This was the case with SOLAR FAKE

Leipzig, Täubchenthal, November 16, 2024

Solar Fake presented us with their seventh studio album “Dont Push This Button” and plenty of fresh songs. What could be more natural than to go on a big tour for the last few weeks of the year? “Dont Push This Button” shows once again that it’s worth staying true to your roots, but not giving up anything new. – Future Lied to Us, who also recently released their latest album, supported the band. It is entitled “Unknown Unknowns”, with which the three once again capture the fascination of synth pop and electro music of the 1980s without seeming old-fashioned. – All in all, it was a well-rounded package that promised an interesting tour.

A seemingly endless queue in front of the entrance to the venue in Leipzig clearly showed how important Solar Fake ‘s music is to their fans. The hall, which provided the perfect backdrop for the evening with its imposing ceiling lights and tiered ceiling, quickly filled up. Future Lied to Us opened the evening . Vasi Vallis and Krischan Jan-Eric Wesenberg provided the sound in the background while singer Damasius took to the stage. He has been the new face at the front of FLTU since 2021 and is no stranger to the band with his strong voice and inimitable stage presence. He has already successfully demonstrated his skills with the Spanish band Mondträume and more recently with his own project Mental Exile. Unusually for us, but very fittingly, he performed the first song “I Don’t Belong Here” in a smart suit before swapping it for his usual attire. Damasius is a movement artist and so he finally got the audience moving. He later pulled off a surprise with the song “Culpable”, creating a very special atmosphere in the hall. A gentle piano sound began and Damasius sang the song in his native Spanish. He sang this song emotionally and with so much passion, which you could clearly see in his voice, that everyone in the hall fell silent for a moment.

After a short break, it was then time for the charismatic guys from Solar Fake. As expected, Sven Friedrich hopped light-footedly onto the stage and opened the concert with “Hurts So Bad”. This time there was a simple but very effective stage design to be seen. Delicate strips of light along a stage platform in a triangular shape and a drummer doing his work high up on the platform were there to marvel at, with plenty of space for jumping. Why do I always write about “bouncing”? – It’s quite simple! Solar Fake, and Sven and Andre in particular, always rock the entire stage with so much energy during their shows, and they jump and bounce so much to almost every song that it’s a joy. Sven then greeted the audience in a humble, reverent voice with “Hello Leipzig, nice of you to come!”. Unfortunately, he also had some bad news in his luggage, because Andre, as announced in advance, was not going to be in Leipzig after all. First because of fatherly joys at the start of the tour (congratulations at this point), and now he had unfortunately fallen ill.

But his place did not remain unoccupied, as none other than the multi-talented Elliott Berlin, who has played with Combichrist, Aesthetic Perfection, Empathy Test and countless other projects, could be won over as a replacement. Sven, dressed as usual in a casual coat, continued the concert with “Reset to Default”. Elliot performed the songs on the keyboard with wild moves and his hair always swinging wildly in his face, making it difficult to photograph his face. As always, you could tell Jens was in a good mood on the drums. Sven often thanked his fans during the song breaks, but always got the audience involved, for example during “Not So Important”. There was clapping and the whole audience often sang along to the older catchy tunes. The hall was now really full, people were standing right up to the edge of the hall and a cozy warmth was spreading. In the meantime, the band went full throttle to present some songs from the new album. Armed with a guitar, Elliot suddenly jumped from the stage across the photo pit into the crowd, who welcomed him warmly and everyone had a lot of fun.

At the end, Sven’s microphone set stopped due to the heat, which he skillfully commented on with a funny line when a technician changed it, and the show continued. An impressive 26 songs were played that evening, including many tracks from the new album “Don’t Push This Button”. Sven Friedrich once again proved that he knows how to deal with critical topics and everyday situations, which he skillfully packaged in a musical guise. With brisk synth pop, banging beats and sophisticated lyrics, he has once again hit the ravages of time.

Text & Photos: Marco Wernicke, BlackS Photography

Setlist Solar Fake:
“Hurts So Bad” – “Reset to Default” – “This Pretty Life” – “Under Control” – “Not So Important” – “All the Things You Say” – “No Good Time” – “I Despise You” – “More Than This” – “Disagree” – “Not What I Wanted” – “This Generation Ends” – “Nothing’s Wrong” – “Sick of You” – “It’s Who You Are” – “The Pain That Kills You Too” – “It’s Never Been You” – “You Keep Breathing” – “Where Are You” – “Observer” — “At Least We’ll Forget” – “Arrive Somewhere” – “Stay” — “Under the Skies” – “Papillon” – “Lost”