Panic, art and virtual reality: German rocker Udo Lindenberg’s life and times can now be experienced at a multimedia museum in Hamburg — with a little glass of eggnog thrown in for good measure.Few performers are more closely identified with postwar German history than Udo Lindenberg, whose biting humor and bittersweet ironic texts have even been lauded by Germany’s venerable Goethe Institute for their contribution to the German language.
The Lindenberg myth is now a bit larger. In his hometown of Hamburg, the “panic rocker” (his own term) is opening his own little town called Panik City. Over 700 square meters (7,500 square feet), the multimedia experience complete with audio and video installations, panorama walls and virtual reality showcase the artist’s life and times along with German history. The Udo Lindenberg Experience is located on the Reeperbahn, in Hamburg’s notorious red-light district, eulogized by the singer in a 2000 song.
Read more: Udo Lindenberg — ‘As entertainers, we have to take a political stand’
A trip through the life
With this artist, “panic” is a recurring concept. Forty years ago he named his band the “Panik Orchestra,” and Lindenberg’s personal motto has always been “No Panic!” In the “Trip through Udo’s Life,” one might hope that by donning virtual reality glasses, one doesn’t land one smack dab in one of the musician’s less glamorous moments.
Incorporating technology, art and culture, the museum also includes some of Lindenberg’s paintings. It’s located at the St. Pauli Club House, which comprises a theater, a laser tag hall and various concert and party locations.
Panik City opens to the public on March 20, with up to 800 visitors expected daily. The entrance fee of €18.50 ($22.70) includes a 90-minute guided tour and a voucher for a glass of Udo’s favorite drink: eggnog.
(dpa, panikcity.de)
