In Willingen, Hesse, the party hit scene chooses its best. Also there: young star Tommy Fieber. He says he’s living his dream. A site appointment.
Shortly after 8 p.m. last Sunday, the host of the preliminary program said goodbye with unmistakable anticipation: “I’m really going to get drunk!” Quite understandable, we are here at the Ballermann Award. Previous appearances include: Party man Atze (“Cindy, Cindy, Cindy, are they real?”), the Doof brothers (“Moin, moin, good tach, drink cola and corn”) and Schäfer Heinrich (“I’m walking with flip-flops jogging to remember the sound of sex”). Who wouldn’t want beer!
But now: start of the main program, first awards ceremony of the evening, category “Whirlwind (Group)”. The winners are Kings of Günter, two young men in short-sleeved shirts with a pineapple print. “Everyone raise your hands,” they shout from the stage. “Who has to work tomorrow?” Some hands go up. “Who’s free tomorrow?” Some hands again. “Who’s drunk?” A few more hands this time. “Who gives a shit about any of this?” Well, almost all hands this time, and that might have brought us to the secret of the whole evening, but more on that later. First of all, play music: “What about the fucking-ei-ei, are you in-ei-ei?”
Only the really die-hard fans came to the “Ballermann Award” in the Willinger Brauhaus – the event took place on a Sunday.
© Lukas Zander / stern
Luca Valentino wants to be the first queer Ballermann star – he says he gets a lot of support in Mallorca. Also from the party hit scene, which is not necessarily known for its diversity.
© Lukas Zander / stern
Quite a few party hits revolve around alcohol. The same applies to hit parties.
© Lukas Zander / STERN
A little off to the side is Tommy Fever, sunglasses, red suit, for the occasion with short sleeves and trouser legs, baseball cap with printed lettering: #dermitdemrotensuit. He is also nominated this evening, also as a whiz kid, but as an individual artist. The basic tension, he says, is already there. When will it be his category’s turn? “I don’t know, I have no idea.”
The Ballermann Award will be presented this evening for the 16th time, according to the organizer’s description of the “partyOscar”, although of course that’s nonsense, because the Oscar is awarded in the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, but the Ballermann Award is presented in the Willinger Brauhaus in Sauerland.
At the age of four, Tommy Fieber knew all the lyrics to “Wolle” by heart
Tommy Fieber, 27 years old, real name Julian Traute, is actually the head of department in the residents’ registration office in the 12,000-inhabitant town of Borken, but some time ago he won a competition at a discotheque in Göttingen and has since then also been a party pop singer. First big success last year: “Maradona”, now 3.8 million streams on Spotify. Current hit: “My Alpaca”. He says he is living his dream.
Fever’s recipe: “I don’t take myself seriously so that people don’t take themselves seriously either.” This immediately raises the admittedly somewhat pointed question: Why is it Tommy Fieber’s dream not to take himself seriously? And why do people drive all the way to Willingen to avoid taking themselves seriously?