Cage The Elephant @ Docks in Hamburg
After recently winning the Best Rock Album GRAMMY award for “Social Cues” (in 2017 they had already won it for “Tell Me I’m Pretty” and in 2015 they were nominated for Best Alternative Music Album for “Melophobia”), the tickets for any of the Cage The Elephant shows had been long ago sold out and on last Friday night at Docks in Hamburg I was one of the lucky ones that could witness the last concert of their German gig, which ended up being simply a memorable show by what I'm sure it is one of the best bands of the last decade (and probably the ones yet to come).
As surely happened the previous days in Cologne and Berlin, the Docks room in Hamburg was a pressure cooker. A much smaller venue than what the Kentucky band (USA) could have filled, and the feeling in the audience of being all of us privileged ones about to witness one of those concerts that should not be missed.
Cage The Elephant is formed by the brothers Matt (lead vocalist) and Brad Shultz (rhythm guitarist), Nick Bockrath (lead guitarist), Matthan Minster (guitarist and keyboardist), Daniel Tichenor (bassist) and Jared Champion (drummer), and throughout their 15 year career they have tried not to be classified under any musical genre. But above all its members stands out singer Matt Shultz. It is impossible not to catch his tremendous energy. Electric on stage, he has been compared to Mick Jagger, but also to Iggy Pop or David Bowie. And despite how impressive (and well deserved) the comparisons seem to be, Matt simply deserves to be just Matt. Whether the charismatic leader of the Rolling Stones always have everything carefully calculated, Matt seems to constantly jump into a void without a parachute, freed thanks to the music (among his many other artistic interests), without fear of showing himself as he is. And because of that, he reminds me more of John Lennon. Matt dives inward himself all the time, and then shares it with us in the form of touching melodies, lyrics, art and performances, without the fear of being judged or misunderstood, and I take my hat off for it.
As in the rest of the tour, in Hamburg they started the concert with “Broken Boy”, a raw and direct song from their latest album (they just released a new version featuring the godfather of punk, Iggy Pop). “Social Cues” is a magnificent album and the most personal album of the band's career, taking root lyrically in the dissolution of Shultz's marriage and it was recorded while the band was going through an incredible amount of loss in their lives. You can feel the emotion and struggle, but its honesty somehow makes you connect or empathize with their music. Proof of it is that in addition to “Broken Boy” they also played “Ready To Let Go”, “Social Cues”, “Tokyo Smoke”, “Skin And Bones” and “House Of Glass”. Great new songs that the audience received with enthusiasm.
But with 5 albums in the market, obviously they also have hits to complete what was an impressive setlist, so before the night ended with a four-song encore, the band didn't forget classics such as “Ain't No Rest for the Wicked”, “Trouble”, “Shake Me Down”, “Cigarette Daydreams” or “Come A Little Closer”.
Cage The Elephant is one of the most talented groups on the music scene and Matt Shultz is an impressive frontman. A sensitive and polyhedral person who sings and acts with an honest anger, as only those who drag a past where probably nothing has been easy can do. It's all or nothing. In Hamburg he jumped, clapped, danced and interacted with an audience that here in Germany usually prefers to enjoy the music without being disturbed and yet, thanks to Matt´s chaotic energy simply ate out of the palm of his hand. Clearly Matt leads the highly deserved reputation of this band as one of the best live performers. We´ll meet again soon!
Find all tour dates visiting Cage The Elephant website.
Cage The Elephant setlist of their concert at Docks in Hamburg on February 28th, 2020
Broken Boy
Cry Baby
Spiderhead
Too Late to Say Goodbye
Cold Cold Cold
Ready to Let Go
Social Cues
Tokyo Smoke
Mess Around
Trouble
Black Madonna
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
It's Just Forever
Telescope
House of Glass
Come a Little Closer
Shake Me Down
Teeth
Love's the Only Way (encore)
Cigarette Daydreams (encore)
Back Against the Wall (encore)
Sabertooth Tiger (encore)
Cover photograph by Neil Krug
