The HSK Show – Made in Oberhessen: This is what makes creator Harald Steinke tick

This Sunday marks the 100th HSK show. An interview with the creator Harald Steinke, who is writing an Upper Hessian success story with this format in the Stockheim Cultural Hall.

Harald Steinke describes himself as “positively crazy” when asked about his most defining character trait. Thanks to these and other qualities, he set up and continued the HSK show – initially with his partner and later alone. Since then, the all-rounder has been constantly working on new cultural achievements, which he presented with the help of his teams every second Tuesday in the cultural hall in Stockheim. In 2021 he was awarded the Wetterau Cultural Prize for his work.

Let’s look back again: What were the most bizarre moments in the show?

We never really had any bizarre or crazy moments. The worst experience for me was when my laptop crashed twice – once just before the show and once during it. In the first case, we got the computer up and running just in time. In the second case, we easily covered up the problem so that no one noticed. After restarting the laptop, everything went back to normal. In moments like that, people are naturally totally frightened at first. Otherwise, the show is always well prepared – also thanks to the helpers, who are usually very good at their job.

Mostly?

Sometimes one or the other is a little distracted, for example by their cell phone. Our sound engineer sometimes comes to the show just in time, but always mixes us a great sound in the hall and in the stream. I have to keep reminding the editing and camera team about the schedule and how to show prepared clips or images. But I am happy and grateful that the helpers, who do all this for free, come and make the show possible in the first place.

Who were the best guests?

A highlight were the performances by Tobi Kämmerer and Friso Richter from Hessischer Rundfunk. I was really happy that they came at all. Friso was even live in the show with his camper van “Pamela”. The carnival show with the actresses Christine Holzer and Simone Schmitt alias “Die Tabutanten” was also great. I also have fond memories of the musician duo Christan Kauffeld and André Wiese. They created a great atmosphere with their pop songs. The whole audience joined in and I ended up wearing a sombrero. But I am also grateful that, with a few exceptions, all the people addressed in the invitation arrived in Stockheim consistently and on time. Unfortunately, that is no longer a given these days.

Who was the most visited?

Henrike Strauch, Glauburg's mayor and chairwoman of the Oberhessen association, was there several times in both capacities, as was the musician Oliver Bick. And of course the musician Tobi “Ace” Bartel with various formations. Be it together with Jessica Parish or in the form of his duo Semmling & Barrell with Hendrik Hempfling, inspired by Simon & Garfunkel. In this context, I think back to a planned carnival show. It started the evening before the war in Ukraine. So we switched for a short time. Tobi Bartel and Hendrk Hempfling originally wanted to appear dressed as “The Doofen” and ended up playing their songs from Semmling & Barrel.

Have there been any other challenges since this experience?

The pandemic was of course challenging. At the time, we had participants from Hofraite Castle, who wanted to build a motte-and-bailey castle in Büdingen, as guests: knights, a blacksmith who practiced his craft during the show, stilt figures from the Andersland Theater and the Galgenbrüder. But all of this had to take place outdoors and be staged with the technical equipment available at the time. Apart from that, our first outdoor show in the summer garden – the 50th performance – was a technical challenge. It's amazing how it all works anyway. We're just amateurs. This show was a huge story, especially for the technical team: handling the cameras to capture everything, right down to the functions of the sound technology so that everyone can hear well. But we love challenges like this.

Are you also looking for a thrill?

Thrilling is perhaps too much to describe. I wouldn't let it get that far. It's about simply trying something new.

Did the basic idea for the show come about against this background?

I'm a fan of late-night talk shows. And as crazy as we are, despite the small hall, I've always had a penchant for projecting artists onto the screen above the stage or adding clips to the concert. That's what we did and started with two or three cameras. With the guys from the podcast “Afterhour Eierbagge” we produced a Christmas show during the pandemic, which we also streamed live. That's how the idea of ​​setting up our own talk show came about.

As a fan of late-night talk shows, do you have a particular host in mind?

Harald Schmidt used to be a must for me. Especially in combination with Herbert Feuerstein. The HSK show doesn't go in that direction, even if I do have a bit of fun now and then. But for this reason it was important to me that I didn't want to do it alone. The show should be a two-person show, so that you can pass the ball around and not go crazy on your own.

Does hosting the show involve a certain degree of craziness?

Absolutely. I'm sure other normal mortals find the whole thing a bit childish or even crazy and think: what nonsense Steinke is doing down there again. That's why I'm all the more pleased that we've held out for so long and that the show is going on.

Has the HSK show changed over time?

The basic concept has remained the same, but the technology has improved. From the beginning, we had the idea of ​​offering a guest, an artist and our cooking corner. Apart from that, it was always important to me that things were entertaining. If you have a guest on a talk show who doesn't interest some of the audience, you move on. A speech should not last longer than five minutes. The guest usually appears two or three times on the same evening.

I once said with a wink: “Keep it short, otherwise we'll cut you off.” It was clear from the start that we wanted guests from the region because the show should be something local. And every now and then we'll have something from outside the region, like a company that offers something interesting, or artists who are well-known outside the region.

Since the confirmation that the State Garden Show will take place in Upper Hesse in 2027, we have been reporting regularly on the event and have already had most of the mayors of the eleven participating municipalities as well as the respective managing directors of the garden show as guests on our show.

Is anything special planned for the next anniversary?

In addition to the two choirs from Wenings and Wolferborn with their conductor Patrick Schauermann, other musicians will be contributing to the anniversary show. We are also expecting more talk guests from the past 99 shows. In terms of food, we will be presenting two or three food trucks and the Pomolo fruit secco sales stand in the show. Otherwise, the 100th edition will also feature a continuation of our popular column “Kai says” by Kai Emrich.

And what happens next?

I ask myself that sometimes, especially: how long will it go on? I'm getting older and won't be able to do this forever. But I still really want to do it, I feel young at heart and I'll try to keep the show going for as long as I can.

It is important that the team around Theresa and me continue and that we implement new ideas and plans together. One of my goals is to regularly stream an LGS magazine live from the summer garden during the 2027 State Garden Show and to offer guests a cultural program with gastronomy. I also recently launched the “HSK for KIDS Show” with children's book author Steffi Dinges and musician Ms. Puchs, where I, as the gray eminence in the background, am only responsible for technology, guests and the flow of the show.