The day after my birthday, the concert by BROILERS from Düsseldorf was a proper birthday gift for me. Especially with their current album, the band has won even more hearts. So it was no surprise that the concert was moved early from the iconic S.O. 36 to Huxley’s in Berlin-Neukölln. With space for 1600 people, my last concert of the band was at Kato in Berlin, which was sold out with about 400 people. Sometimes careers take off steeply, and BROILERS definitely deserve it.
The start was scheduled for 8:00 PM. I arrived a cozy half hour earlier. As soon as I stepped over the threshold, I ran into the first familiar face. This would repeat several times that evening. It was great to see how many friends and acquaintances also appreciate the band. Of course, we were not alone. It wasn’t sold out, but there were definitely around 1300 people. The audience was a colorful mix, from skinheads, punks, emos, and of course the broad masses ranging from suburban rebels to (sensitive) disco-goers. Mass vs. subculture.
A mix that made me skeptical at the beginning of the evening, but as the night went on, I must say that the audience was very good. Everyone had fun together, just as it should be.
Right at 8:00 PM, BUSTER SHUFFLE from the UK opened the show.
BUSTER SHUFFLE has recently signed with People like You Records. This is probably also the reason why the band was on tour with BROILERS. In the UK, the band is said to be celebrated quite well. At Huxley’s, there wasn’t much celebration. The band offered their own mix of ska, indie, and alternative rock with classic rock 'n' roll influences. It sounded damn good, as the sound was perfect throughout the evening, but it didn’t really excite anyone. Besides the music, this was certainly also due to the band, which showed little interaction and didn’t look like they were having much fun. They played through their set, and that was it. It was also very strange that singer and keyboardist Jet Baker had positioned his instrument sideways to the stage, thus not looking at the audience but rather at his guitarist. Whether this was due to his shyness or was meant to make him seem more interesting will probably remain a mystery forever. The good 30 minutes passed quite quickly, and in the end, a few people even danced. Still, it was overall very quiet.
The crowd was excited for BROILERS. After the changeover break, they took a few more minutes but then came on stage. The mood immediately lifted. The band was received with loud cheers. The first songs were played almost without pause to the audience. They responded with lots of applause, pogo dancing, enthusiasm, and a large movement towards the stage. You could see that the band was having fun and felt comfortable. The sound came perfectly from the speakers, and everyone sang along loudly. During the choruses, some of which can be found on the current album “Vanitas,” the audience sang along just as loudly, creating goosebumps. Being part of the fans who were simply thrilled, just like oneself, was a great feeling. Anyone who was there can agree with me.
The band played many songs from “Vanitas” as well as some older songs, more than I expected, and even new compositions were included in the setlist.
Way too quickly, the band left the stage again. Although there were still two encores, after what felt like 45 minutes, the band from Düsseldorf said goodbye for good. It felt way too short, but reality showed that the band had played for nearly two hours.
It was a really great concert by a band that now feels at home on big stages. The success is well-deserved for BROILERS. Musically and lyrically, they are one of the best German-speaking bands. Whether you call it rock, oi, or emo-oi is up to everyone themselves. But that doesn’t really matter. BROILERS are BROILERS just as DIE ÄRZTE are DIE ÄRZTE, and that’s exactly why bands like these have so many fans, even if I certainly don’t want to put BROILERS and ÄRZTE on the same level.