As part of his “Unreal, Unearth” tour, Hozier performed at the Berlin Velodrome. Photos and report here.
Andrew Hozier-Byrne only released his third album UNREAL UNEARTH in August, which he is now presenting to old and new fans as part of an extensive European tour. The velodrome, which is reminiscent of a spaceship, does not seem to be the right choice from a purely visual point of view. Too big, too anonymous. But Hozier and his eight-piece band will prove over the course of the evening (December 2nd) that they can turn any hall, no matter how large, into a living room concert.
It’s full in the Velodrom, the futuristic-looking multi-purpose hall in Prenzlauer Berg, where Moderat played the evening before. Unsurprisingly, the audience consists largely of young women who want to surrender to the charm of the musician from Ireland for the next two hours.
The light in the hall goes out and only a single, iridescent spot remains on the otherwise blue stage. Hozier and his eight-member entourage of musicians, still hidden in the dark, enter the stage to thunderous applause. Hozier begins the concert calmly with the first two tracks from the current record, “De Selby (Part 1 and 2)” and immediately shows his magnificent talent for the calm tones, which he masters like no other in the indie folk scene. In an instant, the excited whispers in the audience give way to reverent silence and the audience hangs spellbound on the 33-year-old’s every word. He stands modestly, almost vulnerable, at the microphone, dressed in a gray three-piece suit that he might as well have picked up from his grandfather’s mothballs. His long, brown curls shake to the beat as he strums the strings of his guitar with abandon and, immersed in his music, chants with his eyes closed. “If I was any closer // I would only lose me // If I fade away, let me fade away”.
Attracting attention by falling over
Some spectators in the hall took this all too literally, as the concert had to be interrupted four times that evening due to suspected syncopation by fans. Of course it’s not the pogo, because there isn’t one, but rather dehydration and the really high prices for drinks in the venue. It’s great that the artist, despite his immersion in the music, always keeps a watchful eye on his fans and can react quickly every time. He also dutifully thanks the audience for their thoughtfulness towards one another and for the patience of the rest of the audience.
The setlist is a potpourri of hits from Hozier’s decade-long career and includes not only classics from the first album such as “Jackie And Wilson”, “Like Real People Do” and “To Be Alone”, but also new songs such as “Francesa ” or “Damage Gets Done.” Hozier likes to speak to his audience in detail and so the Berlin Velodrom learns everything about the cold, which can explicitly and exclusively come from frozen water and is called “Uiscefhuaraithe” in Gaelic, just like a song from the new record. Additionally, “Cherry Wine,” one of Hozier’s most graceful ballads, was recorded in an abandoned hotel near his home. The visit to the Christmas market in the capital on the day off also receives favorable mention. Little anecdotes like this make Hozier seem even more likeable and approachable and make fans’ hearts beat faster.
Harmonious band – in both senses
But that alone is not enough to play a really good concert. This is also ensured by the fellow musicians mentioned above, consisting of an equal number of men and women, all of them multi-instrumentalists and internationally positioned. This band around the mastermind Hozier presents itself as exceptionally harmonious in both senses, building up carpets of sound in order to discharge them bombastically and, thanks to the nine-part singing, to become almost orchestral
illuminate.
Good guy
The highlights of the concert are and remain the hits like “Take Me To Church”, the last song of the regular set, and “Work Song”, the final bouncer. In fascinated unity, it also goes through the last person in the audience, what a magnificent artist Hozier is. And what a person of integrity. During the aforementioned “Take Me To Church” he has the audience hand him an LGBTQ+ flag and from then on performs with it, first around his shoulders, then over the microphone stand.
It’s the small gestures that make the difference. The fact that he thanks his production almost entirely by name, from the tour manager to the guitar tech to the photographer, just shows what a fine guy Hozier is. A combo like this is hard to find and deserves an extra round of applause. Even after almost two hours of play, it hardly wants to stop. Umd with what? Rightly.