FEINE SAHNE FISCHFILET. A band that has played their hearts out and achieved what no one expected before this miserable pandemic. They were in a league with the biggest punk rock bands. A rise that, in my eyes, they more than deserved. It was always on the upswing.

It was always on the upswing; that could have also been the title of the book, because from birth to 182 kilos, that is something many people do not achieve in their lives. It is something that is not necessarily desirable either, as the size-weight ratio no longer fits. This is something that singer Monchi realized one concert evening and told himself that he needed to change that.

What does it look like when the singer of one of Germany's most well-known leftist bands decides to lose weight or at least try?

Will it be different from Trude or Horst around the corner, who have the same intention?

What happens until it is said, “I weigh 120 kilos and feel like a butterfly“?

What will this trip be like, which stretches over 300 pages?

One thing I can say after reading it, it is a trip! In the truest sense of the word.

Monchi writes as he speaks. I think he has just grown, and his beak is big, really big.

The way Monchi writes does not leave you cold. Monchi lets readers share in his life. A life that many readers may have suspected but only some know to some extent. It may be a life that many would like to lead, but just as many are repulsed by it. Things are named for what they are, and nothing is concealed. The language is not flowery and grandiloquent, but straightforward and direct. That’s how you know people from the coast. Monchi is no exception. No matter what is said, after reading the book, one thing will not be said, I am quite sure of that:

It was boring!

Monchi tells about his life. How he grew up, how he started making music, how Hansa Rostock captivated him and still captivates him, and how he simply lives life to the fullest every day. The weight issue is the common thread of the book, but not necessarily the main theme. I am grateful for that, as I had a bit of a fear that this would be one of those books by formerly obese people who are now slim and only talk about how great they are and always have been, but at least now are great because they have managed to lose weight.

The book describes a rollercoaster ride of life. A life that Monchi, if we are to believe the end of the book, has a bit more under control. Living a bit healthier, paying a bit more attention to oneself. It may sound crappy, but if you haven’t made it into the 27 Club, then you can keep living.

The last lines of the book are as follows:

Because one thing is a fact: I still have so much hunger for life...and I am never satisfied

Great job, Monchi!