of the set, the songs became faster, even more danceable, and by this time, S.O. 36 was at the Busters' feet. The hall was boiling, and the atmosphere was fantastic. It was truly a great Ska party. The band, which had to cope with the departure of two members, found a great replacement in Mathias, who has already integrated well into the band.
However, the stage was still dominated by singer Ron and trombonist Rob, who managed to play perfectly while making faces, flirting, and joking around. The solos of the brass players were, as always, top-notch.
After about two hours, the band announced the last song with “Mickey Mouse in Moscow.” For this song, everyone in the hall gave it their all one last time.
THE BUSTERS showed that evening that they are by no means old news and still count among the best Ska bands in Germany.
Afterwards, everyone took a breath, hydrated, and danced for a long time to the sounds of DJ Bela.
Thank you Busters for this hot evening in this cold winter. See you next year!