That’s how it was with AND ONE

November 01, 2024, Hamburg, Markthalle
Support: The Second Sight

Fancy a rousing eighties party? With one of the most influential synth-pop bands, whose unmistakable mix of catchy melodies, sometimes provocative lyrics, but always absolutely danceable beats, makes for unforgettable evenings! Retro charm meets pure energy! Ready to conquer the dance floor? Then “The Cover Lover Supershow 2” by And One might be just the thing for your ears and feet.

Founded in 1989 by Steve Naghavi and Chris Ruiz, the band combines electronic nostalgia with driving rhythms and, in combination with Steve’s characteristic voice, makes And One a permanent fixture on the synthpop scene. After the sensational success of their first concert special mix, their “Cover Lover Show” from 2008, it was high time for a sequel: this time And One presents a captivating combination of 50% of their own hits and 50% cover versions from the eighties that they have never played live before. An explosive mix that is guaranteed to get any party going! Including Hamburg’s Markthalle. And we were there!

The evening began with the band The Second Sight, a synth-pop formation founded in Esslingen in the nineties, which is known for its innovative approach of harmoniously combining darkwave and synth-pop elements. With hundreds of live performances, introspective lyrics and atmospheric soundscapes, the band has built up a loyal fan base in the dark and emotional music scene.

They had already opened for And One in 2000, which made the return to this combination a perfect start to the evening. The musical harmony and thematic connection between the two bands was a perfect fit. This was also felt by the already dancing Hamburg audience, who were transported back in time to the 1980s.

At 22:01, Steve Naghavi and his boys took to the stage to mighty cheers. The set got off to a powerful start with three And One classics”Love Is Always on Your Side”, “Second Voice” and “Get You Closer” in the Markthalle, which had now been transformed into a dance palace. Wow, what a start! What followed was a true “best of the eighties party”, with And One alternating their own classics at regular intervals with three iconic cover versions from the decade in question.

The evening continued with a rousing mix of cover versions and their own hits: “Don’t You Want Me” by Human League, “Don’t Go” by Yazoo and “Blue Monday” by New Order got the audience going before And One seamlessly continued with their classics “Speicherbar”, “Recover You” and the iconic “Techno Man”. But the evening was far from over: the “Cover Lover Super Show” continued with “Don’t You” by Simple Minds, “The Great Commandment” by Camouflage and “Wouldn’t It Be Good” by Nik Kershaw. Again followed by three more And One titles and so on. For a total of over two hours, And One left the Markthalle shaking in an unstoppable wave of energy and nostalgia. Anyone whose feet were still standing still, or at least not swaying slightly, was probably … somehow not there at all. This was no ordinary concert evening, no, it was an exuberant dance event where the audience couldn’t stand still. Or, as Kermit the Frog sang back in the eighties, “Well, the most beautiful thing feet can do is dance!”

Text & Photos: Thomas Friedel Fuhrmann

Setlist:
“Love Is Always on Your Side” – “Second Voice” – “Get You Closer” – “Don’t You Want Me” (The Human League cover) – “Don’t Go” (Yazoo cover) – “Blue Monday” (New Order cover) – “Speicherbar” – “Recover You” – “Techno Man” – “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” (Simple Minds cover) – “The Great Commandment” (Camouflage cover) – “Wouldn’t It Be Good” (Nik Kershaw cover) – “Loser” – “Life Isn’t Easy in Germany” – “Military Fashion Show” – “Tainted Love” (Gloria Jones cover) – “You Spin Me Round” (Dead or Alive cover) – “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” (a-ha cover) – “Für” – “Let’s Dance” (David Bowie cover) – “Shout” (Tears for Fears cover) – “The Walk” (The Cure cover) – “Goldener Reiter” (Joachim Witt cover) – “U-Boot-Krieg in Ost-Berlin” – “Bad Girl” – “So Klingt Liebe” – “Just Can’t Get Enough” (Depeche Mode cover) – “Rebel Yell” (Billy Idol cover)