Spending your 40th birthday with relatives over coffee and cake? Out of the question for Danger Dan. The currently “biggest artist” in Germany, as Sebastian Krumbiegel from Die Prinzen would describe him later in the evening, celebrated the “most beautiful and longest party” of his life on June 2 with 15,000 visitors in the sold-out park stage in Berlin’s Wuhlheide. A large number of musical guests were also part of the party, with whom the birthday child shared the stage.
At first Danger Dan started his concert alone at the piano. He performed a few songs from his solo record DAS IST ALL BY DER KUNSTFREIHEIT GECKT (2021) until he finally invited the first guest to the park stage: his childhood idol Sebastian Krumbiegel from Die Prinzen. The Leipzig singer gave Daniel Pongratz, as Danger Dan is called, the first gift of the evening. The two sang “My Bike” together, Dan’s favorite song of the princes. Then, in Blues Brothers fashion, Danger Dan reunited his first-ever band, reggae group Cheer Up Trio. He owes his singing skills to this band, along with a few hackneyed phrases that he would use more often in the course of his life than he would have liked. Of course, his bandmates from the Antilopen Gang, his brother Panik Panzer and Koljah were also there. The trio played on the park stage for almost three quarters of an hour, including a semi-improvised birthday song for Dan.
Danger Dan makes parties – and serious speeches
Most of the visitors should have expected the Antilopen Gang, but not the other guests, who appeared on stage throughout the evening. For example, Charlotte Brandi, Mine, Juse Ju, Fatoni, Arnim from Beatsteaks and Großstadtgeflüster were at the start. But Danger Dan’s 40th birthday was more than partying and demolitions. The host also reflected on larger issues, such as artistic freedom, which he also sings about in his best-known solo piece. With an orchestra he plays “My father is wanted” by Hans Drach, who emigrated to the Soviet Union after the National Socialists seized power. To round off the concert evening, the pianist Igor Levit finally came on stage. With his hit “That’s all covered by the freedom of art”, Danger Dan ended a memorable birthday party that should stay in the memory of everyone involved for a long time to come.