Udo Lindenberg remembers his legendary GDR appearance 40 years ago

40 years after his legendary first GDR performance in East Berlin's Palast der Republik, singer Udo Lindenberg ("Sonderzug nach Pankow," "Komet") has underscored the importance of his East German fans to him. "The same culture, the same language - and lots of fans with good taste. I couldn't leave them hanging," the musician told the dpa news agency in Berlin. "For them, of course, I wanted to do concerts - I wanted to get to know them."

The now 77-year-old was able to perform a few songs with his Panikorchester at the so-called Peace Festival of the Free German Youth (FDJ) on Oct. 25, 1983, after intense negotiations.

"Had to try, of course, through the official agencies to get in there," Lindenberg said. "Ne whole tour through the stadiums it should be, then I had the contract also already inside pocket." However, the originally agreed tour of East Germany was subsequently canceled by the GDR authorities.

Lindenberg has mixed feelings about the concert. "Had me already beastly excited to finally meet all my panic friends via concert and aftershow paadys," said the singer. "The blue-shirt thing was disappointing at Palazzo Prozzo, of course." The popularly named Palace of the Republic was filled with more than 4,000 select FDJ cadres known for their blue shirts.

"That's why I ran out there to the outside, to my real fans," Lindenberg said. Tumultuous scenes erupted outside the palace, with 44 people arrested by the brutal People's Police.