"Bochum" in Dresden: Grönemeyer celebrated at tour kick-off

"Männer", "Alkohol" and "Flugzeuge im Bauch": singer Herbert Grönemeyer has shaped more than one generation of concert-goers and can build on a loyal fan base. At the start of the anniversary tour 40 years after the release of the album "4630 Bochum", the 68-year-old was celebrated extensively by around 26,000 fans in Dresden on Thursday evening. "When you see so many people, you're as happy as a child," said Grönemeyer on stage.

The first song he sang was "Das ist los", followed shortly afterwards by the first ballad "Sekundenglück". The fans really got going for the first time with "Tanzen" and the whole stadium sang along to "Was soll das". About an hour into the concert, the anthem "Bochum" is played - Grönemeyer always starts with the Steigerlied beforehand.

The album "4630 Bochum" spent 140 weeks in the album charts. Since it was released on May 11, 1984, first on vinyl and later on CD, it has sold more than three million copies and won gold records, according to the label Universal. The eponymous song about the city that shaped him so much has not only been played before every home game of soccer club VfL Bochum for many years.

Grönemeyer also proved to be a hit guarantee later on with his distinctive voice and interpretation. "Kinder an die Macht", "Was soll das" and "Mensch" also achieved the status of popular songs.

The performance in Dresden was Grönemeyer's first after a year's break, he said on stage. "I still have to manage the air a bit." Dresden will be followed by two concerts at the sold-out Waldbühne in Berlin on Saturday and Sunday. The four shows at the "Heimspiel" in Bochum in mid-June have also been sold out for a long time. Performances in Stuttgart, Schaffhausen and Karlsruhe will follow in July and August.