"hello eltmann, here with you the south begins, and what i learned right at the beginning, the citizens of eltmann call themselves eltmen. What does the equal opportunities representative say?? Were it not for elt women?", reinhold beckmann joked at the beginning of the song. "and i also learned from sandra aumuller that your mayor has been in office for almost 20 years. That’s longer than angela merkel!" when the native hamburger then added the remark of a friend "you can forget all the big halls you have been in. Only when you perform in the town hall of eltmann, you have made it", he won over the 200 concertgoers after just a few sentences.
Known as a presenter
Many visitors had certainly also come to experience the famous sports presenter from his other side, and he even gave them the opportunity to leaf through the book with him before the concert. "music had always been incredibly important to me. Even as a 15-year-old I had a small band, I also went to concerts a lot and once even considered studying music. Music has always been of special importance to me."
But then he completed an apprenticeship as a radio, television and video technician and then studied German, theater, film and television studies in the cathedral city of Cologne, where he lived for twelve years. He has now lived in hamburg for 27 years.
As a soccer expert on the sports show, he achieved a special television presence, but has also become known through talk shows and numerous documentaries. Now how does he get into this music business? "music simply makes you happy. I’ve always made music and as a professional musician you can expect a lot of joy", he said. The initial spark for his music career was an appearance on the show "inas nacht" where he sang together with host ina muller. It never left him, he confessed.
"To perform with my own band, with my own songs and lyrics, at the age of 63, is a great gift for me. Until now, we’ve been touring more through northern germany, but now we’re making our way to baden-wurttemberg and bavaria, and we’re getting an enthusiastic reception", he told. During his small talk between songs, beckmann did not conceal the fact that he grew up in the small town of twistringen, a catholic enclave, where he also experienced a lot of community spirit.
profound and authentic
Twistringen became something like a declaration of love to his childhood and youthful pranks, which also determine his lyrics in the songs. But also the many encounters with well-known politicians in his television work made the transition to short sociopolitical recordings. That gives his songs a certain identity.
"There were the days and there is only one word. Everything we were went overboard. We almost missed the way out. so many dares, so many failures, life has gone crazy", was then the prelude to a whole series of songs from his new album "freispiel". he picked up many situations from life. In the love ballad "Be my smile" he also gave advice and asked his listeners: "what is the best antidote for loneliness??" when someone interjected "the wedding", he added "security for two. Hold on! There is nothing better."
With his song "wohin in dieser welt?" he recalled the little refugee boy who washed up dead on the beach in turkey, and thus refugees and asylum seekers. "the sea is wild and it forgets; without a goal and the sky falls into the sea, hope overboard, one has told the wind." thought-provoking and almost somewhat apologetic, he had nevertheless wanted to address this because it touched him so much. for such reasons he has been involved in a network for young people in hamburg for 20 years now. his songs "at the edge of time" were a good match for that, which is about the turmoil in the world, or "gangster" about the world of "gamblers, losers, millionaires.
Then he turned his attention back to life, in which men are more snivelling than women, and he supported his thesis with the "hypochondriac song", in which it is said: "i am my greatest concern, am constantly on guard. Not long ago, I almost perished, I fear only the worst if that hurts."
not only beckmann’s singing, but also the solo pieces on his guitar were enthusiastic. Even the young band members master their instruments with absolute aplomb. no one remained seated during the ballad "once again with you through bremen at night" or the memory of the first love "charlotte" with the refrain "everything, everything only for you".
Standing ovations and storms of applause would not end at the end of the concert.