www.gehkacken.de

Category: Shows

… them spøgelses brødre rode into Hamburg and killed it!
I don’t recall how i stumbled across Hola Ghost (from sunny DK) but it has been a while ago. And ever since i was either yearning to see them come to Hamburg or trying persuade my favorite clubs to book them. As such i was happy as a fuck when the Monkeys took them on and stopped worrying about attending Ruts DC and The Stranglers at the Fabrik – i had a much better option for the Friday!

The support was from less sunny Dutchistan, The Cavallis where not really a fit for Hola Ghost but a fit for the Monkeys. A tall bass in the middle, a sturdy drummer in the back and two guitars: One without hair and solid rhythm, the other with loads of hair and quite some neat licks and stuff (and some stunning reverb stuff later).
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The Cavalli's (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 06.12.2019)
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The claim to play Punk ‘n Roll, something that is not really easy to define. I would put them spot between Pub Rock, Power Pop, Rock and … early Punk. They sing in English and most of the songs seem to have been about Girls and Love. And they sounded like this:

They got some appreciation but the audience was more in a Ghost mode. They tried to make up for that by penetrating their names – more than twice the band members where introduced. Nice running gag. They totally surprised me when they played a Surf song and that in perfect style. So for me it dipped to “good”, other noted “so lala”. As ever – the hardship of support.

Next on Hola Ghost and they where greeted with some cheers by the now say half filled Monkeys. And they took residence like this:

Great visuals, great horn section and great sound overall. And different and as such quite interesting. Some people call it Mexican Death-Surf, some call it Death Psychobilly – for me it is Scandinavian B-Movie Mariachi Rock. Gringo style. And from the mu-sick-al perspective they cover all sections: From slow burial marches all the way to high speed Lemmy tributes (that would fit any Motörhead album).
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Hola Ghost (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 06.12.2019)
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And within that they have both feet in the stuff like adore most, thus they also have a Rancid song in their rooster:

The audience was very cheerful, some where even totally surprised. Me mate Frosch had friends from England over (Hola Jay, hola Andrea) and took them along based on my advise (and nicely handing the blame to me if this would have gone pear-shaped) and they too where taken by surprise and joined the fan club.
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Hola Ghost (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 06.12.2019)
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For me it was exactly what i thought it would be, those songs i knew i could mumble along to, other i could simply enjoy. This song nicely sums it up: Slow, fast, horns, great singing, great variations … i think these 5+ minutes have it all…

I am sold on Hola Ghost and i would love to see them on a bigger stage and in front of a surprised full house in Hamburg. In front of an audience that had no clue what would be coming down on them … great idea! For a start i would be happy if they just came again.

Big fanx to the Monkeys for taking them on in parallel to a sold out Stranglers show next door. Luckily some regulars that attended at the Fabrik came over to have a view drinks at the Monkeys, for me that resulted in a well loaded status, carrying two 10″ and a shirt home and a late but happy drop into me bed next to me love (that claimed the shirt).
2019/12/08
… DOWNSTROKES galore: The triumphant return of the Clowns!
I was working in sunny Kyiv during the week but made it clear to my boss that i had to be home in time on Thursday, as the mighty Clowns would be back in town (he had no clue what i was talking about). Still, a risky undertaking, as only indirect flights would get me back and Lufthansa these days is not 100% trustworthy to be one time, always.

I made it just about, arriving at the Hafenklang only to be taunted to not have ticket #1 (an anal fixation of my humble self) and to the sound of the support already playing.

Playing towards a well filled but not packed house where The Gotobeds from Pittsburgh, PA from the US of A. 4 guys and loads of … Indie sounds rather than hardcore punk. Wild guitars and stomping rhythms.
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The Gotobeds  (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 14.11.2019)
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In good moments they created a neat swirl of guitar work, in rather dull moments it was typical (and to my dumb ears boring) indie rock sound – something that i tend to avoid. But i did not leave for chats and beer outside, as they at least had some good mu-sick-al moments. But not my thingy and paired with the Clowns maybe a shot too wide.

After a swift makeover it was then time for the Clowns, all the way from Down Under, to take the stage:

Bang! High energy rock’n’roll i’d say in a very modern setup. And little space for boring sounds as much as there was little space to gather your breath. They took off exactly where they left it back in August last year, on a hot and sweaty night at the Hafenklang.
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Clowns (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 14.11.2019)
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I am not sure about how many people they did draw this time round but they would not care – they seem to dig Hamburg and the Hafenklang and they gave the impression they love playing here. They fucked up the tour plan though, once done on stage they would have to pack up and drive to Belgium to catch the early ferry to England, they had to achieve a load-in time in London at 15:00 next day.

Hanny made a point of the fact that this would mean her missing breakfast, the most important meal of the day. She thus declared the audience to be her breakfast already tonight, something that was echoed by the lot…

Yep, thats full on fun right down from the stage into the audience. Someone in the know (as a guitar player) after the show made a point of how great the endless barrage of downstrokes was. Others just expressed pure appreciation of having been bulldozed completely.
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Clowns (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 14.11.2019)
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For me it was just outright fun, after a long work week abroad it injected the right amount of energy back into my body. Recharging that was and for me that works best with #thereaintnuthinbetterthanlivemusic! And just for me they finished off their set with an encore, giving me (and nobody else for sure) my loveliest song:
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I’VE WOKEN UP IN GUTTER
TURNING SHADES
OF YELLOW, BLACK AND BLUE
THE ONLY THING KEEPING MYSELF ALIVE
IS A MEMORY OF YOU
TAKE THIS IOU
PROMISE THAT I’LL DO
A LITTLE BETTER NEXT TIME

I’VE GOT MY SELF IN A DOWNWARD SPIRAL
AND THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO
THE ONLY SUBSTANCE IN YOUR LIFE
IS A BIT OF SUBSTANCE OF ABUSE
SELF DIAGNOSING
SELF PRESCRIPTING
SELF DESTRUCTING
PICKLE

from Lucid Again, released May 12, 2017
(c) all rights reserved
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Thats “Pickle” if you are not in sync with their mu-sick-al output and it sums them Clowns up like no other song. I am happy to repeat my judgement from last year:
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Oh boy, that got everything in the mix – literally. And that is why i got a ticket for them in the first place: They throw hardcore, trash, metal, psychedelic guitars and some scent of pop into a happy sunny mix and push it down from the stage with relentless energy.
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Nuthin to add, just the complaint that many of the regulars going to shows with me did let this opportunity pass by – i don’t understand why. Is it the amount of hair on stage? Is the fact that they are – without fitting really – on Fat Wreck? Or is the metal connection on them fending you off? Trust me – they are just class and are a guarantee for a powerful evening.

I hope they did catch the ferry (in fact by the date writing this i know it), i did catch a free ride to my new home in the suburbs with a mate who already resides there.
2019/11/17
… Comeback Kid and SOIA – short and crisp!
This was a flashback to 1980: Me and me love recently moved house and we moved out of the city into green suburbia, actually back to where i grew up. And thus this show at the Markhalle was a copy of my adventures back then – taking the S-Bahn down to Hauptbahnhof and then the short walk over to the Markthalle to see great bands.

Because of SOIA the best wife of all was part of the expedition, so it was not only down memory lane but also … hand in hand.

Kick off at the Markthalle was rather early and for those attending a day job tough. And surprisingly it was 4 bands rather than 3 – when i arrived Additional Time (from down south-west in Germany) just finished their early early set. No clue how they sounded but they had to play a rather emtpy Markthalle way before 20:00.

Next on Cancer Bats, playing towards an only slightly bigger audience. I guess it was the night driven to Antwerpen that followed the Hamburg show that force all timing to the rather early side (and made all sets rather crisp – not to say “short”).

Cancer Bats (Markthalle, Hamburg, 06.11.2019 (c) gehkacken.de)

Some have them down as Sludge Metal and others point to Metalcore, i frankly don’t care about the cupboard they are put into. I just have to admit that i don’t dig their sound. So it was chatting outside and some drinks.

Once Comeback Kid from sunny Winnipeg (that’s Manitoba, Canada) took the stage the space in front of the stage and the rest of the Markthalle was well filled (but sure not sold out). And they took the audience by storm as much as i did like them (even in this rather big setting).
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Comeback Kid  (Markthalle, Hamburg, 06.11.2019)
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They got the audience moving and had a number of fans singing along to every song. I am not too detailed into their output but i take it they played a variation of old and new songs. I guess if i would see them in the coziness of the Hafenklang i would dig them even more. The set was short but crisp and little did i know that it would set precedent for the headliner.

Sick Of It All took the headlining slot with all grandeur of a headline – dark stage, intro music and … bang, they stormed into Injustice System (as far as i recall, as i am late in writing up the show). The audience went full throttle in the pit and i saw many smiling faces (and people singing along) in the wide auditorium of the Markthalle.
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Sick Of It All  (Markthalle, Hamburg, 06.11.2019)
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Lou gave as ever the commandeering front man, Pete jumped and twirled around with loads of killer chords, Craig with his double strap for the bass driving the rhythm and Armand doing what he does best: Hardcore drumming with a precision that is rarely matched.

I loved every minute, me love loved every minute and me mates (actually fewer than normally) also did dig it. When chatting prior to the show i tried to reconcile how many time i did see them, i arrived at about 20something times (single-handedly beating the best wife of all with “only” 7 times).

Best moment was Lou singing a song in the audience and the pit doing a circle pit swirling around him – first time i saw such a stunt (specifically a stunt with a microphone on a cord).
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Sick Of It All  (Markthalle, Hamburg, 06.11.2019)
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SOIA took the stage at 22:04 and … gave us a coitus interruptus at 22:50. When they left the stage we thought it was for the encore but nope, they did not come back. When Lou came stage side to shake some hands i think i picked up he was quoting vocal problems, it may also just be the setting of the upcoming overnight drive to Belgium. Whatever it was, it was a little disappointment on an otherwise near perfect set.

I do hope SOIA return soonest in a sole setting and give us some extra time. We want it. We need it. We love it – no matter what!

#thereaintnuthinbetterthanlivemusic!
2019/11/16