I hope you find the love that’s true
so the morning light can shine on you
I hope you find what you’re looking for
so your heart is warm for ever more
The sun has almost gone down as I bend my way to the Häkken. The autumn has arrived in Hamburg and I am annoyed that I didn’t fish my scarf out of the closet already. Arrived at the Häkken, the cold from outside is soon forgotten, as this little club has such a cozy warm atmosphere that you feel home right away. The orange-red light that floods the small room and the tiny stage let me only guess how intimate this concert will be. I sit down and look forward to what will be on the cards today. Surprisingly, today three artists will perform on the stage. Since I’m alone here, I first get in touch with my seat neighbour and quickly it turns out that we are both mainly there to see George Cosby. The room fills and the first people sit on the floor in front of the stage. Everything feels so informal and comfortable; quite different from larger bands, where it’s more pushing and shoving instead of nice togetherness. The audience is mixed. From young to old everything is there and there are also astoundingly many men represented, which is not always the case at other concerts.
At 8pm the charming and funny Travis Is A Tourist enters the stage and enchants me with his songs. The young Irishman knows how to make the crowd laugh and is sympathetic to me straightaway. He skilfully knows how to cover up the little problems with his guitar and the mood becomes even more pleasant than it was anyway. His set goes by way too fast and I hope that we will hear and see more of this taking artist with the expressive voice. I’m looking forward to it.
Even with the first riffs of „Juliet“ I get goose bumps and I feel very warm all over. With an unbelievable voice filling the whole room, George Cosby immediately captures my imagination. I already was aware that there is an incredible talent in the young artist from London, but to be there live, when he gives his melancholic and poignant songs is an breathtaking feeling. He was accompanied by a band at the Reeperbahnfestival, but today in the Häkken there is only him and his guitar. The whole audience is eager to listen to the next song „All Of Your Love“. Somehow, this song reminds me of Lana del Rey. These gentle guitar reefs, coupled with the unmistakable vocal colour, invite you to dream. The high notes are hit flawless, which makes your heart beat just the same way. „Ritual Blush“ was the first song I heard and so it will always be something special. I can’t really make up my mind whether I would like to sing along, or rather listen. I decide for the latter and put the singing on the moment of the report. With „Muscle And Mouth“ we get a whole new song, which makes me very curious about fresh material. I can’t decide which song I like best, because they all have their own charm and incredible energy. I had hoped a little to hear „State Of Undress“, but am comforted enough by the numerous wonderful songs.
Whether it’s on a cold winter’s evening with a blanket and a cup of tea or in a warm summer night, George Cosby, through his bittersweet lyrics and the gentle sound of his voice, always creates this pleasantly cozy feeling inside me. I’m already looking forward to the EP, which will be released soon and all the more to a hopefully fast following album.
It actually is quite nice to have someone with whom you can review the experience once again and so we spend the time until Benjamin Francis Leftwich is ready to get started. I have to confess, I haven’t listened to his songs in advance and so I let him surprise me this evening. Rarely do you experience an artist like him who likes to stroll through the audience with his guitar and proofs again and again that you don’t really need a microphone to reach the people. I was particularly impressed with „Pictures“ – a beautiful ballad that gently paves its way through the crowd. Even though the songs usually seem sad, they still cloak me like a soap bubble and at least for the moment let me forget all the worries. Again and again he emphasises „You are such a quiet crowd“ and I am not sure if this is something good or something bad. But the audience simply seems caught up in a dreamy mood and quietly enjoying the music. After each song they applaud vigorously and show that they also can be a bit louder. In his songs the British singer / songwriter processes heartache, self-doubt and the death of his father. With his warm voice and almost breathed lines, he stands out from the two previous artists. With his wonderful nature and the melancholic lyrics, in which often resonates a great spark of hope for better days, he gives you the feeling that indeed every cloud has a silver lining. Nowadays music is rarely found, which touches you deeply inside your heart and holds your hand when nobody else does. It is all the more wonderful that I have found so many new songs in this little club in the middle of the Reeperbahn that will bring back to me the warming feeling of this evening on the grey winter days that will soon be ours.
Do you know this feeling of wishing the artist all the success he deserves and yet hoping that these intimate gigs in front of a small audience will never cease? Whatever happens to these fantastic newcomers of today’s evening, I’m glad I could be there and listen to the songs so close and unadulterated. Sometimes there is no need for an elaborate fuss, not a big show with many musicians, who are all virtuosic in their instruments – the simplicity is sometimes what enchants. Just a voice, a guitar and the passion for music that resonates in every note.
After a small but really pleasant chat with the two support acts we leave the venue. Still quite excited by all the beautiful impressions we completely forget the nightly cold, which greets us outside again. What a wonderful experience, which will remain in my memory for a long time. Not only because I was able to witness three great artists, but also because music brought people together again.
J.S.
Setlist George Cosby:
Juliet
All Of Your Love
Watermelon Green
Vacant Grace
Ritual Blush
Muscle And Mouth