Puhdys return to Berlin with a historic concert album!

Puhdys return to Berlin with a historic concert album!

Germany's music history has another surprise in store: the legendary rock band Puhdys is back with a new album! Nine years after the band's official breakup, a special album entitled "Live At Rockpalast 1996" will be released on October 25, 2023. This release includes historical recordings of a memorable concert that took place on May 16, 1996 at Berlin's Waldbühne.

The album will be released digitally as well as on CD, DVD and LP via the Hanover label MIG, which has already released numerous recordings of other Rockpalast performances. During their 34-minute performance, the Puhdys presented eight songs that will take fans back to the golden era of German rock.

A performance full of emotions

Singer Dieter “Machine” Birr remembers this special evening vividly: “It was a gigantic performance,” he said in an interview with the German Press Agency. At this festival, which took place seven years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, WDR hosted an open-air event with eight bands from both parts of Germany. In addition to the Puhdys, well-known names such as Karat, Die Zöllner, City and Die Prinzen also appeared.

However, time was a decisive factor - due to the tight schedule, the Puhdys were unfortunately unable to give an encore in order not to deny the princes their appearance. «The princes had a difficult time. When they started, people kept shouting. They wanted to hear the Puhdys,” says Birr, who shows sympathy for the princes’ situation. In fact, it was challenging to perform in this atmosphere, with time constraints overshadowing the experience.

In memory of this situation, the Puhdys decided to celebrate their 30th band anniversary at the Waldbühne in 1999. An impressive 22,000 fans came to this festival, proving the group's continued popularity.

The Puhdys have a long and eventful history, dating back to their first concert on November 19, 1969 in Freiberg in Saxony. Over the years, the Puhdys developed into one of the most famous rock groups in the GDR, being voted the most popular rock group in the GDR 12 times. Their first album, “Puhdys 1,” was released exactly 50 years ago by the GDR record company Amiga.

Although the band performed at the sold-out Waldbühne in what was then West Berlin in 1981, their popularity remained unbroken even after the fall of the Wall. The news of the band's breakup in 2015 came as a surprise to fans. In January 2016 the band's history finally came to an end.

The release of the new album is now causing a wave of nostalgic memories of a time when the Puhdys were not only a musical experience for many people, but also a piece of home. Further information about this historic album is available at www.radioherford.de.