Only when the whole madness was almost over did the wasteland anthem “Brandenburg” sound in the Berlin Waldbühne on Saturday evening.
The singer-songwriter Rainald Grebe once called the open-air theater built in 1936 in Charlottenburg’s Westend district “My spa shell here” during the four-hour show. That evening, cabaret artist Grebe (52) first performed the text of his most famous song “Brandenburg” in Sorbian and finally with the support of comedian Anna Mateur.
“You can experience so much in Berlin, there are supposed to be lions in Brandenburg by now,” the Dresden jazz singer croaked the text on purpose and a bit adapted to current events. And the amphitheater group roared: “Berliiiiin, Hallelujah Berlin”.
“This big event is only possible because of this song. That’s where my fame comes from,” the seriously ill Grebe, who seemed quite fit that evening, had previously told the “Berliner Zeitung”.
Grebe suffered multiple strokes
Grebe completed the concert spectacle “Hallelujah Berlin” in the Waldbühne, which was actually planned for his 50th birthday, two years late. The concert with around 10,000 tickets sold was originally supposed to take place on July 31, 2021, but failed at the time due to Corona.
Twelve years ago, Grebe, who was born in Cologne and chose Brandenburg, had invited to an “open-air spectacle” in the Waldbühne and had a colorful evening with guests and his band of reconciliation. In 2011, 15,000 people came, the capital was still ruled by Klaus Wowereit, who was also among the concert-goers at the time.
Not out of acute necessity, but in order not to conceal his illness, the 52-year-old had himself brought to the stage on a hospital bed in 2023. In 2011 he rode in on a horse.
All-rounder Grebe has had the autoimmune disease vasculitis since 2014 and has suffered several strokes as a result.
In between he went to bed every now and then – dressed in a dressing gown and pajama-like tracksuit the whole evening anyway. He was also treated once played by two paramedics on stage.
Many famous guests attend the concert
Otherwise, Grebe offered many songs – sometimes with a larger, sometimes with a smaller orchestra – including “Man without Feelings”, “Multitasker”, “Flight Attendant”, “President”, “20th Century”, “Prenzlauer Berg” or the party song ” The party” (quote: “Bernd comes out of the toilet empty and pukes and says: / The Germans aren’t that stiff after all. / I can eat again now / play “I will survive” again”).
Guests at the spectacle were also the puppeteer René Marik, the piano cabaret artist Bodo Wartke, the rapper and guitarist Alligatoah and Grebe’s former puppetry teacher Hans Krüger, who, among other things, demonstrated a mechanical wooden fireworks display.
Grebe had told the “Berliner Zeitung” in advance that it was a gift to be able to do this big concert. “I’m not dying right now, but my brain is decomposing. What I have is a vascular disease. The small veins in the brain burst or narrow. And it’s possible that I’ll be stupid after the next stroke.” After “Hallelujah Berlin” he first needs “a week’s vacation”: “Brandenburg, Switzerland, Charité. Let’s see.”
