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Category: Shows

  • … of working class, female favorites and taking good care of the audience!

    … of working class, female favorites and taking good care of the audience!

    Motivation somewhat was low for this Friday and i casually was about to let go this show. On a 2nd thought i was thinking about a mate who thoroughly loves Gimp Fist and decided that i need to support him supporting Gimp Fist.

    And ran into many friends, including people travelling from far to enjoy not only one blast of Punk Rock but also next days show with Toxoplasma (since 1983 an very ill-fated relationship for me, so i sure would pass that one).

    Support was U.E.D.L. and ever since i saw them on the Blanker Hohn 40th anniversary bash at the Stellwerk i knew that i could be up for a surprise. By the looks they have a new bass player and by the setlist they seemed to have a couple of new songs too. It was a wee bit longer than the 9 songs they had down at the Stellwerk.

    U.E.D.L. (Monkeys, Hamburg, 02.05.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    It pretty much turned out a mixed bag for me: Some songs, specifically those where Arne but all of his (actually real) working class self in had something, others – for my ears – just where not of the same quality. The style is still hard rocking Oi! and reception was largely positive.

    Next The Spartanics from sunny Leipzig, self-proclaimed Streetpunk with 77 vibes. As much as i distrust labels that bands stick on them i was surprised that it was 100% correct.

    I missed them when they played the 2nd day of MOi!n It’s Hamburg #8 two years ago due to another commitment and wow, they surprised me big time now.

    The Spartanics (Monkeys, Hamburg, 02.05.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    3 guys, simple setup and a wow amount of melodies and an even wowowow amount of vocal harmonies: Their main asset is that all 3 sing and use their vocal capabilities to create a relatively unique sound.

    Plus they got most of the female audience up-front and dancing – for me that is always a positive indication of a bands quality.

    The Spartanics (Monkeys, Hamburg, 02.05.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    On top they came across well rehearsed and hand-in-glove, though not too much talkative. But their sound and their songs had something, as such my urge to buy some vinyl kicked in. Later i realized that they had a 10″ (the best format in the world) on sale, so after the show i had to score that one.

    And yes, they got plenty of cheers and – my guess – convinced many in the audience. I am pretty sure that i will make an effort to see them again, they are worth it!

    Gimp Fist next and by now it was full in front of the stage, though the Monkeys was not sold out. They are a busy band, many shows and almost every other year a new record. And they are utmost friendly, utmost humble and utmost … all around nice guys.

    Gimp Fist (Monkeys, Hamburg, 02.05.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    As ever when they play Hamburg they don’t have to do a lot to take the audience by storm and get it to sing-a-long. They just have to start playing, smiling and singing and the lot will chime in. Sometimes louder than the band itself.

    Gimp Fist (Monkeys, Hamburg, 02.05.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    For my mu-sick-al mind they most likely are the best transformation of ingredients taking references from Clash, SLF and others into something modern. I won’t even stick a label on it, if i had to it would read Gimp Fist.

    Great band, great show and plenty of energy flowing back/forth between on stage and off stage. And that is the way it should be. Can’t wait to have them back as having them in the house is a safe bet for an entertaining evening.

    As The Spartanics convinced me live i had to score. And as format matters there was no question about what to score:

    The Spartanics had a 10″ on sale (and a Best-Of CD thrown in), so that was a must to take home.

    I was not the only one to take that beauty home and right so! If you want to check it out for yerself go here:

    Thankfully i got a ride home by a mate, so it was late but not too late (as there was a decisive home game on Saturday for FCSP).

    And me mate who loves Gimp Fist? He was a happy one, knowing that his love is actually echoed.

    Because Gimp Fist do take good care of their supporters!

  • … covering Harburg!

    … covering Harburg!

    Oh my, following my house move into our retirement place the trip down south to Harburg, over the mighty river Elbe, is now a looong stretch on public transport.

    Self-chosen problem though and one to easily overcome. Just do it!

    Last year the “Dance into Mai” was dropped, 2025 saw a new edition. Initially planned with the Bad Brians and Demolition Girls next to Youth Of Altona the rooster needed updates due to various illnesses.

    Youth Of Altona ended up paired with Uke Of Tomorrow (using ukes to cover the world) and Boy Division (using any tool to slaughter other peoples hits).

    But whatever the line-up – it was pretty fast sold-out!

    Ukes Of Tomorrow kicked it off, dressed in style and with plenty of their weapons of choice ready: If i counted correctly Kent had three different (n)ukes ready, Totti two.

    Ukes Of Tomorrow (Marias Ballroom, Hamburg, 30.04.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    Whilst Kent remains a great storyteller with an excellent choice of songs (most of the time luring the audience to sing-a-long more silent than loud) my mu-sick-al receptors are somewhat not working well when the song is solely carried by ukes.

    That said, it is still entertaining and does not make me flee the room. And that is also how the audience took it – a more mellow warm up to covering Harburg with songs from far and near.

    Boy Division next and i have to admit that i gave them a pass multiple times over the years. And i got to admit now that i was simply outright wrong.

    A simple quote from the internet (damn internet, never forgets) gives the gist:

    It wasn't that people didn't like Boy Division, they were just scared (former booker)

    And bringing danger or scare back into Punk is always a bonus. On top they do meet demanding criteria of my dumb mu-sick-al mind:

    1. Dressing up for the occasion and wearing well orchestrated uniforms on stage
    2. In case of the desire to play a cover, do it slightly off, slightly odd and in a way that makes people either wonder, speechless or flee.

    So what did i finally get? 4 guys with black suit trousers, white shirts, black ties and an electronic name badge showing “Boy Division” in running letters.

    A trashy drum kit on a bar stool (with the clever help of electronics) and vocals through a wide variations of megaphones.

    Quite a look, quite a sound.

    Boy Division (Marias Ballroom, Hamburg, 30.04.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    And, most likely that made it work that evening for me, it was less art and more driving … Punk. Deconstruction on steroids. But always pushing forward.

    Frank – the “art” annotation was always the key fend-off item for me. But that one now is overcome, so they got a new admirer!

    And yes, they surprised many of the lot in the Ballroom and got a fair amount of applause.

    Youth Of Altona took the stage next and this is how they kicked off with “Return Of The Rat”:

    Where Greg Sage once was said to have envisaged the Wipers as non-live

    Its inception was at first an exclusive recording project. Then Sage planned to record 15 LPs in 10 years without touring or promoting. He believed it would be possible to avoid live shows, press, pictures and interviews, and this – coupled with the mystique of his unorthodox music – would encourage a deeper, more imaginative engagement with the recordings.

    it is Youth Of Altona who pull it out of the cupboard, out of the #recordcollectorsarepretentiousarseholes collection and onto the stage.

    And boy did they not only pull this night but pushed. Relentlessly. More than once recognizing on stage “outsch, we are speeding through the set”.

    Youth Of Altona (Marias Ballroom, Hamburg, 30.04.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    For me it was a near perfect set – umpf, drive and the harsh & raw guitar work above a rock-solid backline. And they still have my song of choice in the setlist, to which Christiane added a Karl Alvarez intro. Luv it. Luuuv it big time!

    They got all the sing-a-long deserved and they got plenty of cheers. And, finally, some dancing into the May.

    And then finished off like this, taking the audience over the edge:

    Superb. And making not only us northerners happy but also that lovely couple coming all the way from Munich. And surprising them too with how Hamburg covers Harburg.

    There is one other item that stood out and that was not only the location itself (secluded down south over the mighty river Elbe for us Hamburgers) but the perfect stage, the good lights and the extraordinary good sound in front of the stage.

    The guys running this not only like what they do but also do it technically great.

    So a great choice for this little fun thingy, lets beg for it being back in 2026, maybe with Demolition Girls. And a surprise.

    Please.

    PS: Again i was lucky, capturing the essence of a band – klick for high res version!

  • … of shit berliners & gorge shitters!

    … of shit berliners & gorge shitters!

    Viennas mighty DeeCRACKS returning to Hamburg, for me that would have warranted at least 200 good people, including most of the Punk Rock Raduno pilgrims. Unfortunately next door Michael Schenker was celebrating 70’s guitar wanking to 1.200 old white males …

    … but did that really steal the audience? A mere 50 folks made an effort to get out and real, a pity. Both for the bands but also the club for sure.

    Support was from Berlin Neukölln, a band with the strange name Rong Kong Koma (though derived from a Walter Moers figure, so not too odd). German speaking. From Berlin. As such i feared the worst.

    And was somewhat surprised. Not so much how they looked like, more how they sounded.

    Rong Kong Koma (Monkeys, Hamburg, 10.04.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    In an interview the lead singer (and guitar player) Sebastian phrased his sound approach like this:

    For me, pop music has always been a big factor. In my opinion, pop has always been underrated. For example, think of the Pixies with their great melodies and harmonies.

    I come from a jazz guitar background and refuse to use standard chords. The punk, rock’n’roll or hardcore that resonates is simply part of our attitude to life.

    You just need the hardness to create beautiful harmonies so that they don’t become boring. That’s why when I write songs I try to bring both worlds together.

    Those in the audience looking for the ramonescore element enshrined in the DeeCRACKS one by one disappeared to the bar, the rest of the audience stayed on and – like me – gave it a try.

    How did it sound? It sounded partly like this, i believe that one finished off their set:

    Listening to them on Bandcamp prior to the show it sounded to me interesting (their 2020 album) or way to German (their 2022 album).

    Their dislike for their home turf they put down like this:

    Though all of them originate from outside Berlin and thus may have just created the pull that fueled the gentrification. As I never dug Berlin after 1989, i frankly do not care to an extend.

    Om stage they run a pretty fast and pretty tight ship. In good moments it has a heavy scent of Surf (from said guitar player with a Jazz background) and complicated but rather sweet harmonies.

    Overall they had many moments when it was quite a wall of sound. And because it was fast paced, it worked somewhat well for me.

    Rong Kong Koma (Monkeys, Hamburg, 10.04.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    Will i make an effort to see them again? Most likely not. Will i buy a record (at least their lable is Hamburg based)? I guess not.

    But i will not walk out on them, as long as they do not polish their guitars with their testicles skins.

    Next DeeCRACKS and this was the big stars main act professional setlist:

    DeeCRACKS – Setlist (Monkeys, Hamburg, 10.04.2025 (c) gehkacken.de)

    Still missing is my all time favorite Ritalin For Lunch, but i guess asking for that one continues to be water down the river Danube.

    It’s been a while since i saw them, i guess it was prior Covid and 2019 (when they supported CJ Ramone at the Hafenklang). They admitted freely to be Schluchtenscheisser, as they hail from the gorges of the Alps: two from Austria and one from Switzerland.

    And then they took it one-two-three-four from there.

    DeeCRACKS (Monkeys, Hamburg, 10.04.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    Where Rong Kong Koma had wall of sound the DeeCRACKS had ramonescore, guess what i was liking more so?

    Short, crisp, fast forward. And exactly up my mu-sick-al alley. And as ever with the DeeCRACKS with plenty of humor and an accurate reflection on themselves and the hardship of touring: Matt expressed the desire to resort to the bar quickest whilst thanking the few that made an effort come out.

    DeeCRACKS (Monkeys, Hamburg, 10.04.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    From their recent effort with Andreas Manges, the full Ramones LP cover of their 1989 effort Brain Drain, they included the lovely Pet Semetary into the set:

    (Note: The sound is muffled as i stood too much sideways)

    That record added nicely to the “Full Ramones LP Cover” series in my collection. Here it is, you can get it from Stripped Music too:

    They had more people in front of the stage and more people moving, up to and including the lovely couple in wheelies. But was definitely was lacking density in front of the stage, paired with movement aka dancing.

    DeeCRACKS (Monkeys, Hamburg, 10.04.2025)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2025

    Still, at least to my liking, a top notch set by the DeeCRACKS and i noted the few mates around me equally liking it. They went on to have another one with the band at the bar, i went to score the only missing item in my collection:

    A perfect product: 3×10″ – get it from Striped Music!

    For their 20th anniversary they had a retrospective done in the only format that matters: 10″. It always was on my shopping list but i never got around to order it. But now, together with the classic bag, it was a must.

    Whilst too many people where absent, though some with reasoning (get well A., get outta hospital fast F.), it was an entertaining evening. For me specifically as Rong Kong Koma somewhat surprised me.

    And surprise is always a good thing when it come savoring mu-sick for all these years.

    PS: Pic of the day, download high res with a swift click of the mouse…