That’s how it was with CIGARETTES AFTER SEX

November 07, 2024, Berlin – Uber Arena

It is fair to say that Cigarettes After Sex is a genuine phenomenon – far removed from major label advertising campaigns, TV appearances or elaborately produced video clips. Founded in 2008 by Greg Gonzalez, Cigarettes After Sex have managed to build up a huge worldwide fan base with their unique ambient and dream pop sound and three albums (“X’s” was released in July this year, we reported on it in the summer issue). And even without any major chart hits.

Their songs are minimalistically dreamy, carried by gentle, almost melancholic guitar riffs and spherical synthesizers. In combination with the fragile androgynous voice of frontman Greg Gonzalez, they create a unique atmosphere. The music – or rather, its dreamy soundscape – opens up an emotional spectrum full of love, longing and bittersweet nostalgia. It sounds like a gentle dream in black and white and is like a soundtrack full of unobtrusive beauty.

This musically cinematic atmosphere of their music has now led to 3 billion Spotify streams, over 17 million monthly listeners and more than 800 million YouTube streams. Following the recent release of “X’s”, which reached number 7 in the charts in Germany, it was time for a major world tour of the world’s biggest arenas. A total of 17 concerts are planned in Europe until the end of November, 13 of which are already sold out – including gigs in Berlin and Cologne in Germany. We were there at the sold-out Uber Arena in Berlin.

Upon entering the Uber Arena, the surprisingly high proportion of visitors under the age of 20 was immediately noticeable. Considering the fact that Cigarettes After Sex have been around for 16 years now, this is quite remarkable. The band seems to have managed not only to inspire a generation of fans, but also to win over a young, new audience for their music, which sounds like so much longing.

Like their music, the stage was designed as a minimalist dream in black and white, permeated only by three white cones of light directed at the musicians from above. Almost iconic.

At 8:19 pm, Greg Gonzales emerged from the darkness into the light with a black leather jacket, sunglasses and a guitar slung over his shoulder. To the left of the stage, at a respectful distance, drummer Jacob Tomsky accompanied him, while bassist Randall Miller was positioned to the right, also at a respectful distance. This setup created an almost sacred setting, which intensified the focus on Greg and his commanding presence.

They started with “X’s” from the new album of the same name. This was followed by “You’re All I Want”, “Dark Vacay” and “Pistol”, all singles and EPs, before the band came to the first big highlight of the evening: the song that started it all – “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby”. The audience was immediately enchanted and for a moment seemed to be absorbed in the gentle, almost hypnotic floating sounds that have made this early classic one of Cigarettes After Sex ‘s trademarks. The rest of the setlist – a total of 17 tracks were played that evening – was like a memory cast in black and white, full of intimate stories embedded in dreamy, bittersweet melodies.

Greg Gonzalez sang consistently with a vulnerable yet controlled melancholy, an unmistakable softness, almost like a whisper, inviting the audience to lose themselves in the stories and sounds of a world full of longing and nostalgia. Another highlight of the evening and one of the band’s biggest hits: “Apocalypse”. After 3 minutes and 34 seconds, the song seemed to end briefly – a second of complete silence that captivated the audience. Just at that moment, when everyone was holding their breath, two huge disco balls were suddenly illuminated: one above the stage and one in the middle of the arena. The surprising lighting effect transformed the room into a shimmering sea of lights and caused enthusiastic reactions from the audience, who celebrated this magical moment. The evening ended after 82 intense minutes with the song “Opera House” and left the Berlin audience with an invitation to continue dreaming. The band provided the perfect soundtrack for this, transporting the audience into a melancholy world of love and transience. Every song on this evening was like a small musical poem – gentle, timeless and full of bittersweet longing.

Setlist:
“X’s” – “You’re All I Want” – “Dark Vacay” – “Pistol” – “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” – “Touch” – “Dreams from Bunker Hill” – “Tejano Blue” – “Sesame Syrup” – “John Wayne” – “Cry” – “Sweet” – “Sunsetz” – “Heavenly” – “K.” – “Dreaming of You” – “Apocalypse” – “Opera House”

Text & Photos: Thomas Friedel Fuhrmann