For their 25th band anniversary, SALTRATIO MORTIS embarked on a grand jubilee tour through the German-speaking regions of Europe. The tour offered everything that SALTATIO MORTIS and medieval folk rock stand for: elaborate stage designs, dance performances, pyrotechnics, and fire in abundance. We were able to photographically document the penultimate concert and the actual tour finale in Ludwigsburg.

For this very special tour, SALTATIO MORTIS, led by singer Jörg ‘Alea Saltatio’ Roth, came up with a unique gag: they acted as their own support band under the name BAD LOVERZ. Dressed in 1980s hair and glam rock outfits complete with wigs, they performed and reinterpreted rock songs from the 80s. Nothing was safe from their tongue‑in‑cheek self‑parody, with a repertoire ranging from ROXETTE (‘You Got The Look’) to BON JOVI (‘Livin’ On A Prayer’).

Afterwards, the band took the stage as themselves and presented a cross‑section of their work spanning two and a half decades. The spectacular stage designs and fire show thrilled the audience in the nearly sold‑out venue. Instead of the usual crowd surfing in a dinghy, singer Alea was carried over the crowd in an inflatable Viking boat, turning it into a truly wild rodeo ride. On top of that came the crew’s pranks (as is customary at a tour finale), including a raffle of German Schlager songs instead of long‑unplayed titles and funny elf costumes.

SALTATIO MORTIS impressively proved that they belong among the greats of this genre — and that they can also laugh at themselves.