Reeperbahn Festival 2024: an international treasure trove of emerging talent

Across the four-day stint of Reeperbahn 2024, Hamburg’s St. Pauli district must surely have one of the highest concentrations of venues-per-kilometre in Europe. Transforming an area usually known for its stag parties and - ahem - nightlife into a bustling hotbed of new music, throughout the festival there are more than 50 stages for people to weave their way between.

Kick-starting proceedings on Reeperbahn’s inaugural night are the Netherlands’ cult favourites Personal Trainer, who open DIY’s very own stage at the iconic Molotow Club: one of Germany’s most famous grassroots spots which, in its time, has hosted the likes of The Killers, The White Stripes, IDLES and more. With seven band members, one and a half drum kits, and frequent instrument swaps, their set-up is a busy one, but they balance the tightrope between controlled synergy and playful chaos with aplomb. Darting between thrashing riffs, jaunty melodies, and brass lines reminiscent of the much-sampled ‘Express Yourself’, it’s a performance that’s dynamic and difficult to pin down; much like their namesake, Personal Trainer are a band who evidently don’t relish standing still, sonically or otherwise.

Moving from Amsterdam to London, next up on DIY’s stage are one of the English capital’s buzziest new prospects, mary in the junkyard. Showcasing wares from their recently released debut EP, the trio’s unjaded affection towards both each other and the room’s packed audience is as wholesome as it is sincere. Indeed, this complete absence of pretension almost makes you forget just how intricate their work really is; then you see Saya Barbaglia change from bass to viola mid-song, or hear Clari Freeman-Taylor’s singular vocals, and their specialness is driven home once again.

A short walk down the Reeperbahn, and Indra (famously home of The Beatles’ first show in Hamburg) is tonight playing host to Lambrini Girls - a band from whom by now, we know what to expect, yet whose presence is as indomitable as ever. Foiled for one night only by Goat Girl’s Holly Mullineaux on bass - an honorary Lambrini Girl if there ever was one - frontperson Phoebe Lunny ringleads the crowd in applauding self-confessed “gay legends”, whipping up mosh pits (“Put your phone down, ‘cos I’m gonna jump on you,” she announces from atop the bar), and chanting for a free Palestine. Due to the cultural context, the latter is a moment at which her signature vitriol is, unusually, slightly pared back, but nevertheless their conviction - both in terms of politics and playing - doesn’t waver for an instant.

One of the joys of showcase festivals is getting a taste of new music scenes the world over, and Reeperbahn 2024 delivers such eclecticism in spades. Thursday afternoon brings us back to Molotow Club for Dutch exports The Klittens, whose democratic writing process (each track on their latest EP ‘Butter’ was formulated by a different band member) yields a pleasingly Frankensteined performance that plays with both genre and gender tropes. Outside on the Fritz-kola stage, the ridiculously (but brilliantly) named Leocardo Dinaprio - a German outfit - preside over sunshine-soaked punters with woozy guitars and earworm (or should we say ohrwurm) choruses; much like their pseudo-moniker, they’d presumably be right at home at a student night. TOUCHED, meanwhile, command every inch of the sizable Spielbude stage, the cheers elicited by their Guitar Hero rock riffs proving that South Korea’s reputation for hardcore fans should - and surely soon will - extend far beyond pop.

Having packed out Molotow’s Backyard for their first show in Hamburg, Sam Akpro and his band offer up a set of perfectly pitched contrast: at times he foregrounds a surprisingly delicate vocal, weaved over a bed of eerie synth work; at others, his bandmates drench things in reverb or push a grunge-imbued instrumental to its biting, gritty limit. It’s a dynamic they wear well, too - neither shy nor arrogant, their understated confidence in delivering what’s asked is hugely endearing, and, after a bout of giddy group hugs, the six depart with the crowd still eager for more.

For a certain subset of people, the recent news that frontman Geordie Greep has stepped away from black midi was seismic. This evening at Knust, though, he assuages any fears of newfound musical conformity with a performance that cements his solo project as one that’s just as determinedly obtuse. Opening with an extended instrumental number peppered with jazz-informed undulations and tempo changes, he stands slightly hunched over the mic, his vocal delivery as urgent and fervent as a preacher. It’s a masterclass in tension and release, spearheaded by a remarkable technical talent; the band react to each other, not the audience, and as they jam in real time, it becomes clear there are few others this weekend so completely absorbed in their art.

At the other end of the musical spectrum - and a fair bit more accessible - the Kentucky-born country-pop sensation Tanner Adell treats festival-goers to a pop-up performance (on a bus, no less) that epitomises just why the genre is having such a moment. Naturally, Beyoncé’s latest oeuvre has something to do with it, but Tanner - who featured on ‘COWBOY CARTER’ - is a gem in her own right. ‘I Let A Cowboy Break My Heart’ has the pure, tender tone of country’s greats, while ‘Buckle Bunny’ is a sassy reclamation of the derogatory slang term. (“This ain’t the Hamptons / We’ve all got tramp stamps,” she sings, tongue firmly in cheek). Immaculately groomed yet never taking herself too seriously, she’s a serotonin-boosting ray of Southern sunshine.

Saturday night may be the festival's last hurrah, but it by no means bows out quietly. Anyone walking past the historic St. Pauli Theatre will get an idea of the excitement generated by Reeperbahn's own Anchor Awards, while inside, lucky attendees are treated to performances from each of 2024's nominees: South Africa’s Moonchild Sanelly, British pop riser Beth McCarthy, and Aussie R&B powerhouse Milan Ring. Completing this year’s shortlist are Berlin duo strongboi, Austria’s KÄSSY, and the Mongolian-raised, Germany based ENJI. It's a collection of international artists which reflects Reeperbahn's commitment to emerging talent from around the world, but in the end it's Berlin's strongboi who scoop the coveted prize - the experimental electronic project of Alice Phoebe Lou and her longtime collaborator, Ziv Yamin.

Executing a set that starts in the early hours of the morning on a foreign festival’s final night is no mean feat, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s Antony Szmierek. The ornately decorated, intimate locale of Prinzenbar proves to be the perfect arena for his party-starting poetry, allowing him to circumnavigate the room and dance among the crowd for the likes of fan-favourite ‘Twist Forever’ and new track ‘Rafters’. Though now a live set staple, his introduction to ‘The Words To Auld Lang Syne’ - in which he explains the bizarre British custom and invites us to wish each other ‘Happy New Year’, whatever the month - is as poignant as ever, while the live debut of his Madchester-influenced unreleased cut ‘Angie’s Wedding’ seems to move him as much as it does us. The set’s end comes all too soon, leaving chants of ‘one more song’ bouncing off the venue’s cave-like roof - an incongruous yet apt meeting of old and new that, actually, perfectly embodies this festival.