Punk’s Straight Ahead

Wizo, Itchy

„Der Wizo bringt das Licht Tour“ at Arena Wien – Große Halle, Austria 20260218

Just another regular Wednesday evening – or the start of a three-days concert series, including two special moments right before anything is happening. Number one is the father-son-duo wearing father-son-tourshirts with the band’s logos and dates, while (Pop-)Punk-hymns fill the air at the big hall of Arena like from Four Year Strong, Millencolin and Weezer. 

Number two is that the tour headliner gets on stage first to introduce their support band: the Swabian ‚newcomer from their point of view‘ Itchy. Newcomer is very relativ in this case, as the group reminds of one’s on music socalisation in the early 2000s. 

This year, they celebrate their 25-years-anniversary including a show at ((szene)). Within the time, they can look back at video shootings e.g. with Michael Gantner (R.I.P.) for „I Believe“, tours with Sum 41, gigs at Flex or DIF and many more. Their name is written with huge illuminated letters on stage, as they hit it with their German and English hits. 

They take their stand with „Dancing in the Sun“ and surf on the guitar case, preparing for ‚Der Wizo bringt das Licht‘. Literally, the second trio this night with an eventful history with Die Ärzte, hits like „Bleib tapfer“, festivals and returning to Arena, enters with lights above their heads and a cartoon backdrop. 

From „Raum der Zeit“, they stand against the FPÖ (‚Alerta, alerta, antifascista!‘) and of course later the AFD. When thinking about their stage design, they thought about the Arena as their ‚reference, living room and benchmark‘. For the deceased, they dedicate „Hey Thomas“ and let balloons rain during „Das goldene Stück“. 

„Quadrat im Kreis“ they play to address depression. In the end, this evening is only kick-off of three shows in a row, while RTOS presents names like Das neue Leben next door. And bassist Ralf Dietel will return in November with KrashKarma to the very place..