On Sunday, May 7 in Köln (Cologne), BlutEngel performed on stage for their Leitbild Tour, an iconic last date before the two final dates in Berlin a few days later. Let me share the experience…
6 hours of driving later, the excitement is at its peak
18 years of listening, emotions and sharing, and now I'm finally going to see them on stage for the first time. The car is parked, it is 5:30 pm. The concert is only announced for 8pm but the queue in front of the hall is already impressive. Fans cross paths, proudly wearing their t-shirt or hoodie with the effigy of their favorite group, I have their shirt too, I am greeted and smiled, that's for sure, it's good here. After a few adventures, I manage to reach my contact on the spot. The interview is at 6:30 pm, it is 6 pm and the group is at the table, a necessary respite to calm my stress! It's almost 7pm, no news yet. Oliver (MASSIVE EGO) seems to have makeup problems, he comes and goes armed with his mirror while becoming more and more glittery with each pass. Ulrike (BlutEngel) goes out to smoke a cigarette, we exchange a smile when she returns. Everything is so real. 20h. The concert begins. Chris (BlutEngel) stops me on the way apologizing flatly for the bad organization, that he was not aware of, I smile in front of the one I have been listening to since adolescence. He offers me to do the interview after the concert, I accept. Let's go for the concert now!
And on stage, MASSIVE EGO illuminates us
Sequins, diamonds and perfect makeup, no doubt, it is MASSIVE EGO that is about to ignite the Live Music Hall. Each song has its own little introductory text. I discover a lovely group, close to their audience, to those who put this smile on our lips and this warmth in our hearts. The titles are linked, the choruses are taken up by the public, the temperature rises over the tubes and, with it, our emotion. "Let go" overwhelms us, leaving time suspended for a song, an exchange, a sharing. The show ends with an "I Idolize You" bordering on symbiotic trance and a "Haters gonna hate" more energetic than ever! We shout our joy and shout our thanks as the band gradually leaves the stage.
Everything goes black…
… only a drum kit adorned with a characteristic "BE" illuminates the stage as giant flames are projected onto the big screen and the music begins under a thunderous scream. The members join the stage one by one under a palpable emotion. The drummer, keyboardist and guitarist flood us with notes while Chris and Ulrike finally appear "This is the new beginning: welcome to your new life!" Leitbild is in the spotlight, necessarily. The tracks of the album are magnified as at every BlutEngel show by the dancers. "Black" appears in the vynil following their forms. The cup of blood is drunk, sliding at the corners of the lips to the hollow of their femininity. The fire sometimes ignites the sticks sometimes the fans. The angel with wings filled with LEDs that light up to the rhythm of the notes turns in a magical show on "Der himmel brent". The world no longer exists, BlutEngel as a new epicenter for a live at the edge of the soul where the depth of Chris' voice mingles with the power of Ulrike's. The singer does not put us aside, each interlude is punctuated by a dialogue to the public … as long as you understand German… which was not my case!… But his smile and gestures set the tone. The elders are not forgotten either, the covers of "Weg zu mir" and "Seelenschmerz" are interpreted by Ulrike while Chris honors us with a "Bloody pleasures" that is a pleasure to hear. Two encores under the applause of the enthusiasts, stars in every look, a smile on every lips, but that pinch in the heart when the room lights up again… It's hard to come back to everyday life after such an experience.
For my part, the show ended with the interview of the singer, Chris Pohl, which you can find by clicking here!
To sum up, a live worthy of their reputation, memories engraved forever for a conquered audience, with the immense pleasure of renewing the experience as quickly as possible! With you perhaps?
