Twenty years of Bonaparte. Two decades of glorious madness, anarchic spectacle, and musical mayhem. The fever dream masterminded by Tobias Jundt, aka Monsieur Bonaparte, is celebrating its anniversary, and the Emperor and his entourage are inviting everyone along for another wild ride.
It all began in 2006 at Berlin’s legendary Bar 25. Freshly arrived in the German capital, Swiss-born Jundt discovered the venue and found the perfect playground for his artistic vision. Bonaparte was born. From then on, he and his travelling circus took their particular brand of chaos around the world, bringing mischief, mayhem, and sheer joy to the masses.
In 2019, Monsieur Bonaparte called it a day and seemingly retired from the madness. Thankfully, retirement didn’t last. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Bonaparte returned to the stage in 2024. What a loss it would have been had he actually stayed away.
Now, twenty years after the beginning of this beautiful madness, the birthday celebrations have reached Munich. The city’s fans are more than happy to answer the call, and the Muffathalle fills up well before showtime. The anticipation is palpable. The Emperor is back, and his subjects are ready.
No One Gets Out Unscathed
Bonaparte has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the most electrifying live acts around. And for good reason. It’s not just the sheer energy of mastermind Tobias Jundt that makes these shows so extraordinary, but the gloriously over-the-top spectacle surrounding him. Bonaparte has never been a one-man show. It’s an entire collective of musicians, dancers, and performance artists, each bringing their own brand of eccentricity to the imperial court.
Mad Kate and Lulu Rafano are practically Bonaparte royalty at this point, having been part of the family since its early days. Cannonman is another familiar face, while newcomer Bleach, fresh from Berlin, fits right into this beautifully deranged universe.
Jundt himself is a whirlwind from the very first second, an irrepressible bundle of energy who seems to occupy every inch of the stage at once. Yet he knows exactly when to step back and let the others shine. The musical backbone is provided by jazz heavyweights Moritz Baumgärtner and Uri Gincel, whose musicianship gives the glorious chaos a remarkably solid foundation.
And chaos there is aplenty. Lulu Rafano first appears in silky boxer shorts before gradually shedding his outfit down to a barely-there thong. Later, he’s covered in glitter and fake blood, sporting a disco-ball helmet. Mad Kate, another veteran of the Bonaparte universe, throws herself across the stage in a performance that is as provocative as it is aesthetically captivating. Barely dressed but utterly in control, she moves effortlessly between avant-garde performance art and raw punk attitude. She has no qualms about getting up close and personal with the audience, either.
At times, the two performers almost make Monsieur Bonaparte look like a supporting musician in his own show. But they know precisely when to redirect the spotlight to the man at the center of it all. Cannonman, meanwhile, appears in a succession of different guises, while Bleach adds a welcome touch of old-school Hollywood glamour, bringing a Marilyn Monroe-esque presence to the proceedings.
Naturally, no birthday party would be complete without a little entertainment for the guests. Five unsuspecting audience members are recruited for a decidedly competitive game of musical chairs. Dignity is optional; speed and stamina are essential.
But anyone expecting the evening to be all spectacle and no substance is in for a surprise. The setlist is a glorious trip through two decades of Bonaparte, packed with fan favorites and the kind of songs that make standing still an almost physical impossibility.
Twenty Years of Beautiful Madness
The band wastes no time getting things started. The opening chords of “Anti Anti” are enough to send the Muffathalle into a frenzy. A mosh pit forms almost immediately, and while some of the crowd may be a little less pogo-ready than they were twenty years ago, this is certainly no retirement party. The energy is anything but nostalgic.
Alongside the opening salvo, the set delivers a generous selection of Bonaparte classics, including “My Horse Likes You,” “Who Took The Pill,” “Blow It Up,” “Computer In Love,” and the ever-reliable chaos catalyst “Wir Sind Keine Menschen.” Each song adds another layer to an evening that feels less like a conventional concert and more like being swept up in a travelling carnival with absolutely no intention of slowing down.
Trying to describe everything that happens over the course of those 90-plus minutes is a challenge in itself. At one point, a horse appears to be conducting the band. At another, Mad Kate rides a swan through the audience before exchanging an enthusiastic kiss with Lulu Rafano. Cannonman spins and whirls across the stage like a man possessed, while Bleach brings a dash of Hollywood glamour to the madness. And Tobias Jundt? The Emperor remains at the center of it all, an almost unshakeable presence amid the glorious pandemonium, like a rock in the middle of a storm.
There is always something happening, somewhere. A costume change, an unexpected encounter, a theatrical gesture, a sudden eruption of movement. Your eyes barely know where to look, and that’s precisely the point. Bonaparte’s world operates according to its own rules, and the audience is more than happy to surrender to them.
By the time the closing number, “Good Things,” rolls around, the entire ensemble has gathered onstage for one final, affectionately chaotic celebration. The last minutes feel like a collective embrace, a fitting finale to a night that has left practically everyone sweating, grinning, and probably wondering what on earth they just witnessed.
Twenty years on, Bonaparte remains gloriously difficult to pin down. It’s music, performance art, punk attitude, absurdist theater, and an unapologetic celebration of being alive, all rolled into one. More than anything, it’s a reminder that freedom can sometimes be as simple as letting go, losing yourself in the music, and embracing the beautiful absurdity of it all.
Bonaparte is the egg that laid the bird. Bonaparte is music. Bonaparte is freedom for the soul. And if this birthday celebration is anything to go by, long may the Emperor reign.
GALLERY: Bonaparte at Muffathalle in Munich, Germany (November 3, 2026)
