Even during my first concert visits about 30 years ago, I often urged bands to release a live recording. Live performances simply convey more atmosphere and energy than studio recordings.
Many bands release a live album, maybe even two. The BROILERS are no exception, but here’s the first special feature: they are each double albums. The second special feature of the BROILERS is their journey.
From a small band in Düsseldorf that played in small clubs and felt quite at home in the punk and oi scene during their early years, they have become a truly massive band, ranking just slightly below Die Ärzte or Die Toten Hosen, if at all.
“Puro Amor Live Tapes“ brings together 29 (!) songs, making up a complete live set of the band on two CDs or three vinyl records, which are limited to 12,000 copies. Just this number, 12,000 copies of triple vinyl. Who can keep up with that?
Of course, the band is also known for their lovingly crafted covers and booklets, but as always, it’s not about the optics but about the content.
The content is impressive. There are excerpts from three concerts that have been combined into a setlist. As a Berliner, I’m particularly pleased that two concerts from Berlin are included: one from Waldbühne and one from Wuhlheide this year, as well as one from Essen, also from 2022.
The recordings are beyond any doubt. Even through inexpensive computer speakers, there’s a really fat sound that I’ve rarely heard before. I’m curious to see how the sound will come through my setup. I’m convinced it will blow me away.
The 29 songs mostly represent a selection from the last ten years of the Düsseldorf band’s work. This is no surprise, as new songs are meant to be played live and should be played live.
The live atmosphere comes across extremely well; I would even say that I can’t think of any album where the live atmosphere has been captured so intensely. It’s really amazing how the audience goes wild with every song! The songs and the choruses are sung by the entire audience at the top of their lungs. That’s impressive!
If I compare this to Die Ärzte, I would say that the audience of BROILERS is even more engaged. I’m very impressed.
The band shows with every second how much fun they have on stage and how good it feels to be back on stage, on big stages. The band and the audience are happy together!
In the last 10 years, BROILERS have evolved into a band that is still known in the punk scene but has completely left the oi scene behind. The Düsseldorf band has turned more towards the more accessible German-language rock. This is no longer subculture, and the subculture, especially the oi scene, has largely moved on from the band.
However, I must personally say that the songs, meaning the melodies and often the lyrics, still resonate with me a lot. Sammy's voice fits very well with this. I believe a lot of what Sammy conveys.
“Puro Amor Live Tapes“ is, of course, essential material for fans of BROILERS; there’s no other way to say it. It’s a recording that gives warmth, love, friendship, and a lot of strength.
Anyone who hasn’t liked the BROILERS in the last 10 years won’t fall in love with them again through this release. They have indeed become a stadium band, with all the good and all the bad sides.
Maybe they’ll do a club tour again someday. I would be there!!
