A storming Danish show sees the German punks in fiesty form on their long-awaited Euro tour!
When German punks Die Toten Hosen (The Dead Trousers) returned to Copenhagen for the first time in about 30 years, tickets for the +1500 capacity Vega sold out in under 10 minutes!
The evening kicks off with a short sharp set by The Dead End Kids, another German band, picked by the headliners as support at most of the gigs on their ‘Keep Calm & Carry On – Euro Tour 2025’. Although unfamiliar to me, they seem to be well known to the audience as they are welcomed by a huge cheer when taking the stage, going straight into the title track of their 2020 album ‘Kommando Glitzer’. Their no-nonsense, high-speed punk goes down well with the crowd, and we’re offered songs like ‘Millennial Crisis’ and ‘Angriff der Yogi-Ritter’ from their forthcoming album ‘The Power of Now’, before they end on a high note with a cover of Beatsteaks ‘Frieda und die Bomben’.
For anyone outside Germany, it’s hard to comprehend how big Die Toten Hosen actually are in their native country, but let’s put it like this – they are quite accustomed to selling out 40,000 capacity stadiums when touring their home turf! So, it’s really no surprise to find the audience consisting of more than 80% Germans grabbing the opportunity to catch their favorite band in a considerably more intimate setting such as this. Talking to people in the bar, it’s obvious that they haven’t turned up only for this gig, but will follow the band around Europe for the full tour. I even spoke to some guys who’d flown in from Argentina (where Die Toten Hosen are huge as well) for the tour!
This said, it’s not hard to imagine the expectations to be almost palpable before the gig kicks off with a capacity crowd screaming their lungs out to Ramones ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’, when played on the PA ahead of the show. Entering the stage with a Nephilimesque version of ‘Harmonica Man’ the whole venue erupts into a deafening roar as the band set off at breakneck speed with ‘Liebespieler’ and ‘Urknall’. Crowd surfers are transported in a constant flow towards the hard-working, friendly bouncers in the pit throughout the gig. Original songs as ‘Freitag der 13’ and ‘Liebeslied’ are mixed with eclectic covers such as The Vibrators ‘Disco in Moscow’ and The Clash’s ‘Bored with the USA’.
Starting off speaking English – and some well-rehearsed Danish phrases – front man Campino soon realizes it makes more sense to speak German between the songs, as the vast majority of the crowd consists of his fellow countrymen, leaving me as a non-German speaker totally oblivious to the in-between song banter which, judging by the cheers, went down really well. Ending the set with old time favorite ‘Hier Kommt Alex’ (covered by the UK Subs on their 1993 ‘Normal Service Resumed’ album) it’s pretty obvious that Die Toten Hosen are not getting away without a lengthy encore.
As soon as the band leave the stage the crowd unanimously starts chanting the words to ‘Eisgekühlter Bommerlunder’, a traditional-sounding drinking song with references to cumin schnapps, which was penned by Die Toten Hosen in 1983. It doesn’t take long before the band joins in and the dance floor erupts into a heaving sea of bodies, as the song is played faster and faster, until ending in an (dis)organized chaos. After another five songs, it all comes to an end with ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, seeing both the band and audience showing allegiance to their respective favorite football teams by waving team scarves and shirts whilst singing along.
Die Toten Hosen will make one of their rare UK appearances at Kentish Town O2 Forum next Sunday (7th September) supported by their longtime friends TV Smith and the Bored Teenagers. Having heard gossip about the guest list I wouldn’t be surprised to see some special guest appearances. Make sure to join the German invasion of London next weekend – you won’t be disappointed.
Main Photo Credit / All Photos: PER-ÅKE WÄRN
2.9.25 – Stodoła, Warsaw PL
7.9.25 – O2 Kentish Town Forum, London UK
9.9.25 – Élysée Montmartre, Paris FR
10.9.25 – Paradiso, Amsterdam NL
14.9.25 – Old Belgium, Brussels BE
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