The Interrupters caught my ear early on in their career thanks to Hellcat Records, ie. the wings of Tim Armstrong. Their pleasant sound and quite fresh approach to fast paced Ska works well on record, hence i regretted it all along that they bypassed Hamburg over the years (they only ever came around as support for Bad Religion).
So when the show came up i got two tickets and was quite right, as it sold out in record time even being at the Markthalle (one of the largest club venues around here). So in the end a lucky mate, who missed buying in time, got the ticket. In return he treated us with free beer in front of the Markthalle.
Support was Not On Tour, the relentless touring machine from sunny Israel. They do Pop Punk and they never really caught my ear, though i tried multiple times.
Not On Tour (Markthalle, Hamburg, 26.07.2019)
They had to setup their gear in front of the Interrupters gear and that provided me with an initial feel of “rock show“. It was paired with a shitty sound, another “rock show” feel. I endured a couple of songs but then resorted back out for fresh air.
Next on, sharp at 21:00, them Interrupters. They came on stage backed by “Ghost Town” from The Specials and made a rock star entry. And kicked in from “0” to “100” in no time. From the first minute they commanded and pleased a willing audience, got plenty of applause and cheers.
The Interrupters (Markthalle, Hamburg, 26.06.2019 (c) gehkacken.de)
All through the 80 minutes they delivered, they gave me a twist in the legs to move and dance (and many people did move) but that twist never arrived at my heart. My initial feel of “rock show” was now paired with “professional” and that would tear myself into two corners. One the one side they play pleasant and very endurable mu-sick, on the other side the whole show looked completely … mmhhh … rehearsed? Staged? A choreography (as someone suggest from Andrew Lloyd Webber)?
Not sure what words would describe it but is just did not feel real, it did not feel they way shows should feel or how shows should touch me. As such i now found a rare case where the records work for me (though they are getting more mainstream (radio ready) from album to album) but live it just did not work. No joy. No feelings.
Nevermind, the largest part of the audience did like it, including a wheele guy crowd surfing.
Dangerous trend sport: Wheelesurfing!
He got some flak from the security after the show, as despite him being a professional skater with his wheele and knowing how to handle that in extreme situations those that carried him won’t. And they could hit other, specifically to the front. It may be a cool thing (and a cool visual) to be up there but if you hit someone … it ain’t so cool anymore.
Once it was over 98% of the audience seemed to be happy. I had a final “rock show” itch at the end: The Interrupters made a final curtain gesture but omitted their keyboard/horn enlist for it.
I enjoyed the music but not the show. It was 20€, so a fair deal. Will i continue to buy records of them? Maybe. Will i ever see them live again? Most likely not.
And on the sideline: Is Aimee the best crowd winning singer? Nope, whilst having a great voice and always reaching she falls way short of Jenny Angelillo. Way short.
I have been taking camp at the Hafenklang over the last days it feels, 3rd show in 5 days and thus time to wind down. And wind down the theme was, as much as the good tradition of the K-Town warm-up was revived the K-Town wind-down was re-introduced.
And this time round it was two Swedish bands that where known not only for, lets say, outgoing live performance but also for taking no prisoners. As the Hafenklang stated in their own little marketending for the show: “Axe Rash Hag will shave your head”!
First on Hag and hair length actually was contradicting head shave. Two long haired boys paired with two girls. And off it went, full on aggressive H/C with a maniac singer.
Hag (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 17.06.2019 (c) gehkacken.de)
Whilst the eye catching thing was sure Agnes on vocals the ear catching thing was the guitar: A great balance between shredding and a slight metal overcast. And to back that up sturdy and thundering drum and bass gave the backdrop.
I had no immediate comparison in my head and that gives you a hint how good it was. I liked it from the first song, the Swedes in the audience who traveled with the bands liked it and the 30 odd folks that attended the donation only Monday liked it too.
The interlude between the bands was short, chatting with people and watching a rather tiny cruise vessel leaving the harbor.
… next year: K-Town cruise!
It actually provided a neat idea to maybe do a K-Town cruise – would the MS Hedi be allowed to travel through Elbe, Kiel Canal and the Baltic Sea to CPH?
Next on Axe Rash, where Agnes covers Bass duties. And you got less hair on the two boys, actually no hair but a great Void T-Shirt on the drums. And they kicked off like this:
Bang! I truly believe that bands who play live should make “intros” (as much as i do believe in stage attire, in this genre most like to no avail) and as such this was a great start!
In your face vocals, aggressive undertone both through mu-sick and vocals and fast forward. Perfect if you ask me. They got the audience moving (both further to the stage and bodily) and they greatly extended their set beyond the 22:00 limit (where normally the table tennis starts).
Great stuff and at least one male person in the audience fell in love with them Swedish Girls on stage. Good luck mate!
As i am a greedy asshole record collector i have way too many records assembled over the years (4.759 as of today). As such some time ago i decided on some baseline rules, one of them is: Only ever buy a new record of a new band if the band has convinced me live. And then buy the record after the show from the band.
#recordcollectorsarepretentiousarseholes
I took the Hag “Be my filth” EP and the Axe Rash “S/T” LP with me when i left the Hafenklang, so it tells you that both bands where convincing. Some of my fellow old Punk Rock connoisseurs who follow my adventures via social media claimed upon examination of the bands that it is just horrible noise.
I’d like to correct them: It is an Inter City Express, with a tuned engine, running at 200 mph through the station where you stand on the platform. And the passengers yell at you through the windows.
I loved that feeling on that Monday at the Hafenklang, it was a perfect wind-down.
Whilst i did get to see the record earlier, the formal record release party for the Nasser Hund debut album sure thing was the day where i was going to buy it. No matter what! The date was long awaited and thus the elderly Punk Rock connoisseurs from Hamburg did pack the Hafenklang upstairs. Yet again one of the “i know everyone in the audience” evenings.
Fun moment on my short stroll down to the Hafenklang was bumping into the Adolescents, who used the band apartment to stay over before continuing on to their first EU date in Denmark. I tried to encourage them to show up later for Nasser Hund but i think they ran for food and did not make it (at least i did not note them later on).
To warm (and charm) people up Sixteen Again took the support slot. Sixteen Again? What is that? A kiddy band? Nope – Sixteen Again are a long contemplated idea by Helge (of Jam Today fame) to only play … Buzzcocks. And since the sad passing of Pete Shelley this is even more a very valid tribute.
I guess that one was true for many in the audience, i would be bang right back in 1980 when Stiff Little Fingers played the Markthalle for my 16th birthday.
Sixteen Again (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 14.06.2019 (c) gehkacken.de)
And that is Nic, Helge, Ingo and Koshi and they devote themselves to the times of perfect Power-Pop, when love songs did matter for young punk rockers. From the vast œuvre of the Buzzcocks they made a short but fine selection for their first live appearance.
Sixteen Again – Setlist (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 14.06.2019)
You could sense some nervousness on stage and within the audience at the start but with the 3rd song already they had convinced the audience (and themselves). Promises is indeed not an easy song by Messrs Diggle & Shelley to master but here it comes in all beauty (and remember it dates back to 1978):
If you, like myself, have the urge to sing-a-long, here is your chance:
Deal! And with every song that followed the audience took more and more over the singing, up to the point where Helge noted that he got a line wrong (and the audience right). Perfect entertainment! Let’s hope that this set gives them the confidence to do more – i’d love to see more, i’d love to see them even more outgoing!
For Nasser Hund it left an enthusiastic audience, eager to get them and the songs from their record. And this is how they kicked off:
In my book this is down as a near perfect pop song: Drive, great lyrics with a near perfect rhyme (take “Sie haben ihren Eltern nie verziehen, sie lächeln nur auf Fotografien“) , some great surprising chords and … 2 minutes long. If that ain’t get them radio play, what else would?
And for sure they have more of that quality, like this one on friendship:
Great stuff, hard hitting and every chord, every beat and every hook by the bass in it’s place. You can see that Jan, Kay and Arne all made their peace with mu-sick: They just write and play because they love it. And that emits from both the stage and the record.
But it is not only short and crisp songs they do, they can also do more complex and longer stuff, just like this one: Nasser Hund play Nasser Hund for you:
They got like 20 songs done with great applause from the audience, who more and more got into the groove, singing and dancing. And generally being joyful (though one attendant choose to be an outsider).
… pure enjoyment in front of the stage!
And after the 20 songs came encores and a repeat. And as the audience was still not fully satisfied it Arne decided to throw in a song from one of this other ventures (and that gives a full circle back to Sixteen Again, the desire to find love and the start of the evening):
Power-Pop sing-a-long yet again. Class.
I can only urge you dear reader to now go out (or online) to get this record. A great DIY debut LP, perfectly styled and available now!
Nasser Hund – Gute Idee (Loxi Poloxi L-P 001, 2019)
If your local record dealer does not have it – taunt him! If you reside off site then check Sounds Of Subterrania or Copasetic Mailorder to get it.
I guess the lot had more fun at the Hafenklang, i had to sneak out and meet some old work mates from London for some chatting and some serious alcohol at my favorite (local) bar. I was home at 03:00 and well loaded but with a broad smile on my face. And by now the record has spun twice on my player (and the 2nd copy i bought is in the mail as a gift to a person outside Hamburg).
