AnnenMayKantereit are among the most popular bands in Germany. From the very beginning, Martin Lamberty has been their official photographer. He has been travelling with his old friends from school around Europe ever since. His pictures tell the story of how the young musicians started their careers by performing on the streets of Cologne right up to the development of their current album “Schlagschatten”.

Lamberty has provided a chronicle of the concerts, of the band’s life on tour, and their studio recording sessions. But his shots are far more than just classic band photos. As their friend, he is always a part of what is happening and gets to capture private moments behind the scenes, ranging from the miserably long journeys on the tour bus and the lonely hours in anonymous hotels to the band’s vacations together.

In a unique way, Lamberty combines these silent moments with intriguing, sometimes melancholy images of rooms or landscapes and weaves them into a rich account. The result is a coming-of-age book about winning and losing, about life and friendship.