Kettcar plays sold-out show on car ferry 'Vitte' as keyboardist Lars Wiebusch nears departure

A floating stage

The Motorfähre "Vitte", a regular car ferry connecting the Hanseatic city of Stralsund with the island of Rügen, became a floating concert stage on Saturday evening. For the second FRS "Weiße Flotte" Music-Cruise, 400 ticket-holders packed the open car deck as the ship cast off from Stralsund. The event sold out, drawing fans from across Germany.

We sold tickets as far away as Bavaria.

FRS managing director Tim Kunstmann confirmed the wide geographic reach. The Hamburg-based indie-rock group Kettcar, cherished for clever German lyrics and a driving rock sound, provided the evening's live soundtrack. As the ferry cruised through the Strelasund, passengers could turn from the stage to see Stralsund's silhouette or the Rügen coastline, blending concert and scenery.

Setlist on the Strelasund

Under the open sky on the car deck, Kettcar delivered a set that spanned its entire career. The band played fan favorites from earlier albums alongside many songs from "Gute Laune ungerecht verteilt", the studio album they released in 2024. The unusual acoustics of the vehicle deck amplified the powerful sound, and the 400-strong crowd turned the ferry into a rocking venue.

Keyboardist bids farewell

Beyond the music, the night had a personal milestone. Lars Wiebusch, Kettcar's keyboardist since the band's founding, has announced his departure after 25 years. The ferry concert was his penultimate performance with the group. For many in the audience, it was one of the final chances to experience the original lineup together.

The last chord

The farewell tour wraps up quickly: Kettcar's next gig, and Wiebusch's last, is set for Monday at the Kieler Woche festival. The Kiel performance will officially close the keyboardist's 25-year chapter. After that, the Hamburg band will move forward without one of its founding members, making the cruise and the upcoming festival date especially poignant for longtime fans.