A strange problem with the halftime show in Frankfurt

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The NFL is a guest in Frankfurt, as the Kansas City Chiefs welcome the Miami Dolphins in front of nearly 50,000 fans at a sold-out Waldstadion. As is usual in American football, in addition to the sporting aspect, emphasis is also placed on entertainment.

Similar to the infamous Super Bowl halftime show, the league final, and in the USA, one of the biggest sporting events of the year, a lavish concert is also held during the halftime break of the home game. Performers: Nico Santos and Contra K.

Before the game, not everyone was convinced they wanted to translate this all-American tradition into German. After all, on paper this is just a regular league game, without any halftime show in the States. But it’s not exactly a regular league match. This is what Nico Santos and Contra Key wanted to convey as well.

Audio problems with the NFL halftime show

After a dominant first half in which the Chiefs took a 21-0 lead, it was now up to the musicians to maintain the euphoric mood. Introduced as “superstars” by former NFL player Bjorn Werner, they entered the relatively understated stage after a brief renovation, but did not elicit the requisite euphoria on the field.

Instead of Nico Santos’s angelic voice, there was more of a booming noise coming from the speakers. Even with Contra K, who took the stage shortly thereafter, technical shortcomings seemed to remain. Vocals sounded distorted and were sometimes difficult to understand. In contrast, there was little emotion from the stands.

At the end of the medley half, the first players returned to the field. An atmospheric concert atmosphere is not created.

The performance was also met with relatively little approval on social media. For some, audio problems have also been a problem for broadcast television.

One Twitter user, X, previously commented: “What’s wrong with the sound and lighting at the halftime show? You can feel sorry for Nico Santos.” Someone else apologized in advance in case the halftime show also aired in the US.

There were also audio problems with the Contra K.Photo: Imago Images/Roger Burki

In general, entertainment shows amidst sporting events have a difficult time in Germany. Helen Fisher and Boss Hoss, among others, have been criticized in the past for appearing in a sporting context. However, with Nico Santos and Contra K, the criticisms were less about the content and more about the technical problems.