… the challenge of new, the challenge of memory lane!

Sometimes you got give in. Give in to the urge to jog down memory lane. Being able to see Bärchen und Die Milchbubies at the Hafenklang was such an occasion, as they had been a known name from Hannover in the early 80s. But i never got to see them as far as i can remember.

Lulu und Die Einhornfarm was the support, though it is their recent record that gave the tour the apt name: “Alles Klärchen Bärchen” – i guess they were the real headliner. I knew that it is a side project of one of the Crackhuren lot but that Band is way off my mu-sick-al territory, so i did not know what to expect.

Lulu und Die Einhornfarm (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 04.06.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

What i got was a very modern interpretation of 80s Deutschpunk, thankfully delivered with drive and in short & fast doses (my guess would be all songs clocked in around the 01:30 mark). They had plenty of fans dancing and singing so i guess they qualify for being popular (as in Pop).

It wasn’t my thingy but i can see why it touches mainly younger folks (with a less narrow minded mu-sick-al upbringing than myself). Check them out for yourself, who am i to judge?

Next on the revived Bärchen, shrunk to a 3 piece with original members Annette singing and strumming the Guitar, Kai on Bass and singing too plus Markus (Hamburg Ramönes, ex-Rotzkotz) on drums.

Little fun fact: Whilst originally part of the No Fun family of Hannover fame all of the current members reside in … sunny Hamburg. The lure of the big city?

I guess since their retrospective collection came out on Tapete Records they have found larger interest beyond record collector scum hunting for their 1980 single with the all time novelty hit “Jung Kaputt Spart Altersheime“.

Where Lulu & Co where fast, wild and i guess obnoxious (and lured the younger contingent), Annette & Co where slow, behaved and … shy (and lured the older contingent).

Like offensive little sister vs. behaved older sister – the loudmouth on the outside whilst the shy older sister has more inside depth. But in the end both are the same blood – personal stories from a female perspective.

Bärchen und Die Milchbubis (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 04.06.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

There was distinctive less action on stage and off stage, i also sensed less people in the room. Knowing some of their old stuff i guess i knew what to expect and partly i got that. What did strike me though was that the few songs announced as new by and large worked much better for me, specifically when the Bass was playing chords to carry the vocals. They got friendly applause and on some of their old & known stuff even some sing-a-long.

Would i see both again? I guess not, unless eg. Bärchen would appear as a package at the Hafenklang. Was it worth it beyond discussions on Senseo-Pads, Incontinence and Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz with fellow Oldpunks? I guess yes, because the memory lane only ever is good if you ground yourself into realities of today.

NB: Memory lane also came up with this pic that i always found utmost funny back then – additional fun nugget is that the Skin with the black eyes now is a renowned Professor for Experimental and Quantum Physics. Beat that freedom of mind!

Bärchen und die Milchbubis (80something – (c) Tapete Records)

… Hamburg = no show, Lyon = full force: Claimed Choice!

It is all about choices. I took the choice to let go the last home game of the season months ago for some battery recharging days out with me love in our 2nd home up north but made sure i would be back for a potential relegation game. More or less luckily FCSP did not make that relegation (but the other team from Hamburg did) but the Thursday evening was rescued by Claimed Choice from France.

Unfortunately my choice to see them Lyonese was only shared with few friends and equally less other regulars or other interested parties. The rest seemed to favor Arthur Dent…

Only ~15 tickets sold prior to the show, my wild guess would be same amount sold at the door, so only about 30 good people took the chance to see a band that actually is way beyond Oi!, has so much more mu-sick-al capabilities and is able to cover such a wide territory.

And, frank, they can write songs. With complex structures. Good songs.

They waited upon the half-time whistle of the football game and then lured the folks from the bar (and the screen) over towards the stage.

They are typically filled under “Punk, Bovver and Oi!” and i have to admit that this falls way to short of their capabilities. To start with, they all seem to be excellent musicians, even a slight mishap on a not fully rehearsed new song is overcome right there with ease.

Claimed Choice (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 01.06.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

And on top their sound – like with many of their label partners on Une vie pour rien Vinyles – branches so much wider. They seamlessly blend even Wave, Post-Punk or whatever label you wanna stick to it.

And, even better, they where not pulled down by the low turnout and did hang full force in, with broad smiles and full energy. Speaking to them after the show they made it clear they wanted to play the Monkeys whatever, some of them even had been there before accompanying eg. Lions Law. And loved it.

Claimed Choice (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 01.06.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

I guess they played everything they had (the two records clock in at a total of 12 songs), they did let go though the Jook cover (a great song ahead of time as an Original but covered too often in this genre, so i had no complaint letting it go).

Claimed Choice – Setlist (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 01.06.2023 (c) gehkacken.de)

Once done they left for good but almost every individual in the audience approached a band member to give something extra, even if they had played it prior. It took a bit to get them from the bar, the merch booth and elsewhere back on stage but then it was encore time.

Great stuff and much to my surprise i have to admit that i was not expecting such an excellent delivery. Me mate Matthias was even more surprised, has he learned by chance that the 2nd guitar of Claimed Choice also plays Bass for Matthias current biggest mu-sick-al love Cran. And fills in as the tour guitar player for the equally great Prisonnier Du Temps. I guess he was the happiest member of the audience in the end!

As always if a band convinces me down from the stage i had to pick up vinyl, with Claimed Choice that was easy as all of their stuff fits a 12″ and a 7″. Most of me mates made the same choice actually, well done lads.

#recordcollectorsarepretentiousarseholes

You can grab your copies from Une vie pour rien?, the label that carries most of the new cool French sound. Pick both the 12″ (which includes their demo tape) and the 7″. They are worth it! After some more chats with fellow concert goers and #recordcollectorsarepretentiousarseholes i set on me bike and took the short ride home, happy as could be.

I guess those supporting the other club in Hamburg where less happy and some even regretted not choosing the Monkeys.

It is about choices. As ever.

Bücher, schnell gelesen: 1.644

Peter Papathanasiou – Steinigung (Polar Verlag, 2023)

Gelesen: 28. – 30.05.2023 (netto 352 Seiten).

Aus dem australischen Englisch von Sven Koch.

Öfter mal eine neue Schublade, diese hier wird mit dem Aufkleber Outback Noir versehen, keine Ahnung warum das so sein muss. Aber passen tut das Buch 110% zur Constable Hirschhausen Serie von Garry Disher (der eine eigene Schublade verpasst bekommen hat mit Rural Noir drauf – Noir my ass!).

Wenn wir die Label beiseite lassen dann bekommen wir ein sehr dichtes Buch über ein hochaktuelles Thema: Ein Land (hier Australien) versucht Immigranten respektive Flüchtlinge …. ja was eigentlich? Abzuschrecken durch Schrecken?

Zitat Amnesty International:

It is obvious that the prolonged periods of detention, characterised by frustration and insecurity, are doing further damage to individuals who have fled grave human rights abuses. The detention policy has failed as a deterrent and succeeded only as punishment.

How much longer will children and their families be punished for seeking safety from persecution?

Quelle (von 2002 bereits)

Detective Sergeant Giorgios “George” Manolis wird in die Kleinstadt Cobb geschickt, wo eine junge und beliebte Lehrerin ermordet wurde. Der beinharte Einstieg in das Buch zeigt uns den Mord – eine Steinigung.

George wird nach Cobb geschickt weil es vor Ort nur einen kleinen, unterbesetzten und wohl auch unterbemittelten (in allen Belangen) Polizeiposten gibt. Und ein Internierungslager für illegale Ausländer respektive Eingereiste respektive Flüchtlinge. Und während George die Stadt seiner Jugend als einen Ort des Familienglücks (seine Eltern betrieben eine Milchbar) erinnert ist die Realität härter:

( (c) Polar Verlag 2023)

Suff und Elend, sowohl bei den Aborigines als auch bei den Weißen. Blackfella and Whitefella united sozusagen, vor allem im Elend. Die Blackfellas saufen, die Whitefellas halten sich an Meth. Und die Regierung hat versprochen das das Internierungslager Geld und Arbeit bringt. Pustekuchen, die Jobs im Lager erhalten Zeitarbeiter von Außerhalb, die wochenweise Dienst schieben.

Und mittendrin eine Steinigung. Die Blackfellas interessiert das nicht, die Whitefellas sind sicher das es Muslims aus dem Internierungslager waren – die Steinigen ja immer.

Peter Papathanasiou nimmt sich viel Zeit die Geschichte zu entwickeln und schält dabei ziemlich genau zum Kern: Die, die heute auf die Flüchtlinge zeigen und runtergucken, waren früher selber welche. Oder Sträflinge. Dabei hält er die Story bis zum Ende spannend und offen, die Lösung des Falles kommt fast nebenbei und überraschend, aus jeder Blickrichtung.

Vielleicht ein wenig lang, aber trotzdem eine gute und spannende Story vor einem durch-und-durch elendigem Setting: Australien, Hitze im Outback, Rassismus und eine verkackte Flüchtlingspolitik. Und jedem Menge Roos.

Soundtrack dazu: The Chats – Heatstroke, was sonst?

PS: Und Peter so?