"Stars for Free" - Saturday.

I just came back from a very nice (and free) concert. Since 3p.m. the Wuhlheide was crumbling with people, who won their tickets to this all-free concert, initated by a local radio station: 104.6 RTL. For its 10th time(!) the radio station (which turns 15 itself next week) and its sponsors managed to get musicians from the current german single-charts, as well as some all-time favourites and even first-time-ever performed live songs by 80s icon Kim Wilde, who wasn't on stage for 10 years now. Her new album, produced by Nena-producer Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen will be out this September and her current single out of this coming album, is a cover of her own 1988-song "You Came", which she performed on stage as well.

All this was accompanied by a program, in which all the "stars" of the radio station came on stage and did what they do when on the job: they moderated and and had some sponsored prizes to give away.

There were lengths in the program and sometimes it just wasn't "your music" - but it was free and I guess everyone got something to listen to he or she liked. I know I did.

Best act on stage was definately Hermes Houes Band; for being a party-band and with their repertoire of cover songs they rocked the place and everyone was on their feet. Most disturbing were the Gipsy Kings, not that there's anything wrong with their kind fo music, it just didn't fit into the concept. Suffice to say they didn't get much applause. To bad when everything the crowd knows about you is one song (Bamboleo).

Newcomer Marquess is really, really hot and he & his hit-single "El Temperamento" (the music-video of this song will start automatically when you visit his official page) were amongst those who got the crowd going, as well as ex-Blue Simon Webbe, whose current album Sanctuary should be known to anyone.

For a complete listing of all the contributors to this show visit 104.6 RTL's page.

Kim Wilde sang her last song and left the stage, that then went black just after her exit. At either side of the stage two glowing flames came on and a curtain of sparks laid a glow on the first rows of people gathered in front of the stage. The streams of sparks finally died and then ... the sky exploded with the most beautiful and largest fireworks I have ever seen. They even surpassed those of the grand opening of Berlin Central Station earlier this year (IMO), which of course had a more complex light show going on before the fireworks.

So, Stars for Free 2006 wasn't a perfect match with my taste in music for being called a great show by myself, but I had a good time.

PS. my favourite single (as in: at the moment), the cover of "She's Like The Wind" (yes, the ballad fom Dirty Dancing) by the DJ duo Vibekingz feat. Berlin-based singer Maliq (another hottie) was also performed on stage early on in the show. Listen to the song on Maliq's myspace.

I just came back from a very nice (and free) concert. Since 3p.m. the Wuhlheide was crumbling with people, who won their tickets to this all-free concert, initated by a local radio station: 104.6 RTL. For its 10th time(!) the radio station (which turns 15 itself next week) and its sponsors managed to get musicians from the current german single-charts, as well as some all-time favourites and even first-time-ever performed live songs by 80s icon Kim Wilde, who wasn't on stage for 10 years now. Her new album, produced by Nena-producer Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen will be out this September and her current single out of this coming album, is a cover of her own 1988-song "You Came", which she performed on stage as well.

All this was accompanied by a program, in which all the "stars" of the radio station came on stage and did what they do when on the job: they moderated and and had some sponsored prizes to give away.

There were lengths in the program and sometimes it just wasn't "your music" - but it was free and I guess everyone got something to listen to he or she liked. I know I did.

Best act on stage was definately Hermes Houes Band; for being a party-band and with their repertoire of cover songs they rocked the place and everyone was on their feet. Most disturbing were the Gipsy Kings, not that there's anything wrong with their kind fo music, it just didn't fit into the concept. Suffice to say they didn't get much applause. To bad when everything the crowd knows about you is one song (Bamboleo).

Newcomer Marquess is really, really hot and he & his hit-single "El Temperamento" (the music-video of this song will start automatically when you visit his official page) were amongst those who got the crowd going, as well as ex-Blue Simon Webbe, whose current album Sanctuary should be known to anyone.

For a complete listing of all the contributors to this show visit 104.6 RTL's page.

Kim Wilde sang her last song and left the stage, that then went black just after her exit. At either side of the stage two glowing flames came on and a curtain of sparks laid a glow on the first rows of people gathered in front of the stage. The streams of sparks finally died and then ... the sky exploded with the most beautiful and largest fireworks I have ever seen. They even surpassed those of the grand opening of Berlin Central Station earlier this year (IMO), which of course had a more complex light show going on before the fireworks.

So, Stars for Free 2006 wasn't a perfect match with my taste in music for being called a great show by myself, but I had a good time.

PS. my favourite single (as in: at the moment), the cover of "She's Like The Wind" (yes, the ballad fom Dirty Dancing) by the DJ duo Vibekingz feat. Berlin-based singer Maliq (another hottie) was also performed on stage early on in the show. Listen to the song on Maliq's myspace.

"Stars for Free" - Saturday.