MONSTERS OF LIEDERMACHING - SETZEN, SEKT!
What follows is the story of the Monsters of Liedermaching. The six-headed singer-songwriter monster, consisting of Messrs. Burger, Pensen, Totte, Labörnski, Rüdiger Bierhorst, and Fred Timm, would like to take this opportunity to introduce themselves politely yet emphatically. Not too early, as the quirky combo is just in its 15th year of existence.
“Wow!” say monster connoisseurs. “Who?” ask newcomers.
Normally, there would now be a quote from the band itself, something humble yet overflowing with euphoric superlatives. But with a group that works so differently than the rest of the music scene, a band that sits in a semicircle on stage and, accompanied solely by guitar, shakes clubs and festivals with songs about “heart-valve helicopters,” “doors,” “crying frogs,” “world-class melodies,” and “urinary incontinence,” which has invented seated pogo as a dance style and skillfully mixes ballads that make you melt, we want to approach this differently as well.
The facts: The Monsters of Liedermaching came together in 2003, originally booked as soloists, in a spontaneous drunken idea during the Hamburg rock spectacle, quickly hitting the stage together, found the amplification of their energies wonderful, and already played their first complete tour the following year during which they recorded selected songs and released their debut live album “6 Richtige.”
“It was madness!” says monster Fred Timm. “Our audience loved our power, and the criticism remained unbothered,” and bandmate Totte adds with shining eyes: “We were almost incredibly successful right from the start, had reality not pulled a fast one on us!”
The other monsters nod affirmatively, and Pensen continues:
“The whole Monsters thing is just very good. After all, we are six autonomous songwriters, but at the same time completely different characters, which creates a thematic diversity that other bands would envy.”
Totte says, “We could go into more detail about that now.”
Fred lists: “Börnski comes from theatrical acting, Rüdi is the king of ballads, I used to sing a cappella with ‘Norbert und die Feiglinge’, Pensen is a guitar god and otherwise hard-musical with ‘Das Pack’…”
“Burger is the singer of the punk rockers ‘Die Schröders’ and a photo star, Totte writes books and makes psychedelic poetry noise with ‘Die Intelligenzia’. It takes a special kind of people to come together like this,” adds Pensen.
“We are fans of each other and always surprised,” summarizes Burger.
Rüdiger Bierhorst adds: “At the same time, we are six frontmen who sit on stage without hierarchy and sing their songs together. This creates a direct closeness to the audience, something you can't achieve with any light show or dance choreography in the world.”
“Absolutely!” agrees Labörnski, just to not remain completely silent.
But back to the facts:
Through their debut album and enthusiastic word-of-mouth, they made their first performances at larger summer festivals in the same year, with their wildly celebrated concert at the “Open Flair Festival” regarded as the starting signal for their entry into serious rock business.
From then on, it just kept going: Each year, the number of their concerts increased, the clubs got bigger, and the media also began to show initial interest. The Monsters' style remained unaffected. They simply kept releasing live albums regularly filled with beautiful songs to do justice to the unique atmosphere of their concerts.
“Forget the hype and trend stuff! It's about staying authentic,” says Labörnski.
“Timeless is only who doesn’t care about the zeitgeist,” says Burger.
“Yes,” the other monsters agree, adding their thoughts.
After the albums “Männer wie uns,” “Sitzpogo,” and “Haie im Flipperpelz,” as well as the tour DVD “Das Auge hört mit,” it was nonetheless time in 2012 for another bizarre self-experiment in the Monsters cosmos.
“We thought: Hey, everyone always talks about the charts, but it's our concerts that are packed. Why not just take part in the chart circus?” Totte begins to recount.
“Exactly. But without expensive videos, mainstream songs, or overpriced boxes,” adds Pensen.
“In monster style: With a good live album full of great songs at a fair price,” concludes Fred.
The plan worked out: Without a label, sponsorship, or compromising compromises, the fifth Monsters live album “Schnaps und Kekse” reached number 18 in the German album charts.
“Now would be the time for some heavy stories with drugs or so because of our great fame,” Burger muses aloud.
“But there weren't any,” Rüdi says.
“Besides, the biography is almost one and a half pages long. It's time for a concise conclusion,” Labörnski concludes. The colleagues nod silently.
So briefly: After “Schnaps und Kekse,” the Monsters celebrated their tenth anniversary, then went on a break for a year and a half, but regrouped in 2015 with so much energy that by 2016, the acclaimed live album “Wiedersehen macht Freude” was released, tested new paths in 2017 with their first not universally praised studio album “Für alle,” and sailed through the turmoil and waves of the unhinged world in the following years, releasing their live album “Glück zählt auch” in 2022, which the whispering post claims is “the hot shit.”
Has everything remained the same? Or become new?
“Mhm!” respond the band resolutely in unison.
Fact is, they returned with that ninth album to the wildness of their live album tradition. Whether that will remain the case is entirely irrelevant, as time is a buttercream cake:
In 2023, the Monsters celebrated their 20th stage anniversary, and a lot happened: New songs, old gentlemen, vibes that tickle, and deluxe pot-banging. Of course with a new album, which again was recorded live, smartly refined, and presented joyfully. The result is called “Federwisch im Elfental” and effortlessly reached number 36 in the German album charts without effort or marketing strategy. No surprise, because the songs rock and melt here and there, and the mood remains joyful, despite all the harsh realities. A wonderful thing, the year is a colorful confetti bomb.
2024: After the anniversary is before the next one, whatever that may be. One thing is clear: The monster boat sails on: There will be pogoing and swinging, singing and yelling. They will sing about many things, continue to enjoy their creative oasis, but also keep curiously dancing beyond their own horizons.
For happiness is a tool, an opportunity, a secret promise that comes true. And who would wish for more of that than these six rascals, who flow more melodiously than Dali's clocks?
So folks, cast off. A tip for everyone: Enjoy the feeling.
Doors open: 7:00 PM
Hallo, ich bin Maya.
