The Fray

“Moin Hamburg!” - The Fray celebrate 20 years of How to Save a Life in a sold-out return Show

With that greeting, The Fray opened a long-awaited return show on November 8th at the sold-out venue Docks in Hamburg, Germany packed with 1,500 eager fans ready to finally listen to their favorite songs live after having waited 11 years since the last show in Hamburg in 2014.

The tour celebrates 20 years of the band’s hit album How to Save a Life, featuring chart-topping singles like “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and “Look After You”. 

The current band lineup includes lead singer Joe King, guitarist Dave Welsh, drummer Ben Wysocki, joined by Dane Poppin on bass and Kai Welch on keys.

After a well-attended VIP meet & greet, fans flooded into Docks and were welcomed by opener St. Lundi, a British singer-songwriter known for his heartfelt tracks “Nights Like This” and his newest single “Love You More”, for which the audience lit up the room with flashlights.

After singing along to a cover of “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, the crowd is all warmed up and ready to finally witness the How to Save a Life, the 20th anniversary tour which spans from July to December this year spreading around the world from America all over to Australia thus giving everyone a chance to go.

The Fray kicked off their set with “She Is”, the first song from their debut album, setting the tone for a night full of singalongs and nostalgia as they performed How to Save a Life in its entirety.

While every song is special, the show only gets better, during “My Heart’s a Crowded Room”, a new song released this summer, where Joe King climbs off the stage, greeting fans along the barricade before surprising the audience by venturing deep into the crowded room, leaving everyone smiling and giving this song even more meaning and sentimental value for those standing and singing next to him.

Only one song later, during “Hurricane,” Joe tosses roses into the audience and playfully shares some with his bandmates, while also turning the floor into a sea of petals.

The band’s chemistry and energy were undeniable, and not even a small stumble while Joe jumped toward Ben’s drum kit could stop them all from having fun.

As the night drew to a close, the crowd lit up the venue once again, singing along to “You Found Me” before singing “Never Say Never”  as the final song, making this a perfect ending to a beautiful night of memories, music, and a heartfelt throwback to two decades of The Fray.