Of Monsters and Men’s Fairy-Tale Evening on Their Mouse Parade Tour in Hamburg

It's a mild Monday evening on Hamburg's Reeperbahn when a band from frosty Iceland brings its songs to DOCKS – songs that sound like the warmth of a campfire and icy Nordic wind at the same time. As part of their The Mouse Parade Tour, Of Monsters and Men come to Germany for four shows and quickly demonstrate why their mix of indie folk, melancholy, and big choruses has been reaching people around the world for over a decade.

Songs like "Little Talks" and "Dirty Paws" were released when I had just turned 10 years old. Since then, these songs have been an integral part of radio culture, not to mention that they became the collective soundtrack of an entire generation.

At first glance at the audience, it was obvious that there was a wide age range this evening. Late teens, millennials, and older folks are all part of the crowd. Many of them clearly have their own memories tied to these songs. The lines on some faces seem almost younger than some of the music they're about to hear tonight. The anticipation is pretty clear: they're excited to finally hear these songs live, songs that have been important parts of certain chapters of their lives.

The sold-out venue DOCKS, which holds up to 1,500 people, offers an ideal setting: close enough for intimate moments but large enough for the band's anthems. Many visitors stand close to the barricade in front of the stage, while others have made themselves comfortable at the bars at the sides, drinks in hand, as anticipation fills the air.

Not all band members started the show that evening with "Television Love" – co-lead singer Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir had already made her first brief appearance a little earlier, joining opening Act RAKEL on stage for her last song.

RAKEL is a fellow Icelandic Singer and did an excellent job opening for the band. With her calm but emotional songs, she provided the ideal setting to get in the mood for the nostalgic vibes of Of Monsters and Men.

A particularly memorable moment was when RAKEL asked the audience to “whistle” wind sounds together. Surprisingly, many visitors joined in, and for a brief moment it actually felt as if a gentle breeze was blowing through the room, as if, with a little imagination, you were standing on one of Iceland's black, windy beaches.

The Icelandic singer impressed with her wonderful vocals and certainly won over a few new fans that evening.

Visually, the concert focuses on atmosphere rather than big effects as well. Large softboxes behind the band cast a soft light on the stage, while at the right moments they also illuminate the entire room with bright light. As usual with backlighting, sometimes only the silhouettes of the band members are visible, complementing the band's sound.

Right on time at 9:00 p.m., Of Monsters and Men finally took the stage and opened the evening with “Television Love,” the opener of their new album All Is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade. The song begins hopefully and dynamically, carried by Ragnar's voice, and feels calm and fragile, before Nanna's vocals unfold a hopeful energy in the middle of the song that sets the tone for the rest of the evening.

The set was very dynamically structured. The quiet songs are framed by faster songs and the band's classics. The synergy between Nanna's clear voice and Ragnar's grounded, warm sound characterizes many songs. Sometimes they respond to each other, sometimes they blend into harmonies.

The song, which was not only the introduction to the band's music for many but also the band's rise to worldwide success, is sung loudly from beginning to end by pretty much everyone in the DOCKS that evening.

Between these well-known hits, there are also quieter passages. For songs like "Mouse Parade", the lights dim and people to my left and right hold each other in their arms as they gently sway back and forth. Some people close their eyes and enter the world painted by Of Monsters and Men.

After the regular set and a short obligatory applause break, the band returns for an encore. With "Love Love Love", fans can enjoy another song from the album My Head is an Animal, while "Fruit Bat" provides a perfect, slightly playful finale that lifts the mood once again before the lights go out and the evening at DOCKS comes to an end.

Nostalgia and melancholy are palpable. No matter where you look, people seem to be immersed in their own memories for an evening.

A young family later tells me at the merch table that their young son always affectionately calls the band's songs “fairy tale songs.”

Perhaps that is really the most fitting description for the music of Of Monsters and Men: Full of melancholy, a spirit of adventure, and that special mixture of warmth and vastness that can transform a room into a world of its own for just one evening.

In the following weeks, Of Monsters and Men will continue their European Tour for more shows in Spain, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden before they head to Australia and Asia in May.

Get tickets here!

LISTEN TO OF MONSTERS AND MEN'S NEW ALBUM "ALL IS LOVE AND PAIN IN THE MOUSE PARADE" HERE:

FIND MORE PHOTOS OF THE SHOW HERE: