In the meantime, one has got used to rejections, the disappointment runs in waves with the incidences. The Christmas mood in this second corona winter is at best medium happy. The traditional Christmas concerts of the Bananafishbones in the Kurhaus were canceled again this year. But there is a consolation: the audience is allowed to record the concert, which will be shown on YouTube on December 23rd from 8pm: 20 tickets for the “Making of” were raffled among those who had already bought tickets.
You can’t really imagine a making of, and the Kurhaus with only 20 people? But to anticipate it right away: Everything will be wonderful. Because the passion and energy of the Bananafishbones, their first-class music, the enthusiasm shared with others at a live concert – all of this awakens a feeling that has somehow dried up in the past few months: joy.
Of course, Tuesday won’t work without the usual corona rules. Evidence of vaccination, rapid test, mask that must be worn throughout the concert. And then you can go into the hall, which is fuller than expected because the Fishbones have invited guests. The chairs are loosely placed, the room seems to be fairly full. There is gossip and laughter, the atmosphere is just as expectant as it is always at the Christmas concerts.
The audience also corresponds to the usual fishbones cross-section: children, parents, grandparents, couples. To the side of the stage there is actually a large Christmas tree with deep red balls, the stage is bathed in blue light. The atmosphere is special: a bit more familiar than usual at the Fishbones, almost like a living room concert. If it weren’t for the four cameras that are set up in front of the stage and broadcast the concert all over the world.
With a mask and a lot of distance: the audience experiences the recording far away from the stage.
(Photo: Harry Wolfsbauer)
Drummer Florian Rein takes over the briefing: “You are allowed to, you have to clap loudly, cheer or whatever else you do,” he says and disappears again. “All cameras are running,” one of the cameramen finally calls out. And then things really take off, because the Fishbones give everything in the first half. At the latest with the second song “I like a lot” the hut is on fire. The hard sound of this snotty song, Sebastian Horn’s bear-deep chant. Peter Horn, who gets the unbelievable out of his guitar, and drummer Florian Rein, who sets the indispensable heartbeat.
The sound is perfect, people clap and cheer, some dance. They sing against the masks, and it is hard to believe what a spectacle 60 people can create in the large Kurhaus. The mood is great. “What an evening,” says Sebastian Horn, “so nice that you are here.” And because the whole world can be there on December 23rd, “warmest greetings, wherever people are watching”.
The Christmas present comes right at the beginning – a brand-new, never-before-heard piece that will soon be released on CD: “Yesterdays”. A powerful, danceable club sound, with which the Bananafishbones pull various electronic stops. Like the whole concert, the song testifies to the versatility of the band. Hits like “Easy Day” and “Come to Sin” shouldn’t be missing, of course. “We’re going to knock everything out today,” says Sebastian Horn. The hard rock song “Poison Blonde”, which cannot be found on any CD, but was there from the start. The sloppy “Honestly”, in which the great trumpeter Andreas Unterreiner has a short guest appearance and heats up the cool funk with a jazzy solo. “Guineapigs” with sprinkles of jingle bells and three rubber pigs that serve as drums. The hard “Pow Wow” that a listener insistently demands, or the ballad “Friends”. And of course a song by The Cure never miss a concert of the Fishbones, on Tuesday it’s the dark “Lullaby”.
What is missing from the making-of concert, however, are the weird stories by Sebastian Horn, whose local color and humor would probably not be understood everywhere in the global network. The short pauses that are necessary for voices and recording technology sometimes loosen up the tension a little.
The listeners still don’t get enough, they loudly and vehemently demand an encore. With success, but first they have to repeat the cheers because the cameras were already off. They do it with verve and enjoy the Joan Jett hit “I love Rock ‘n’ Roll” in a chilled country version.
Concert stream from Thursday, December 23rd, 8 p.m. on YouTube