Both over 70, both were heroes of the ZDF hit parade, both were number one in the charts with their most recent albums, both have the Federal Cross of Merit and are among the most successful long-distance runners and service providers in the German music business – there are certainly parallels in the careers of Peter Maffay and Roland Kaiser. And yet their open-air concerts in Munich on June 28th and 29th, the only solo concerts on Königsplatz this year, are of course hardly comparable. Each in a class of its own.
What are Peter Maffay and Roland Kaiser celebrating?
For the Berlin native, one thing is already certain: “2024 will be the Roland Kaiser year.” In 1974, the former telegram messenger released his first single “Was wohl aus ihr geworden ist?” (What has she become of her?”). This means that he – who has battled a serious lung disease – can celebrate “RK 50” this year: 50 years, 50 hits, he will bring to the stage in Munich on Saturday, June 29th. Kaiser, 72, actually has countless hits in his repertoire, from “Santa Maria” to “Schach Matt” and “Joana” to the duet with Maite Kelly “Warum hast Du nicht Neingesagt”. Then “Sieben Fässer Wein!” (Seven Barrels of Wine!)
Peter Maffay, 75, on the other hand, is celebrating his retirement: he wants to have a blast one last time on the big “Farewell Tour” through ten German cities before devoting more time to his young family. On Friday, June 28, the Tutzinger invited old companions to Königsplatz, such as the “guitar god” Frank Diez, the keyboardist Jean-Jacques Kravetz (author of “Eiszeit”) and the bassist Steffi Stephan; his new buddy, the US singer Anastacia, with whom he sang a duet on “Just You/So bist du”; and his son Yaris and his band are also allowed to prove themselves in a block in the middle of the concert. He knows, by the way, that Maffay will not tour any more after this, but will definitely continue to make music: “I can’t imagine my father mowing the lawn.”
What is the difference between the two?
Smooth, sexy hits versus poetic, powerful German rock. Kaiser’s recipe for success for decades was, as his lyricist Norbert Hammerschmidt once told the SZ: “Be raunchy, smiling, ironic, erotic.” In principle, it has stayed that way, and the new album “Perspektiven”, the first number one since “Dich zu lieben” 42 years ago, is often about “cuddling plus”, as Kaiser calls it. The gentleman in the suit wants “sophistication in the compositions” and “sensible expression” in the lyrics. Something like this: “You, your girlfriend and I can kiss sometimes, nobody has to know.”
:Peter Maffay’s last round
The Tutzing rock star is going on a farewell tour, but still has plenty to do after his 75th birthday next year.
Maffay has left his early days as a pop singer (“Du”) behind him. At least in concerts he sometimes looks back with a wink at “youthful sins” such as “Es war Sommer” and plays them in good time to the delight of the fans. But he has long since re-educated the audience to German rock for adults. To the mature numbers from his 20th number one album “So Weit” such as “Jedes Ende wird ein Anfang sei” or “Wir” he can wear his leather biker jacket quite authentically, and quite with feeling.
What connects Maffay and Kaiser?
Maffay and Kaiser share a stage – one after the other. In fact, they have already made an album together. In 1989, Kaiser wrote five songs, including the title song, for Maffay’s album “Kein Weg zu weit” (which also included “Tiefer”), but under the pseudonym Wolf Wedding. Maffay wanted it that way because he was afraid the critics would otherwise trash the album, Kaiser reports. It became Maffay’s seventh number one in a row.
What else connects the two – apart from the fact that they each value excellent, loyal musical comrades – is their social commitment. Maffay has been supporting children in need with his foundation for years; on his Dietelkofen estate he runs sustainable agriculture, as he writes in his book “Here and now: My vision of a better future”. And Kaiser always takes a stand at his pop parties, such as the one in the Olympiahalle in 2023, when he calls for environmental protection (“How we live tomorrow depends on how we act today.”) or sings: “There is still light on the horizon. Evil has not yet won.” His exchange of blows with Pediga in 2015 was legendary and meritorious, when he was one of the first German pop stars among his numerous fans in the East to position himself against the right.
Are there still tickets?
Roland Kaiser has already filled the Circus Krone and the Olympiahalle in Munich, but he has never given such a large concert as on the Königsplatz, which has a seating capacity of around 15,000 people. This even exceeds the capacity of 12,000 guests at his “Kaisermania” open-air concerts, which have been taking place on the banks of the Elbe in Dresden for 21 years – although they now last four evenings (in 2024 on July 26 and 27 and August 2 and 3).
There are no more advance tickets available for Roland Kaiser at Königsplatz, but the official secondary market portal Eventim Fansale is offering a few seats starting at 80 euros. For Peter Maffay, even the secondary and grey market is empty.
How long will Königsplatz be closed?
If Königsplatz becomes an event site, traffic will have to give way. The municipal department has announced that the road is now closed and will not be reopened until 5 p.m. on July 2nd. From Wednesday, June 26th, to 5 a.m. on June 30th, sections of Brienner Strasse, Arcisstrasse and Katharina-von-Bora-Strasse around Königsplatz will be closed. On the days of the concerts, parts of Luisenstrasse and Brienner Strasse east of Richard-Wagner-Strasse will also be closed.
Pedestrians can also cross the square during construction. Access to the antique collections and the Glyptothek is possible at any time during construction and dismantling; both museums are closed on the days of the event.
Peter Maffay, Fri., 28 June, 8 p.m.; Roland Kaiser, Sat., 29 June, 8 p.m.; each Munich, Königsplatz