Forget playing next to a zoo, like Justin Sullivan did in Nürnberg a few days prior to today. He was confronted by peacocks and seals at that venue. Frankfurt gave him the welcome which epitomised the bias of “German efficiency”- workmen using their angle grinders on a Friday night to try and finish a build which has been lagging for months.
Not enough heartache for Batschkapp to deal with the pandemic, no, they also have the pleasure of having this never-ending construction site next to their very well built Sommergarten. Also quite German was the welcome, a bit timid as he opened his acoustic set with ‘Maps’, a New Model Army song.
With every song Justin connected more with his audience who were maybe timid only for the reason that this must have been the first concert in a long time for all of us.
Although written during the beginning of the Covid pandemic, Justin Sullivan has focused on other worldly topics on his latest solo album ‘Surrounded’, though of course the narrow-mindedness of his own countrymen is reflected in so many of his lyrics.
The crowd warm up to his solo single ‘Amundsen’ and when he gets to the New Model Army song ‘Over the Wire’ he cannot contain his anti-Brexit and anti-nationalism feelings any longer. As I once said in my interview with Justin a few years ago (see Interviews), he knew and called out the state of British society decades ago. On a side note- what is true for them, is true for us. “We, as humans, are so small and insignificant in the entirety of it all.”
Closing the set with ‘Snelsmore Wood’, Justin promised he’d be back “whenever he is back” with the whole band. Justin Sullivan delivered a solo concert which eased us all back into what the future holds: Live Music, hopefully without bells and whistles, without angle grinders in the background and hopefully without having to worry about getting sick. Thank you Batschkapp and thank you Justin Sullivan for taking us that one step further to the new normal.
Justin Sullivan @ Batschkapp 17.09.2021
