German rock band starts its last tour in the Eastern Bavarian Hall – A big party and crying fans

By Bianca Viehauser

10,300 enthusiastic fans, a moving carpet formed by arms and heads, the border from the stands to the arena  is seamless – the Eastern Bavarian Hall is a madhouse and the “Onkelz” the magicians. An indescribable atmosphere, you have to see it! Concerts given by the German rock band “Böhse Onkelz” are always loud and fascinating, but no one of the former three concerts was like this one. In the Eastern Bavarian Hall Stefan, Gonzo, Kevin and Pe started their last tour with 24 concerts, which had been sold out weeks ago. The band decided to separate in June next year after a final open air concert. The myth “Onkelz” has never been stronger before – what is it? – no idea! Of course, all fans wanted to have a party with the “Onkelz” on their last tour. During the concert, however, not a bit of sadness or farewell could be felt. The “Onkelz” would not have been the “Onkelz” if there had been real tear-jerkers and if they had performed a heartbreaking farewell concert. Frontman Stefan Weidner said: “We are here today to have a party, we`ll be sad later.”
The band has been performing for 24 years without any change of the musicians. “The fantastic four”, as they like to talk of themselves, are the rebels in the music business. Their merciless song texts are against commerce, hypocrisy, lies and double standards. That’s why not everybody likes them. Many wrong things were told about the “Onkelz”, however, they went straight on their successful way and got many golden CDs. At the end of July, their new album “Adios” was the “Shouting Star” in the Media Control Charts. On fourth of the fans in the hall were wearing the T-shirt with the yellow letters on it, that was offered with the new album. Almost nobody of the nearly 11,000 fans wasn’t wearing an “Onkelz” shirt.
Kreuth had been in the hand of the fans since Friday evening. They lived in the holiday apartments which belong to the Manor Gut Matheshof or made camping sessions on the parking ground directly opposite the hall. On Saturday at two o’clock there was no parking space left at the two large parking areas, singing fans in a really good mood everywhere. When the “fantastic” fans were left in at 4.45 pm, the races to the first row started as well as “Onkelz” choruses in order to try to “pray” their idols on stage by an. The guitar player Matthias “Gonzo” Röhr answered their pleadings and wrote autographs in one corner of the stands for some fans who had discovered him.
Finally at 8.00 pm the light turned out and the Norwegian band “Wonderfools” (five young men  between 21 and 29 years old) played for the “Böhse” fans who turned out not to be “Böhse”(bad). English punk rock sung in a melodic way warmed up the fans and induced some of the party people to do a little pogo dance.
A colossal hand, the finger tips of which sprayed sparks of fire, moved from the stage to the ceiling. Then there was a loud roll of thunder, the curtains fell down and a breathtaking scenery on the stage caught the fans’ eye – not quietly but in a loud manner the two and a half hours concert was opened by “Hier sind die Onkelz”. “Lieber stehend sterben als kniend leben” Kevin Russel shouts into the microphone and beats the time softly with his foot. 11,000 mouths are singing with him and quickly it becomes clear why the “Onkelz” fans are the real background chorus. Next to Kevin who has many tattoos and a pony-tail there is Stefan Weider, bassist and head of the group, who has many tattoos on his arms, too. He welcomes the fans: “I’m glad that you’ve found this ass end of nowhere.” Stefan was in a very good mood this evening and had some more cool sayings for the fans. He dedicated the song “Superstar” personally to the devil – Dieter Bohlen.
On the left and on the right side of the stage there are huge video screens, in the back of the band there is a gigantic light show and 250,000 watts come out of the boxes.
Songs with mean and nasty texts and ballades which say what exactly the fans are thinking. That’s why the fans like the “Onkelz”. No whitewash, no taboos, they sing about puking and eating shit, the melodies do without reluctant effects. The rockers stake on pure and hard guitar sound by Matthias “Gonzo” Röhr. The hammering beat that marks the sound of the “Böhse Onkelz” is delivered by Pe Schorowsky on the drums.
The concert was a various mix with old and new hits like “Ich bin in Dir”, “Wieder mal ‘nen Tag verschenkt”, “Terpentin”, “Nichts ist für die Ewigkeit”, “Nur die besten sterben jung” – or songs, which will be hits in future („Onkelz vs. Jesus“, „Firma“ and „Ja, ja“).
The encore was a very special thing by „Pyro-Manni“, the type planning the colorful and bombing special effects. When the song “Feuer” was being played the entire stage was in flames and several meters high fire fountains shot out of the two stage towers. Also “Auf gute Freunde”, “Kirche”, the soccer hymn “Mexico” and the new title “Ihr hättet es wissen müssen” had been played. Very emotional – the fans should have known, but many of them cried – for the last time in Kreuth.