Ziggy Alberts before Vienna concert: "Forever grateful to Austria"

Ziggy Alberts remembers his last performance in Vienna very well, more than a year ago at the Arena: "It was so absurdly hot," said the Australian musician in an APA interview. On October 3rd, the Australian will return to the city, this time to the larger hall at the Gasometer. His performance there is also promised to feel intimate, assures the 31-year-old: "It's still me on stage, me with my guitar."

Ziggy Alberts: "I also have a dark side"

In the meantime, the expert in feel-good sounds, rooted somewhere between pop, folk, and country, has released a new album called "New Love." It also features some slightly darker songs. "I also have a dark side," says Alberts. "My intention is to turn suffering into songs. When I'm on stage, I want to bring as much hope and offer solutions as possible. But yes, I have my big lows. I think many people like my songs because they are not superficial."

Old hits will not be missing at the concert, the musician emphasizes. "I always try to include a few songs from each album on the setlist, even when promoting a new album. With seven albums in tow, that becomes quite challenging. But some people might be there for the new album, while others are there for older stuff. On tour, you'll always find me sitting in a café pondering over the setlist."

"Runaway" must not be missing from any show. The song has now surpassed the 100-million-stream mark. "That's incredible," the artist seems unable to fully grasp the success himself. "I was 21 when the song came out, and I was traveling around Europe in a caravan. Back then, I performed very small gigs - in apartments, cafés, and community centers. I'm blessed not only because of the millions of streams but because I've found a loyal audience through it."

"Trips to Austria are an emotional and very positive affair"

In the meantime, the singer-songwriter plays large and venerable venues like the Royal Albert Hall. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve, which I won't reveal now, to stay close to the audience," he chuckled when asked about his upcoming show at the not-so-small Gasometer. "For me, the approach is always the same. At shows in more intimate settings, I have the opportunity to talk a bit more. When the audience is larger, I hold back a bit because I don't want to lose anyone."

He is particularly looking forward to Vienna, said Alberts. "I have an interesting family history related to Austria. It was the first country my mother and her family could flee to from (then communist, ed.) Hungary. From Vienna, they then moved on to Australia. For me, trips to Austria are therefore an emotional and very positive affair. I am forever grateful to Austria because without Austria, I wouldn't exist."

Could one perhaps experience him with a band at a future Austria date? "One day I would like to play with a trio," says Alberts. "It's nice to have this option for the future. But at the moment, the curiosity to see how much can be done alone prevails. It's a lot of pressure when everything depends solely on me, but maybe it motivates other people. My message is: If I can go on stage alone and reach many people, then someone else can also achieve something alone on the stage of life."

(The conversation was conducted by Wolfgang Hauptmann/APA)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.