Since 1995 fan, it was a dream to see The Kelly Family once live at Loreley. Just like the concert in 1996, which was broadcast on Premiere and later released on VHS. T H E legendary Kelly concert, which not only accompanied me through my whole fan time and was watched x times. Who would have thought that this dream would eventually come true?
Well, with the comeback this dream quickly came closer. The fans started early to bombard the Kellys with comments and requests that they would please play on the Loreley on their comeback festival tour. So they almost had to. 😉 Almost to the day, 20 years after the last Loreley concert, The Kelly Family performed twice at this magical place this Weekend.
Spontaneous 1st Loreley evening
I’ve been to The Loreley in 2016 to see The Souls live, who played their second Picknick Open at that time [read here] . Even then I was totally thrilled and overwhelmed by the place and the scenery. Seeing bands like Max Giesinger, Joris and The Souls live there was super special. I still dreamed what it would be like to see The Kelly Family on this stage and had no idea that the following autumn the comeback would actually be announced [read also: The Kelly Family – the comeback in Dortmund).
Admittedly, maybe I forestalled something to myself back then. Possibly also with the very spontaneous concert visit on the 1st evening. I have the feeling that I wasn’t quite as emotional as I had expected. But in 2016 I could hardly have imagined that the Kellys would actually perform on the Loreley again. Besides, I would probably be annoyed if we hadn’t tried to be there on the 1st evening.
Originally we only had tickets for the Saturday concert at Loreley, the tourfinal. To be on the safe side we arrived on Friday, which was definitely not stupid. On the way there we stood for two hours in the mostly standing traffic. Also on the way home it was a bit faltering every now and then. What happens on the German motorways – the traffic in Switzerland is somehow tame. 😉
When we arrived in St. Goarshausen around 8pm on Friday evening, we decided to drive up to the Loreley and see what was going on. Actually we did an exact landing and even ran into a man who sold us two tickets for €35 each. About the 4th song we stood on the concert area and could already experience and celebrate the Kelly Family on the Loreley on the 1st concert evening. What an experience!
Ok, honestly? You can bury the saying: “To be there is everything”. Standing at the back or at the top isn’t that cool after all. We were on top at the first concert, where the place was definitely not perfect. The sound wasn’t quite so loud and clear. Somehow you didn’t always get everything exactly. The people around the drinks stands just couldn’t keep their mouths shut. Some obviously drunk hung around jolend at the beer stand. So you ask yourself: Why do they go to the concert at all?
But we could at least overview the whole stage and were very happy to be there at all. Yes, you have to take everything Kelly related with you at the moment 😀 And at that time the big news weren’t known yet…
The second evening should definitely be better.
Back To The 90s
But first there was admission. On Friday we walked in without queuing, on Saturday we were there around noon. That would be early enough. We didn’t want to stand at the back, but didn’t need a 1st row either. But we swallowed a little when we saw the queue in front of us: We estimated that about 500-700 people were already standing in front of us.
The first people were standing outside the gates by 6 o’clock in the morning. Concert visitors, who are often on the Loreley, believed that about 100 people fit in a row of stairs. So to get row 7-10 should be possible.
Allegedly, the first fans had already arrived on Monday or were already queuing up on Wednesday to get numbers. However, photos of the first fans went around on Thursday evening at the latest…
Kelly Fans and the numbers
Numbers, you wonder? Yes, the Kelly fans already had their numbering system in the 90s. Over the years I noticed that fan groups from other bands also used this numbering system. I’ve never really experienced how it works in detail myself. But so, it’s nothing new, unlike some claim.
The first fans on site always start it. Everyone who arrives gets a number and is “registered”. Well, up to a certain number in any case. Whether this is fair or not is often discussed. Actually, it’s not much different than that those who come later simply line up behind, whether with or without a number. Many find that if some get in line this early, it’s unfair and they take them the chance to be ahead of the others. But in principle everybody can arrange that, if the just want to. Most of them will have taken a vacation and will have shovelled their time off.
Many get themselves, however, apparently one of the numbers and disappear after for hours. It’s supposed to be checked every few hours whether the people are there, but well. At the end they shove themselves in front of those who came later , perhaps have no number or a later one, but sat there the whole day. I am of the opinion that if you sit down, you stay. Going to the toilet or getting food, of course nobody says anything. But otherwise, if you stay away for hours, you actually give your spot away to the next one. Well, my opinion. But we came “too late” anyway, that was clear to us. As already mentioned, we were there at noon and already had hundreds of others in front of us.
The waiting people were separated into blocks divided by plastic tape. The security obviously went along with the numbering system. Well, apparently there was at least an order. Our “waiting sector” already had no more numbers, but it was totally relaxed until the end.
Chaotic admission like back in the 90s
Admission should start at 5.30 pm. On Friday one block after the other had been let in calmly. And so the first ones were at the front. On the second concert evening it somehow didn’t work out at all.
On this Saturday everything remained quiet until after 3 pm. From security’s side it was said again and again that admission would start perhaps earlier, because so many people were already queuing. We noticed then a certain restlessness around this time on the area. Then the front blocks suddenly started to move, ran forward and a chaos arose. The two back queues became insecure of course and thought that admission started. Fortunately everyone remained calm in the back.
Admission was not planned at all yet. When everything seemed to have calmed down a bit in front, the security led the other two queues – one from the right, the other from the left – forward to move up. But then it was actually said that admission was not until 5.30 pm. So we had to wait about 1.5 to almost 2 hours. Nobody understood it exactly. Um, why were we already standing in front here? Well, we probably moved up to make room and prevent the chaos from behind if possible? I don’t know exactly.
Chaos triggers
What the run of the front sectors had triggered, there is no agreement on. Some say it was the start of the soundcheck. Others say that security said something that triggered the onslaught. Maybe because people were asked to put away chairs and blankets at some point?
It hardly could be the admission of the wheelchair users, because it only started when we were already standing in front. With us at the back everything was quite relaxed. But in front they seemed to be quite squeezed. However, at some point the paramedics suddenly appeared and the security tried to move the rear ones to the back, what only worked moderately. Well, actually nobody had to stand there squeezend in, but if everyone wants to stand absolutely in the front…
Apparently the security suddenly got completely overrun before admission, so that they had no choice but to start with admission. In this moment there was no bag control at all anymore… yes, the one or the other went quite wrong. On the one hand, of course, on the part of the concert audience. On the other hand one did also not understand certain procedures of the security, which certainly did not seem helpful,. Many fans kept wondering:
- Why were no fixed barriers used, so that nobody could push forward sideways?
- Why were the gates opened and closed again and again in front?
- Why were the back queues moved so early?
The security seemed often seemed unable to handle the crazy Kelly fans. Some of the security people however had become really aggressive. In the back you didn’t even know what was going on in front and what they wanted from you.
As soon as the first blocks had their place inside, it became a little calmer. Right at the front 4-5 rows squeezed between the barrier and the steps, not everyone was so happy about. I praise my spot on the steps. We had a great view in row 11, could go to the toilet, get drinks and food and wait in peace for the concert to start. Well, if not the VOX camera team almost sat on us because they interviewed and filmed the fans in front of us for their documentary (in October a 6-part documentary will be broadcasted on VOX). 😉
The tour final
With thunder and lightning to “Thunder” the Kelly Family started the show with their 6-member accompanying band. Jimmy, with sunglasses on his nose, rushed to the front and led the band energetically before his sister Patricia continued with “No Lies”. It was supposed to be the same setlist as at the Stars Of Sounds in Murten or the previous open-air tour, but with a few changes.
As if they had no clue
Angelo came to the front for his hit “I Can’t Help Myself”, but announced the good news first. What we already heard in the queue on Saturday afternoon didn’t seem to have been heard by all the visitors yet:
The Kelly Family will continue in 2019
and play 5 exclusive openairs in Germany!
After Angelo said the day before at the end of the show that they didn’t know what will happen with the Kelly Family after the Loreley, he now assured that they really didn’t know until 3-4 hours ago whether the whole thing would actually happen. This news had been published too early in the media. Well, while it did scratch the credibility a bit, the joy about the additional concerts was huge with the audience. And yes okay, something like that has to be planned after all: The many siblings and band members as well as locations had to be available.
So the following concerts will take place in summer 2019:
Fri, 31.05.2019 – Domplatz Erfurt
Sat, 01.06.2019 – Waldbühne Berlin
Fri, 14.06.2019 – Hessentag-Arena Bad Hersfeld
Sat, 15.06.2019 – Sparkassen Park Mönchengladbach
Sat, 23.06.2019 – Almased-Arena Ulzen
“Yesterday I fucked up!”
It was Kathy’s turn to step forward in the flowing red dress to perform her beautiful “Comeback To Me”. Then extreme athlete and Kelly rocker Joey rocked to “Why Why Why”. “Joey Joey Joey” screamed the audience in a choir. Through all the pyros, which kept Shooting up, it became really hot during the song! After “Why Why Why” John came in his white outfit with basket hat and guitar on the small runway and started “Imagine”.
The two concerts were recorded and will be cut together to a DVD. Patricia said before she started her “First Time”: “Yesterday I fucked it up. Today I have to sing properly”. The way she said it, so straight out, I wasn’t the only one who had to laugh. Her sometimes very lively, humorous but also unbelievably lovable manner is very well received by the fans. And as usual, the emotional music clip was shown on the screen during “First Time”.
Well, it shouldn’t be the only mistake during the two concerts. At one song for example Joey failed his guitar solo quite badly. I can’t exactly remember anymore which song it was . They kept rocking with “Key To My Heart” and “Fell In Love With An Alien” the audience started themselves. Did Paddy use to be the lead vocalist, now John begins to pass on the remaining verses and transitions to his siblings Kathy, Angelo, Patricia and Joey afterwards. All over the area hands were stretched out into the air and clapped to the beat. That looks so great every time.
Before Kathy continued with “Father’s Nose”, she mentioned her son Sean, for whom she had written the song at the time. Sean was, like most Kelly Kids – as Iggi mentioned a total of about 15 cousins – also there that weekend. They looked like they had a lot of fun together in their corner during the Shows.
Honesty lasts the longest
John then continued with “Red Shoes” before Jimmy stepped forward and touched the fans deeply with his honesty and good humor during an extended speech.
Jimmy had always been the rebel in the family and seemed to have the biggest thick head. Ha, he obviously still has it and he always says directly if he doesn’t like something. 😉 But so he showed a honesty that was immediately taken from him word by word.
Before Jimmy started the current album title “We Got Love”, he not only honestly confessed his doubts about the family’s comeback at that time and the problems that had been there especially at the beginning of the tour among the siblings. He also admitted that he didn’t necessarily make it easy for his siblings – especially for Angelo, who tried to get the comeback going and to manage it. He thanked his brothers and sisters for their endurance over and over again.
At the same time Jimmy seemed so happy that he and his siblings made it back here. The mood in the band was now much better than it was at the beginning. In the meantime Angelo tried to push him a bit. Jimmy should keep the speech a short. But of course he didn’t let himself be misled at all. Jimmy continued after a short teasing with his little brother calmly until he had said everything and was ready for the next song – “We Got Love”.
The fans once again had so much fun with this song and the “Kiss-Cam”, which asked them to cuddle and snog as soon as they discovered themselves on the Screen.
They saved our ass
Brother Paul, who hadn’t been on stage before, came to the front in a Scottish skirt and bagpipes and played the Scottish traditional song “Loch Lochmond” in the spotlight. Then he joined his siblings in the acoustic street part.
Some fans in the front rows started singing “Olé olé, Paul is ok!” for fun, which Angelo immediately picked up and encouraged the whole Loreley to join in. Soon Paul also needs a Facebook page, he laughed. He is now slowly known by the people. Oh yes, what funny articles and information about Paul we have read in the media, just because the journalists didn’t understand who he is 😉
The few evergreens – “The Rose”, “Let My People Go / Motherless Child” as well as “Let It Be” – that the Kellys now performed during their street set, had often “saved their ass” in the past, Angelo said. And while Patricia sang the first lines of “The Rose” softly into the microphone, the fans started the rose fan action: Roses were held up all over the area and swung from side to side.
Over 500’000 sold “We Got Love” albums
On Friday the concert was suddenly interrupted after the Street Set. For their album “We Got Love”, which contains new recorded songs as well as a handful of new ones, The Kelly Family received a gold record each for more than 500’000 sold albums. And hey, they even thought of Paul this time and gave him a copy.
But what we laughed again: As soon as he had it in his hand, Jimmy gave away his record to the audience, as almost expected. Just like that. For him, the award means a lot, but obviously he doesn’t need a physical award for that. Yes, already the last one, at that time in Dortmund, he had directly passed on.
The party continued with “When The Boys Come Into Town”, whereupon Angelo continued, true to the Kelly motto, with “Keep On Singing”. And like in 1996 Kathy sang her beautiful “Sick Man”. That was just pure goose bumps!
Best drum solo and roses for the fans
What of course couldn’t be missing was Angelo’s drum solo. Of all the hundreds of concerts and bands I’ve seen in my life, I still love his drum solos at the Kelly concerts the most. The energy and perseverance he puts into his solos and how he cheers on the audience is a lot of fun! They are not, as so often with other artists, short 2-3 minutes solos. Angelo expands his solos very nicely. And then how he slowly opens his hair and twirls his hair around while playing… we always had a lot of fun with it before! With the additional pyros his solos are a real spectacle nowadays.
My tour favourite followed: Patricia and Jimmy’s duet to “Please Don’t Go”, which they performed night after night with so much passion and emotions. On this second Loreley evening Jimmy even stepped into the spotlight with a huge bouquet of roses. First he gave individual roses to his siblings. There was even a second bouquet of roses brought to him and when he and his sister came together in front on the catwalk, he began to give away the flowers with verve to the fans. ♥
Immediately afterwards Joey turned up during “The Wolf” again. First he chased in and out of the backstage from the left to the right side of the stage again and again. Then he knocked over not only Patricia’s drum, but also one of the pyro blocks from the stage. What was going on with him?!? 😉 He was really celebrated by the fans.
But it became already calmer and more deliberate when Jimmy stepped to the front again and played one of the favourite songs of his deceased mother. A Maria song, because there was no tour where the Kellys didn’t play at least one Maria song, he explained. So Jimmy played “Madre tan hermosa” from 1989 all by himself, accompanied by an acoustic guitar only, and enchanted the Loreley.
That’s what it must have felt like
With their super hit “An Angel” the Loreley shone in the sea of lights and the audience became a choir. It was quiet with “Only Our Rivers Run Free” before the Kellys went over to a small Irish party. The party started with an Irish Jig, to which even Joey presented his dancing skills and danced wildly together with Patricia. It went on with “Wearing Of The Green” and a green steamer, before I suddenly put my arms into the air during “Good Neighbour” (and, ha, I didn’t fall in that moment) and suddenly saw the 96’s concert in front of me and knew “that’s exactly how it must have felt at the time!” It was overwhelming and a really great feeling!
With “Nanana” they came unfortunately already towards the end of the set, but again just as energetically with a lot of power from the Kellys and colourful confetti flowers. Of course, the Kellys returned quickly for a first encore. The audience was asked to take each others hand and sway along for “Take My Hand”. With “Who’ll Come With Me” as another encore John remembered his parents and sang together with his young self, before the Kellys finished their tour final show with “Brothers & Sisters”.
But first the audience started one last fan surprise. Before the concert had started a little piece of paper had gone around with the request to sing “We Are The World” and once again to hold up the heart halves. What worked out wonderfully this time and touched the siblings after the emotional tour final concert so much again. So at the end of their last song even the hardrocker of the family, Joey, had tears in his eyes too…the great fireworks at the end of the shows reinforced the whole thing even more.
THANK YOU KELLYS ♥
While some of the siblings thanked the fans at the barrier and said goodbye, Angelo unscrewed two of his drum cymbals and gave them away. Fortunately, he didn’t realize that some were almost beating each other up for them 😉 Allegedly a security guard intervened and so a little girl was happy about the gift. Joey even stole a pair of Angelo’s drum sticks, apparently also for the girl. 😉 Later John and Angelo took some time to sign some autographs and take some pictures at the backstage exit, despite the mega temperature drop – it was only 9°C at Loreley.
There were two great evenings on the magical Loreley and a fantastic tour final. With the knowledge that the Kelly Family will continue, of course even nicer.
more photos can be found here Photo gallery: The Kelly Family live at Loreley
Hier noch die komplette Setlist:
- Thunder
- No Lies
- I Can’t Help Myself
- Comeback To Me
- Why Why Why
- Imagine
- First Time
- Key To My Heart
- Fell In Love With An Alien
- Father’s Nose
- Red Shoes
- We Got Love
- Loch Lochmond
- The Rose
- Let My People Go / Motherless Child
- Let It Be
- When The Boys Come Into Town
- Keep On Singing
- Sick Man
- Drum solo
- Please Don’t Go
- The Wolf
- Madre Than Hermosa
- An Angel
- Only Our Rivers Run Free
- Irish Jig
- Wearing Of The Green
- Good Neighbour
- Nanana
- Take My Hand
- Who’ll Come With Me
- Brothers And Sisters
