Where the Bands Are (Madrugada, 2 september 2023, Hamburg)

Living in Gothenburg, most of the times there aren’t any direct fligths to where you want to travel. This time I had to fly to Munich to get to Hamburg. The bad thing was that the flight was 20 minutes late and I only had a 40 minutes layover to begin with. My Lufhansa app told me to contact the service centre to rebook. Missing the departure would mean I had to stay overnight in Munich and catch the first flight the next morning instead. That’s why I, directly after parking at the gate, raced out of the aircraft, miraculously lept into the shuttle just before the doors closed, bustled my way up the stairs to the other terminal and arrived at the assigned gate just as the last person was boarding- I had made it!

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After a full day of sightseeing in sunny Hamburg, we took our seats in the back of the historic Laeiszhalle to see the Norwegian band Madrugada, which is an alternative rock band formed in 1993. Madrugada’s music is atmospheric and sometimes a bit melancholic. Since their albums “Industrial Silence” (1999) and “The Nightly Disease” (2001) the band gained a devoted fan base, especially in Norway and Germany. Oliver and I had talked about seeing them and for my birthday Oliver gave me this trip for us to experience together.

At eight o’clock the deep and soulful voice of Sivert Høyem filled the venue as the concert took off with Only When You’re Gone followed by Strange Colour Blue. By the third song, Belladonna, the audience was standing up and most of us remained standing throughout the concert that lasted around two hours.

Madrugada’s performance was a seamless blend of Høyem’s hauntingly powerful vocals, and some fantastic guitar work. For me, it was their rendition of Majesty that truly stole the show. The song’s climax was spectacular, creating an audiovisual thrill that sent shivers down the spine. Other hightlights were the songs Look Away Lucifer and the song Valley of Deception, which closed the show.

Laeiszhalle’s acoustics and beautiful architecture combined with the lighting and stage setup enhanced the overall experience. All in all a really good show.

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Fast forward to Sunday morning. After a hefty breakfast in hotel Scandic Hamburg Emporio, just a stone’s throw away from last night’s venue, Oliver sent me to the hotel’s “living room” to check if the band were having their breakfast there. As I was walking through the doors I caught a glimpse of six people having breakfast in a corner and I’m almost certain I saw the back of the singer’s head, but I was too shy so I left without saying anything. Maybe it was for the best. This way they could finish eating without being interrupted by a crazy Swede.

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Setlist:

• Only When You’re Gone
• Strange Colour Blue
• Belladonna
• Vocal
• Hands Up – I Love You
• Electric
• A Deadend Mind
• The World Could Be Falling Down
• Help Yourself to Me
• Nobody Loves You Like I Do
• Look Away Lucifer
• Salt
• Norwegian Hammerworks Corp.
• The Kids Are on High Street
• Majesty

Encores:

• Stabat Mater
• Quite Emotional
• What’s on Your Mind?
• Black Mambo
• Valley of Deception