That’s how it was with DIARY OF DREAMS

Automatic translation. Improvements are constantly being worked on.

December 13, 2025, Hamburg, Markthalle
Support: Auger

A permanent fixture in the shadows

Diary of Dreams have been more than just a band for over three decades – they are a fixture of the black scene. What began in the early nineties as Adrian Hates’ personal project has grown into a cosmos of sound that effortlessly combines dark wave, electro, gothic and emotional heaviness. Diary of Dreams stands for consistency, for development without betraying oneself, for songs that do not aim to please, but to accompany. Adrian Hates doesn’t write songs for the moment – he writes for people, for eternity. For nights that stick. For feelings that you don’t want to get rid of. On December 13, 2025, this path led to the sold-out Hamburg Markthalle. A place with history, raw and open, perfect for an evening that didn’t rely on distance. The audience: close, attentive, confident in their words. Not a backdrop – but part of the action.

When proximity takes on weight

The Markthalle was sold out, but not overcrowded. Warm light cut clear edges into the room, fog lay over the stage like a breathing veil. No crowds at the front, but expectation. No retreat at the back, but attention. An audience that knew why it was here – and stayed.

The room is opened

Auger kicked off the evening and did exactly what a good support act should do: prepare the room without imposing themselves. With gloomy, modern dark electro, clear beats and controlled heaviness, they drew the audience into the evening early on. Not just a warm-up, but a serious start that showed that this night would not start slowly.

Pressure, movement, introspection

Diary of Dreams opened the evening with the new songs “Kein Allein” and “The Chemistry of Pain” – reduced, concentrated, with that special tug in the stomach that new songs have when they work immediately. They stood in the room, heavy and open at the same time. “Chemicals” and “Mankind” then pushed the electronics forward, providing structure, followed by “Reign of Chaos”, cold and precisely set. Suddenly it became more physical: “Viva La Bestia” hit with full force, danceable and compelling, without promising lightness. A song with teeth. “Schuldig!” and “Dead to Me” kept the pressure high – the latter again from the fresh EP “Dead End Dreams (Chapter 1)”, raw, dark and direct. “StummKult” and “Nekrolog 43” made the hall noticeably denser.

The room then opened up with “But the Wind Was Stronger” and “King of Nowhere”, carried, almost floating, before “Tomorrow’s Past” emphatically nailed down the present. “The Secret” and “Hurt People Hurt People” set the emotional bracket, vulnerable and unembellished – like inner monologues, not explained, just revealed. With “Endless Nights”, “Lebenslang” and “She and Her Darkness”, the set headed purposefully towards its end – no flattening, but condensation. No fatigue. No falling away, just consistency.

Dance floor and standstill

The first encore brought relief and movement: “Butterfly:Dance!” tore up the dance floor, released bodies, “Undividable” held them tight. Then “A Day in December”, a brief look inwards – fitting in title, fitting in feeling. Then it went quiet. “Ikarus”, acoustic, accompanied by piano, took away any heaviness from the Markthalle and yet did not let it escape. And finally “Traumtänzer”. Started quietly. Ended openly. The audience sang. First hesitantly, then confidently, then loudly. The refrain was repeated, carried, held – for over two minutes. Voices instead of applause. Closeness instead of noise.

Goosebumps. Real. Unplanned. Unforgettable.

An evening as a collective heart

Diary Of Dreams in Hamburg’s Markthalle was not a look back. It was a now. A concert without exaggeration, without pathos, without a safety net. Dark, yes – but lively. Danceable, but deep. An evening that didn’t want to explain why this band is relevant. You knew it long ago. And you left with the feeling that some music doesn’t end when the light goes on. It stays. Silent. Persistent. True.

Text & Photos: Thomas Friedel Fuhrmann – between fog, notes and what remains

Setlist:
– “Kein Allein” – “The Chemistry of Pain” – “Chemicals” – “Mankind” – “Reign of Chaos” – “Viva La Bestia” – “Schuldig!” – “Dead to Me” – “StummKult” – “Nekrolog 43” – “But the Wind Was Stronger” – “King of Nowhere” – “Tomorrow’s Past” – “The Secret” – “Hurt People hurt People” – “Endless Nights” – “Lebenslang” – “She and Her Darkness” — “Butterfly:Dance!” – “Undividable” — “A Day in December” — “Icarus” – “Traumtänzer”

In our winter issue, we interview Adrian Hates, in which we talk extensively about the current album.