Concerts are there to create memories that will last forever – but for many fans this can only be done through video recordings. More and more musicians are therefore telling their audiences to leave their cell phones in their pockets and enjoy the moment. Die Ärzen member Bela B recently pulled the ripcord on his show in Oberhausen.
At the concert, which took place on October 12th in the Turbine Hall, the drummer noticed a fan in the front row who seemed to be constantly on his smartphone. “I’ve been watching you for five songs now,” the punk rocker addressed directly to his viewer. “You looked at the stage exactly twice, and otherwise only at your cell phone. Why are you doing this?”
After the crowd started booing the person, Bela B calmed his audience down. He didn’t want to cause hatred, but he was probably genuinely interested in what the fan’s intention might have been. “I just want to know. You’ve paid the entrance fee, we’re playing here. We are here. I’m very close. You can smell my bad breath. The concert is something unique,” explained the musician. “Enjoy the concert. These are moments for eternity, but here in the heart,” said the 60-year-old.
The confrontation seemed to have an effect – several cell phones are said to have immediately disappeared back into their pockets. And The Doctors were able to continue their three-hour show without interruptions. They not only played classics like “Never again war, never more Las Vegas” and “Cry for love”, but also newer hits – including “Boy”, “Doof” and “Noise”.
“You know your favorite band is old when…”
The Berliners couldn’t miss offensive jokes and ambiguous comments. When Farin Urlaub discovered a brassiere on the stage, he stated: “The concert is half over and we have a bra.” Bela B countered ironically: “You notice that your favorite band is old when…”
Die Ärzte most recently drew attention to themselves at their concert in Hamburg on October 5th. Farin Urlaub commented on the state elections in Bavaria and Hesse. The results showed that the AfD is gaining more and more voters and is even the second strongest party in Hesse. “20 percent of adult, responsible citizens in our country give their vote to the AfD. You could say a lot against it, but people are obviously very dissatisfied, feel extremely misunderstood and think that this will make things better,” reflected the singer on stage.
But instead of ignoring the voters of the right-wing party, one should seek more dialogue with them, said Urlaub. “The first reflex is always to never talk to people again, to delete them from the phone book… but maybe you should listen to people,” suggested the musician. Nevertheless, he is certain: “I can tell you one thing: a lot of things are going wrong in Germany, but you don’t want to experience shit like that.”
On October 13th and 14th, Die Ärzte will play two more concerts in the Oberhausen Turbinenhalle. The performances will be the final shows on their “Autumn of Life” tour.