Dresden. Actually, they never wanted to do that. Broadcasting your music via live stream on the Internet – “that was out of the question for us,” says Tim Gernitz, member of the Dresden comedy-pop band Notendealer. “We just need our audience to perform.” There was great hope that live concerts would be possible again in early spring, the last of this kind was more than six months ago, says Tim. Every month the disappointment: events remain banned.
Ok, they can’t take it that long without their show – and have chosen a very special location for their first appearance in 2021: the presidential suite in the Grandhotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski. With its heavy curtains, expensive carpets and dark wooden furniture, the suite is made for the musicians who are no less impressive in blue suits, extravagant shoes and perfectly fitting hairstyles. A touch of luxury, a stately ambience, paired with the charm and look of the four musicians – the combination fits perfectly.
Where the Russian head of state Vladimir Putin and the former US President Barack Obama once sat at their desks, there are four microphones on Saturday evening, a lot of technology and light are installed, the cameras are in position. The suite was converted into a small TV studio.
First online concert in the band’s history
It is the first online concert in the band history of the sheet music dealers, who want to use it to advertise their new show “KannMannSutra”. On Saturday evening just before the broadcast began, they have already sold 500 tickets. But it’s not about the money at all, says Tom Gernitz before the show. “Our refrigerators were always full.” But the work is missing, all four have been full-time musicians with their band for 17 years, they want to get out on the stage, in front of their audience, they want applause and admiration, want to entertain and create wonderful hours.
On this Saturday, however, they still have to forego the applause, spectators are not allowed to attend the concert on site at the Kempinski. The Corona regulations still prohibit this. Instead, the audience is sitting in the living room at home, some may be dancing, others have invited friends. Tim Gernitz, Paul Fröbel, Felix Günther and Lars Kessler don’t know how their show will be received, they may find out after the concert when they get the first reactions from their fans.
Like the event industry, the hotel industry is waiting for things to start again after the corona lockdown. That is one of the reasons why the music dealers are allowed to record their concerts at the Kempinski. The contact was established via the entrepreneur network BNI-Südost, in which Daniela Meißner has represented the Taschenbergpalais Kempinski for seven years. “We were immediately enthusiastic about the idea and reserved the Crown Prince Suite for the band.”
Open-air show planned in Dresden Zoo
This is the official name of the 360 square meter apartment, which, by the way, was also where Robbie Williams and his entourage stayed at his Dresden concerts. The suite costs between 7,000 and 9,000 euros per night.
The hotel provides the suite free of charge for the note dealers; guests are not there anyway. Daniela Meißner is the deputy sales manager at Kempinski and had hoped that the online concert of the sheet music dealers would coincide with the opening of the hotels. However, that did not work out, hotels and guesthouses in Dresden still have to remain closed. The Kempinski is completely closed, even business travelers don’t get a room. The restaurants and outdoor dining areas of the hotel will only be opened when the hotel is fully operational again. Daniela Meißner reckons that this could be the case in about two weeks.
“We hope that this concert will herald the end of the lockdown for the Taschenbergpalais as the first cultural event in many months,” says hotel director Marten Schwass.
At least for the musicians and their fans there is good news. The grade dealers can be seen live again in the coming week: On Friday and Saturday they will play their new one “KannMannSutra” program at the OpenAir in Dresden Zoo.
