Always one of the most interesting of the Stadtgarten evenings, PopCamp on Saturday didn’t disappoint. Thought-provoking songs from Nicholas Müller, Retro Variete/Jazz with Magdalena Ganter and bang up-to-date with Indie-Pop from Juli Gilde who, following two well received EP’s, is just now working on her debut full release.
It always sounds to me like a brand new concept, but in fact, PopCamp is celebrating it’s 20th year in 2024. For those wondering, PopCamp is a high-level support programme for newcomer musicians. Every year, five artists are accepted into the programme and offered a year of coaching with top-class instructors from the music world.
Together with selected instructors, the participants embark on two work phases in which they work intensively on their music creation and receive support in the areas of image, songwriting & producing, performance, music law, social media and more. At the end of the second work phase, they present themselves to the outside world with a showcase concert in Berlin. In an additional third work phase, the artists can realise their own projects and receive financial and content-related support from the PopCamp of the German Music Council. We actually had one of the five chosen 2024 artists on the stage here just last weekend – Stina Holmquist. And very good she was too!
I wonder if the order of this evening’s bands was based purely on attendance year? I wasn’t sure about the sense of it otherwise. My money would have been on Magdalena Ganter’s very visual presentation to finish the evening under a deep blue early night sky and bright stage lights. As it happened though the first music onstage came from a man whose band, Jupiter Jones, was a part of that very first PopCamp in 2005.
The band name of Jupiter Jones was one I’d heard, but what to expect 19 years later? It turns out that Nicholas Müller has had something of a roller-coaster ride of a career. Two things that I particularly liked about his performance were A) His strong, weathered voice and B) his excellent lyrics. The former actually adds gravitas to the latter – these were, for the most part, the songs he was performing as a newcomer? Amazing! Nicholas is currently one of those PopCamp instructors, and ideal for the job. He’s been on the ‘up’ escalator to music success and also on the downward one as both a documentary and numerous tattoos attest. ‘Don’t Panic’ is written backwards on his neck and ‘I own my fear’ on his hand. Attests to a fight against the panic attacks that culminated in the end of Jupiter Jones days before a major tour. Nicholas wears his heart almost physically on his sleeve.
A mesmerizing and seemingly effortless performance aided by Peter Lagoda on guitar. The big JJ hit ‘Still’ is of course performed, alongside ‘Der Nagel’ with it’s moving lyric “Ich war so gern normal, für dich”. A couple of nods to English writers including Damien Rice’s ‘Trusty & True’. A super pared-back set that set a high benchmark for the two ladies to come.
Magdalena Ganter was last seen on the Stadtgarten stage around the time of her PopCamp attendance in 2015. That time it was with the band Mockemalör although my memory of the time is only of a remarkable female singer. The lady clearly learnt well. Her stage presence is excellent as she interacts with the listeners and visually gives them something to look at – dancing and smiling along. Given her stage presence, It’s not so surprising when she presents a song to one of her greatest inspirations – Josephine Baker, who is a Lady who knew a thing or two about stage presentation (the iconic banana skirt and not much else). Ganter’s song reflects a wish to be able to converse with Baker. I felt the same way after seeing an exhibition and documentary of the French superstarlet’s fascinating life at Bundeskunsthalle a couple of years ago. ‘Whatever Lola Wants’ is certainly a song I can imagine Baker revelling in. The hit song from 1955’s ‘Damn Yankees’ film is also perfect for Magdalena Ganter’s musical theatre style this evening.
But all credit, as Ganter is an excellent writer herself. The provocative ‘Nackt’ is perfectly inspired by songs like Lola with it’s lyric:
“Duschen, und zwar nackt!
Und nur für mich alleine und ich lieb’ mich sehr dabei
Am liebsten duschen, und zwar nackt
Und nur für mich allein und ich lieb’ mich unauffällig dabei, dabei”
It’s not a song you can hide behind a microphone whilst singing, and Ganter has all the right poses and expressions to present it. Music? Theatre? or Musical Theatre?.
“This song has always been a favourite of mine” confides the Lady as she leaves the piano to compose herself for the next number. As she does so, I suddenly realize that it’s got dark. The sky is a deep blue colour. Where has the time gone this evening? It flies by again all too quickly with a song that has been a favourite of mine too since I heard Elkie Brooks sing it at Portsmouth Guildhall in 1980. Even the sky seems to be crying at the end of Magdalena’s presentation of ‘Lilac Wine’. Actually, it has begun to rain, which is miraculous because there has been rain all day until shortly before Nicholas Müller’s set.
You have to feel a bit sorry for Juli Gilde. Two hours of excellent music to follow will be hard in itself, and now this rain too?! But the girl seems to take it admirably in her stride, and to her credit she keeps the majority of the listeners from disappearing into the surrounding trees in search of dryer ground. There are thankfully plenty of umbrellas braving the area in front of the stage still, even though the grass picnickers have thinned out considerably.
Gilde is the newcomer, Popcamp vintage only 2022, and in many ways it shows. Müller and Ganter have clearly found their style and honed their stage presence. Juli Gilde looks rather uncomfortable and could benefit from having a full band rather than just a bass guitarist and pre-mixes on a computer. But I do admire her stoic presence despite the rain. To be fair, it’s early days yet for the youngster from Berlin with her Indie Pop songs. Not my thing, but not aimed at my generation anyway. My observation of late is that there are a lot of young female singers around now, which is a good thing for equality but a bad thing if you’re trying to avoid getting lost in the crowd. The survivors will be the ones who have something a little different to offer style-wise. I’m sure that if there is a diamond inside the music of Juli Gild then PopCamp will have given her some pointers s to how best to polish it. One of the pleasures of hearing new talent is seeing how high it will fly. It’s also why I enjoy these PopCamp evenings at Stadtgarten so much every year.
