It Was Really Real: Asha Banks Brings Her 'How Real Was It?' Tour To Berlin

On March 7th, a Saturday evening, the Columbia Theater in Berlin quickly filled with fans of all ages, gathering for a night of shared love for music, excitement, and a sense of belonging. With Asha Banks’ tour titled “How Real Was It?”, the anticipation in the room hinted at what the night might become: something too good, too emotional, almost too real to be true. A night that promised to linger long after the final song had been played.

Liang Lawrence: The One To Warm Everyone Up For The Night

The lights dimmed at 8 pm when supporting act Liang Lawrence entered the stage, welcomed by the crowd with loud cheers and smiling faces.

Looking at the crowd, she laughed, surprised by the audience. “This is a very well-built venue. I can see every one of you, for your information. There are so many heads. I didn’t expect to see so many people.” She introduced herself as the one there to warm everyone up for the night.

While orange lights fell around her, she opened her set with her song "Use Me", a song about having slept with too many people who were bad to her - in the sense that she would have done anything to become an integral part of someone else’s life, even if it meant losing herself in the process. Despite the humor in the introduction, the room quickly fell silent while she sang, listening closely to every word. After finishing the song, she looked out again, still visibly surprised. “Thank you so much,” Liang said softly. “I keep thinking about how many people are here.”

Between songs, she shared small stories with the crowd, mentioning how much she loved Berlin and this crowd, and how she had discovered Burgermeister the day before, saying it was “so good and so unreal.”

Before diving into her song "the pilot", she explained that she wrote it about someone who only talked to her when he wanted to have sex. A few nights ago, at a recent show, two guys came to her after the show and said the song “[...] felt like a stab attack,” to which she jokingly responded, “Good,” earning laughter and approval from the crowd.

While she performed "the pilot", the crowd stood mesmerized, nodding along as her voice filled the venue.

Picking up her guitar, Liang then moved on to a song from her first EP, "letters to myself." She introduced "unposted letters" as a song about struggling with feelings and thoughts, and how to communicate them verbally while writing them down in a journal, like writing a bunch of letters you are never going to send. Under yellow and orange lights, her captivating presence filled the room, the venue quiet except for her words. The applause was immense, suggesting the audience could relate to her lyrics to some extent and felt understood by her talented songwriting.

Before taking a sip of her water, she asked the audience for help. “How do you say cheers in German?” The audience was eager to answer, screaming “Prost” multiple times, and after a quick correction and emphasis on the ‘r’, she nailed the pronunciation to the delight of the crowd.

She warmly introduced her guitarist, Coby Miller, “I love this guy”, and shared that they wrote the next song, “If It Isn’t Killing Me,” together. It is a song from her most recent EP called "It’s A Funny Thing", and one of her favorite songs. Liang shares that the tagline throughout the song is "It’s A Funny Thing," which ultimately sounded so right to her that she turned it into the EP’s title. An emotional performance accompanied by guitar strings and the lights of the crowd's flashlights.

After a round of applause, she shared that she would be at the merch table after the show and might even give away free stuff if someone tells her a funny joke.

One thing was clear: Liang Lawrence and her guitarist, Coby Miller, warmed up the crowd for Asha Banks with their incredible performances, strong and beautiful storytelling, and personalities. The Columbia Theater was in for an incredible night.

Asha Banks Takes The Stage

At 9 pm, the lights dimmed again, signaling the moment the crowd had been waiting for. Asha’s band entered the stage first as anticipation filled the venue.

Then, unexpectedly, Asha appeared walking through the back of the crowd toward the stage, holding her plant, an olive tree, in her hands. Several ‘Oh my God’s’, cheers, and laughter of disbelief filled the crowd as she passed fans, in awe that they had just seen their favorite artist walk right beside them.

When she reached the stage and put her plant on the keyboard, she immediately launched into "Rerun." The crowd sang along from the very first line, dancing as the energy in the room quickly rose.

Cheers and screams filled the venue as she grabbed her guitar and continued with "Silverlines." Orange lights illuminated the stage while guitars and drums built a powerful sound that made the entire venue feel alive.

"Saltwound" followed, leaning into the mic; she smiled and softly sang, “I don’t mind this, the little silences.” The room fell briefly quiet. A smile from Asha that it worked, while a few fans chuckle in agreement.

Accompanied by red lights, her hauntingly beautiful voice filled the venue, and it got even more beautiful when the song arrived at its refrain, and the entire room sang along with her.

“If it’s gonna sting, let it sting ‘til I die.” She sang the final lines softly, harmonizing with the crowd.

A Birthday Celebration On Stage

“Hello, Berlin,” Asha greeted the audience afterwards. “How are you doing?” Cheers echoed through the room, fans making sure she knew they had a great time. “This is the second biggest show I’ve ever played. This is wild.” She marveled, taking a minute to take it all in. “So many beautiful people.”

A year earlier, she had released her first EP called Untie My Tongue, making this night “[…] basically a birthday party.” Fans in the first few rows had prepared small birthday head cones for her special show that night, which she noticed instantly, smiling gratefully at them.

"This next song I love very, very much. I love them all very much,” she shared with the crowd, but highlighted that this next one was really special to her as it is, compared to her other songs, more uplifting and more fun to perform. Asha launches into "Every Way You Look At Me I Honestly Die", and it is everything she promised. It’s uplifting and fun, while the crowd joins her in singing at the top of their lungs, she swirls and dances around the stage. A fan handed her a German flag, which she happily incorporated into her dancing before accepting another fan gift, a birthday crown, placing it on her head.

“Come on, guys, sing it with me!“ She shouted energetically into the microphone, holding it toward the audience. The crowd delivered.

“You guys are so up for it,” she laughed. “And it makes me so happy.”

Stripped Back Moments

The atmosphere shifted instantly as Asha performed her song "Done is Done" acoustically, just her voice, her guitar, and the crowd singing along. Without the band accompanying her, the depth and range of her voice stood out even more, highlighting its multifaceted aspects.

One of the standout moments of the night was with the song "Half Built Bridge." Under the red lights, the entire venue filled with voices as the audience sang the lyrics together with her. The applause afterwards was deafening.

Asha returned to her earliest music, singing “So Green,” the first song she had ever released in 2024, to the delight of the fans. Green lights washed across the venue as fans raised their hands and swayed gently to the song, singing along.

Emotional Highlights

A fan favorite of the night was her song "Mascara Tears." Without a guitar, she stepped closer to the barricade, reaching out to fans, holding hands, and continuing to sing, making it even more emotional.

Later, she picked up her instrument again and told the crowd how healing it felt to hear them sing along. “You sound so beautiful. Thank you for singing.”

For another intimate moment, Asha grabbed her notebook and told the crowd that she would sing a different cover each night of the tour. Tonight in Berlin, she would sing a song that is really special and dear to her heart: "Youth" by Daughter. The moment felt intimate, raw, and emotional as the room listened to her voice sing the song that captures the challenges of growing up and the emotional struggles that come with it.

Balancing Music and Filming

During the show, Asha spoke about another chapter in her career, one very familiar to the crowd: her acting career. She talked about filming My Fault: London, in which she played the main character, Noah, while continuing to write songs. She shared how determined she had been to have one of her songs included in the movie, whether in the movie or in the song credits.

“If you found me and my music through the movie, and that’s why you are here now, thank you. I love you.”

Asha then launches into “Feel The Rush,” the song that made it into the movie and into the hearts of the crowd, as evidenced by the loud, clear voices and dancing. We for sure felt the rush in the crowd, and we knew we were not alone with it.

“We feel the rush!” the audience shouted back after she encouraged them to sing louder.

Everywhere we looked, there were smiling, happy faces, singing, dancing, laughing, and having a good time.

A Magical Ending

As the show slowly approached its end, Asha leaned into the microphone. “You guys truly have been the most amazing crowd.” Smiling, she took a moment to highlight her supporting act. “Can we just say how amazing Liang Lawrence is?”

The crowd cheered and whistled in agreement.

Then, smiling to herself, she added excitedly. “Also…We got hoodies. How surreal is that? My name is on a hoodie.” She beamed, fascinated by her own merch, earning more chuckles from the fans and a few cheers and screams from those in the crowd who already owned one or were about to get one after the show.

Before the final song, she promised the crowd one thing. “Thank you for being here. I will be back soon.” She led the magical night to the closing with “Closing Time.”

But one last special moment awaited Asha. Fans close to the stage held up green leaves with written messages, creating a sea of green around the venue. Looking out at the display, Asha smiled widely.  

One last time, the voices grew louder as she encouraged the crowd to sing even louder.

“I had the best time. Thank you so much.” Asha beamed at the audience before turning to her bandmates and giving them a round of applause: Louis Nelson on the guitar and bass, Rory Redfern on the guitar and keyboard, and Ramiel Powell on the drums. She grabbed her plant, the German flag, and the fan gifts before leaving the stage with the brightest grin.

The applause, cheers, and whistles that followed echoed in the Columbia Theater. A clear indication that the night just experienced was emotional, joyful, and, as the tour title asked, indeed really real.

Both Asha Banks and Liang Lawrence delivered a heartfelt, emotional, fun, and lyrically strong performance that not only showcased their multifaceted voices and raw storytelling talent but also their artistry in capturing people with their voices. Both their voices blended perfectly, making it a harmonious night.

SEE ALL PHOTOS OF THE NIGHT HERE: