Farewell tour
“We love Rock’n’Roll” – 27,000 fans celebrate Maffay
Singer and guitarist Peter Maffay rocks through ten cities on his last tour with his band. Photo
© Bernd Wüstneck/dpa
When Peter Maffay plays the “wild man”, no eye remains dry. As befits his status, he thunders into the stadium in Rostock as a rocker. But fans are also surprised to see him as the “postman”.
After five and a half decades, Rockstar Peter Maffay has started his last tour. In Rostock, he thrilled 27,000 people in the sold-out Ostseestadion at the start of his German tour “We love Rock’n’Roll”.
The 74-year-old roared into the stadium on Friday evening on a Harley-Davidson, where he thundered onto the stage after a short lap of honour. The pouring rain at times didn’t bother the fans much. They celebrated their idol as frenetically as in previous decades.
They were treated to a best-of program by the singer and guitarist, which included songs from the repertoire of the 70s, 80s, 90s and up to the present day, including of course the hymn “Über sieben Brücken muss Du gehen”. Five and a half decades – that’s kind of crazy, said Maffay before the concert began. “It’s not always present to me, but with a little distance I think, what have we done? Half a century.”
A highlight was the duet “Just You” with US singer Anastacia (“I’m Outta Love”). Maffay’s wife Hendrikje and their almost five-year-old daughter Anouk were in the stadium. Maffay’s 20-year-old son Yaris, who has started a career as a musician himself, was on stage and sang his own song “Abenteuer”. Special guest was Johannes Oerding.
As a surprise, Maffay and Oerding acted as “postmen” for the German Postcode Lottery. In each of the ten tour locations, they donate 100,000 euros, which Maffay passes on to charitable organizations. In MV, it is the food banks. Maffay himself supports numerous social projects with his foundation.