14.10.2023 Die Ärzte

Turbinenhalle at Oberhausen (Germany)

Spontaneously the best band in the world announced mid of August to go on their tour “Herbst Ihres Lebens” through smaller venues of the republic. Two weeks later it already started, and I was able to get tickets for the final concert on 14.10.2023 at the Turbinenhalle at Oberhausen. As it could be expected the tickets were out of stock in no time and this appointment sold out. Luckily, they did not sell that many tickets for this location as they did when I was there the last time for a concert as at Saltatio Mortis it was that crowded that you could hardly move anymore. This evening it was a lot airier and more agreeable. As often, so also today Die Ärzte played without any support acts which can be gotten over taking the normal length of their sets into consideration.
Just in time at 20:00 the venue was darkened and to the sounds of different stations of their 41 year lasting career the audience was simmering to the first chords of Farin Urlaub with excitement. The tour was announced as a compilation of B-sides and songs that were not played for a very long time. So, it was not astonishing that they started directly with “Nichts In Der Welt” of the 2003 album “Geräusch” which could be heard the last time live more than 15 years ago. As usual the band was also today’s evening in a very good mood and were making fun of nearly everything between the songs. Although some are of the opinion that this takes too much time during a concert, I really love it. It was change back and forth between Farin, Bela and Rod songs, meaning that the songs are sung by the single artist and the audience was simply partying frolicsome with them. One was jumping, pogoing and loudly singing along and the atmosphere could be simply described by one single word: Outstanding!
The stage show as always was limited to that the three guys were changing positions from time to time and besides that only some light effects but nothing spectacular. The music was taking the center stage. And of that there was plenty. They were really playing through their whole oeuvre of the last 40 years starting with songs like “Du Willst Mich Küssen” of the 1985 album “Im Schatten Der Ärzte” up to the latest album “Dunkel” from 2021 with titles like “Noise” or “Demokratie (Our Bass Player Hates This Song). But they were keeping their word: Mainly, the set consisted of rarely played or older songs making it extremely entertaining. Of course, the usual consolation bra was also not missing, this time decorated with the portraits of the band and having an enormous size. After nearly 2 hours the guys left the stage for the first time only to be back after very short time for the first encore of the evening. That should not have been the last one and to they planned for not less than 3 encores that evening. When they roused one more time the crowd with “Schrei Nach Liebe” calling out for the meanwhile frightening drift to the extreme right the audience was really flying into rage. Originally it was planned that after “Dauerwelle Vs. Minipli” of the 1996 concept album “Le Frisur” the performance should be finished but it was the final evening of the tour and the crowd was constantly asking for one more song. Therefore Bela, Farin and Rod shortly looked at each other and decided without hesitation to knock out some more songs. But also, the most beautiful evening comes finally to an end and after “Wie Am Ersten Tag” was definitely the closure and the outro coming in.
Wow, 3 hours and 20 minutes! The best band in the world really delivered and that “nearly” without any of their greatest songs. Everything was there that belongs to a good Ärzte concert: funny talks between the songs, going blank at one or two songs with the following restart, the consolation bra and one for today’s bands quite uncommon length of the set. You could really feel during each second of the gig that it was not only a concert that they played along like on every evening of a tour but that they were simply having fun and enjoying every minute on stage together with the audience. More than 40 years they are on the road now and I hope that many will still follow. This band is in each case worth a visit. But be careful: The concerts/tours are normally announced on short notice and even quicker the tickets are gone when the presales start. Anyway: It’s worth it.

Setlist:

Intro (Erinnerungen aus 41 Jahren)
Nichts In Der Welt
Lied Vom Scheitern
Mein Baby War Beim Frisör
Geld
Tamagotchi
Außerirdische
Noise
Wir Sind Die Besten
Vokuhila Superstar (Medley aus Vokuhila Superstar, Walk On The Wild Side (Lou Reed), Blumen)
Lasse Redn
Einschlag
Ich, Am Strand
Lady (Nur Angespielt)
1/2 Lovesong
Anti-Zombie
Dunkel
Die Banane
Punkbabies
Demokratie (Our Bass Player Hates This Song)
Friedenspanzer
Anastasia
Angeber
Doof
Zitroneneis
Herrliche Jahre
Ignorama
Unrockbar