A Trip to “Adventureland”

Anyone who covers “Pur” has hit songs on their setlist. They’ll have an easy time winning over fans of the original band, one of Germany’s most successful groups. That is, provided they’re good enough to come close enough to the original, just like “Abenteuerland” did. They hardly even needed the colorful uniform jackets, which served as a nod to their role models’ outfits.

Carsten Siebert and the band quickly had the market square—which was delightfully packed with music fans—under control. In no time at all, the gap between the edge of the stage and the first row of spectators—which is always there at the start—had disappeared. As many in the crowd quickly became enthusiastic listeners, moving to the beat, Siebert led them in swinging their arms and hands above their heads. And because many of Pur’s songs are simply catchy, the crowd sang along loudly and with perfect lyrics—songs whose popularity, by all accounts, spans all age groups.

However, there was no denying what Carsten Siebert pointed out: The general enthusiasm seemed to grip the female members of the audience more than the men. Perhaps this is due to the songs’ lyrics: They deal with deep and not-so-deep feelings, with eyes like pearls, togetherness, and longing. And perhaps the men’s reaction to this was more subdued than that of their female companions. At least on the surface.

(Die Glocke, July 24, 2011)