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  • … 2022 in numbers

    … 2022 in numbers

    2022, the year the pandemie ended. True. But the grip on the live mu-sick circuit is still not gone – too many shows cancled or tours dropped. And my favorite clubs all lost regular customers and face reduced turn-outs. Damn.

    At least i was able to see a bit more, but not as much as i liked:

    # of shows# of bandsaverange bands per show
    Hafenklang12282
    Monkeys3134
    Knust133
    MS Hedi111
    Indra111
    Drafthouse122
    Faust133
    Komet122
    21532.5

    More than doubled compared to 2021 but still a lot of misses, be it a dropped show, be it me not choosing to go or simply a great event always when i do holiday (Get Lost Festival that is).

    And the best? Now that is a tough one – there where evenigs of great entertainment and there where single big surprises. Let’s try:

    On a lonely August evening The Bollokos from Guadeloupe did not bother about low turnout at the Indra but gave the few 2+ hours of joy! Thanks Sam! At the Monkeys it was both the return of Kaleko Urdangak and the surprise of Complete Loss during the MOi!n It’s Hamburg Festival that provided the utmost entertainment. The sets of Good Riddance, Youth Avoiders and Career Suicide at the Booze Cruise Festival where also near perfect.

    But show of the year was the K-Town Warm-Up with both an unbeaten diverese line-up and a near perfect mangy delivery – an absolut perfect blast of hardcore energy. Runner up only by a short margin where Lysol and Electric Chair upstairs at the Hafenklang just a couple of days earlier in almost the same territory.

    On the book front i somehow did not find the time to go digging in my favorite bookstores. As a consequence my consumption dropped:

    # of books# of pages#of days
    Crime4315.967285
    Music61.91591
    History31.37526
    SciFi21.24823
    5420.505

    That is definitly less books read than 2021, also the average pages per day dropped dropped from 77 to 71. There where distractions, key one was a house move back into the city. I guess i will need to devote more time in 2023 again towards page turning.

    The list is still topped by the Crime series of the Polar Verlag (12 books), followed by the stuff that Thomas Wörtche orchestrates for Suhrkamp (8 books).

    Book of the year 2022? Not Crime per se but the Biography of Jerry A. Lang, the singer from Poison Idea. There is more than enough Drugs and Violence in those 3 books that it passes easily as Crime! Runner up from the real Crime Genre where Brachland, Blacktop Wasteland and Das Schnelle Leben. Extra shout out for Lightwood and Bobby March Forever, those books delivered some great laughter on top of a decent crime story.

    And on the record front? Discogs tells me i added 54 records in 2022, so will go by that list:

    Top 5, without any particular order:

    Kinder Von Heute (Crazy) – great re-release of one of the finest Swizz Punk. Get it from Iffy at Static Shock (and get it like me even when you have the original one, it is worth it).

    Intercity (Mess) – I took home the 2022 re-press straight from the show (together with all other Mess vinyl on offer). A raw beauty of UK82 all the way from Mexico. Get it from Mendeku Diskak.

    Magnetic (Lucky Malice) – The vinly took two years to arrive (technically speaking the record was out in 2020 and i was lucky to get a signed edition. Great all-female Punk with stunning clever and to-the-point lyrics. A must have! Get it from Tonehjulet Kräftpest.

    Barbies Don’t Bleed (Retrospective 1986 – 1990) (Barbie Army) – Many years ago i found “Take Down The Flag” on a tape someone gave me and ever since i was wandering if that band had any other songs out. Little did i know, little did i know. As some others had the same urge to get more everything came to light, but only in 2022. A gem of mid-80s girl Punk with a huge P like Pop and Melodies. Anything they ever recorded on this LP and 7″. Get it from Goodwill Records.

    Vague Digitale (Sordid Ship) – Another French surprise and beauty, recorded in 2019 but only in 2022 released as single-sided 12″ with the backside being printed over. The 500 beauties are gone i understand, so get it digital from the band.

    Whilst at it – this is one of the songs and it a sheer beauty!

    Next to it i managed to get three more playlists completed, mixing new and old stuff. Just as a reminder, here they are – a whopping 541 Songs over 19 hours 34 minutes and 6 seconds:

    Songs From The Holy War Archive Volume Twenty
    Songs From The Holy War Archive Volume 21
    Songs From The Holy War Archive Volume 22

  • … a diverse community that strives, a family!

    … a diverse community that strives, a family!

    14.0 got Covid, 14.1 got Covid too – luckily 14.2 was only ever infested with the will to have a community meet with good music at a great location. The stuff you most likely do not get on New Year, hence the anual family meeting is on the 30th of December and allows you pass by any New Years Eve parties on the final day of the year.

    The Razors this time round invited friends from near (Degenerate Ideol from Bremen) and far (Östro 430 all the way from the early 1980s). And the icing that came with it: Diversity. Both on stage but also mu-sick-ally. Can there be a better setting?

    Degenerate Idol kicked off early, at 20:00 sharp. Most of the lot was still en-route to the Knust i guess, so they had to face at least some space down in the audience. But it did not deter them, they took the stage with humor, wit and a sound deeply rooted in the R of Punk Rock.

    Degenerate Idol (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)

    Some of their songs were really funny and their singer is defintly stage aware (and able to control the crowd) but for my liking some of their songs lacked drive and from where i stood the sound lacked guitar force … but hey, as ever, that is down to my own mu-sick-al likings. They had some cheers, some dancing and a good reception. And remember, they are from Bremen. Check them out yerself.

    Next the reborn Östro 430. Their original incarnation dates all the way back to Düsseldorf in 1979 and i guess they where the first German all-female Punk band. And in true punk fashion they gave a flying fuck on norms: No guitar and songs with a view from the female mind, heart and i guess cunt. A realy refreshing change of view and views, specifically on sexuality.

    Fast forward to 2019 and Östro 430 where re-born in Hamburg, i guess Martina was living here anyway, with locals added on drums and bass. And off it went, actually pretty quickly pretty well (and well received too).

    Östro 430 (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)

    They kicked off Christmas themed and then thanks to Martina being herself (that is largely expressing herself in what we call in Hamburg Kodderschnauze) they delivered some clear messages.

    Some of the messages – as back then – where actually too strong to handle by some in the audience, Martina made some pointed remarks towards the use of gender stars etc in language and that seemed to piss off some young punks in front of the stage. To much fun for myself they took it as an offence that need retaliation by leaving the pit. Oh my, sign of times…

    Östro 430 (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)

    Östro 430 where just great, proved that mu-sick works without a guitar (and with double bass, when needed) and that girls (both on and off stage) are to be heard and not only seen. I thoroughly loved it, my guest of the night from Rotterdam was thoroughly surprised by them. Well done girls! All of their stuff is now available, i do hope new stuff is added soonest!

    It was then for the Razors to carry diversity forward, they did it by using the big stage of the Knust and Sir Edwar Elgars Pomp And Circumstances March Number One for a grand intro …

    Don’t go away now! Sure the lot did not want to go anywhere, here at the Knust they were perfectly happy and more than inclined to enjoy both the community feel and the Razors delivering a complete wash-up of their Œuvre, spanning from 1978 to today.

    Razors (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)

    Whilst they did not have a lot of shows in 2022 they were well rehearsed and took it on like a well oiled old engine, with only a few selected replacement parts. Sven batters foward, Stoffel speeds, Christiane glues it and Klaus delivers it.

    Razors (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)

    And whilst there are fun moments (like this intro with one of the most famous Hamburg Punk nostalgia quotes) there are also loving memories, to those long gone but also to those whom we lost in 2022. For those it was We Love You, followed suit by 1977:

    It is exactly this contrast (and that is song origin) and spread that i love the Razors for, being able to glue it all in a still relevant (aka modern) way and deliver it with all the energy they have – giving the audience a change to suck it up and sing it out loud in return. Just purrfect.

    Razors (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)

    I am not sure how much of the Razors repertoire (thsat is i guess around 50 songs) was used as time flew by without a single boring second and without a song that i could not sing-a-long to.

    One of Klaus favorites all the way back from the time when Punk entered the scene was sure part of the set, here is their blistering delivery of Heroes.

    Now sing-a-long:

    I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can beat them, just for one day
We can be heroes, just for one day

And you, you can be mean
And I, I'll drink all the time
'Cause we're lovers, and that is a fact
Yes we're lovers, and that is that
Though nothing will keep us together
We could steal time just for one day
We can be heroes for ever and ever
What d'you say?

I, I wish you could swim
Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim
Though nothing, nothing will keep us together
We can beat them, for ever and ever
Oh we can be Heroes, just for one day

I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can be Heroes, just for one day
We can be us, just for one day

I, I can remember (I remember)
Standing, by the wall (by the wall)
And the guns, shot above our heads (over our heads)
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall)
And the shame, was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever
Then we could be Heroes, just for one day

We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be Heroes

We're nothing, and nothing will help us
Maybe we're lying, then you better not stay
But we could be safer, just for one day

Oh-oh-oh-ohh, oh-oh-oh-ohh, just for one day

    It is a song about togetherness and together the lot was. And as always there was no boundary on and off stage, as such the family took the stage for the final song and helped Klaus to sing it out loud: You Never Walk Alone. 

    Razors Family (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)

    I had a friend from Rotterdam over and me mate Frosch had a guest from Berlin, both noted that the community and/or family feel they sensed on the night was astonishing and something they do not see or feel back home. I guess they are right, Hamburg has something special going here and it is absoluty a joyful thing.

    The joy ended in front of the DJ both over at the Bar, where Christian was doing his best adding sing-a-long and dance-a-long singles from back then and later too much appreaceation by the lot. I was home late, knackered. I kept the promise toward me love to help with early shopping but had to drop dead for another and much longer round of sleep.

    Now it is 2023 already and i look forward to a new year with hopefully more shows and this Punk Rock Hamburg community even striving further. Keep the love, keep the memories and look forward.

    Can i pencil in Burn Down The Baum 15.0 already? Yes? Great, luv it!

  • Songs From The Holy War Archive Volume 22

    Songs From The Holy War Archive Volume 22

    Songs From The Holy War Archive Volume 22 (December 2022 Edition)

    Done. I am thoroughly done with 2022. Time to package up (though i moved house back into the city in September and i am done with packaging up actually) and look into what 2023 hopefully brings.

    I know exactly what i do not want and i am damn sure about the things that i do want. And i will make sure i at least try hard (and harder) to make these things come through – for me, for my loved ones and for my friends in Ukraine (and, whilst at it, if you can spare one thing this year than please spare something for the Ukraine).

    So here is the 3rd edition in 2022 and thus i have caught up. Next year will only ever bring you one single playlist, numbered 23.

    Those who inspired me see their stuff here, bands i discovered are featured and records i took home are sure in there.

    This is from me to you. Big time FANX!, as ever.

    Now go and re-create!

    1. Film Dialogue Clip – What will the future reveal (0:27)
    2. The Yobs – Gloria (1:26)
    3. The Scavengers – Mysterex (3:45)
    4. Hypocondriacs – Death Or Glory (3:44)
    5. Brainwash – Etat D’ Urgence (V.D.) (3:35)
    6. Ramonetures – Pet Sematary (3:34)
    7. Donna And The Dynamiters – Boy You Made a Monkey out of Me (3:33)
    8. Brutal Chérie – Daytona (3:30)
    9. Section 8 – Can’t Let Go (3:30)
    10. Atomic Mosquitos – This Jesus Must Die (3:29)
    11. Billie Joe Armstrong – Corpus Christi (3:26)
    12. Blääh – Punkfilosofiaa (3:21)
    13. The Nobodys – All Kinds Of Girls (3:20)
    14. The Skabbs – N-N-N-N-Nervous (3:17)
    15. Attentat och Sulo – Ett annat Sverige (3:16)
    16. Giant Eagles – Bye Bye Baby (3:14)
    17. The Meffs – Broken Britain, Broken Brains (3:11)
    18. Gonna Get Yours – You’re Dead (3:09)
    19. The Sign*Offs – Sickness (3:08)
    20. Surfing Arcanis Personnae – Doctor Who (3:06)
    21. The Burial – Friday Night (Original version) (3:02)
    22. The Wasps – He’s Back (3:01)
    23. Christian Blunda – Inside a Black Hole (3:00)
    24. Janus Stark – It Can Be Tough Up There (2:59)
    25. The Raydios – Rock Brochure (2:58)
    26. Naked Raygun – Just For Me (2:57)
    27. Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster – Capture of the Earth Women (0:43)
    28. Puhelinseksi – Baby come back (2:57)
    29. Strikt – Stockholm (2:53)
    30. The Girls – She’s Hysterical (2:53)
    31. Rebels Rule – Not Looking for Love (2:51)
    32. Red Scare – Street Life… (2nd Demo) (2:49)
    33. UltraBomb – Super Hero Shit (2:49)
    34. Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin – Rip Van Winkle ’85 (2:48)
    35. The Windowsill – Change of heart (2:48)
    36. Complete Loss – Needle Park (2:46)
    37. Knock Off – No One Gets Out Alive (2:45)
    38. Daisy Chain – Respect (2:44)
    39. Récidive – Idées Noires (2:44)
    40. Les Hell On Heels – Can’t Buy Cool (2:42)
    41. OFF! – Ignored (2:42)
    42. The Hitmen – Don’t Hit Girls (Outtake Tora Tora DTK) (2:41)
    43. Dion Lunadon – 1976 (2:39)
    44. La Pesté – Moscow Radio (Demo, EA Systems, Boston, 1980) (2:38)
    45. Reckless Upstarts – Dying For A Living Wage (2:38)
    46. The Killers – It’s Our Life (2:38)
    47. Lost Legion – Bridging Electricity (2:37)
    48. Mess – Street Boys (2:37)
    49. C.O.F.F.I.N – Cum In The Street (2:34)
    50. Fun Things – Savage (2:34)
    51. Henry Fiat’s Open Sore – Heil Hippie (2:34)
    52. Roughed Up – King And Council (2:34)
    53. Iceburg Slim – Christmas Dressed in Blue (2:32)
    54. Surf Zombies – Speedo (2:32)
    55. Bad Job Boys – Two-Faced (2:31)
    56. The Three Suns – Russian Sleigh Song (2:31)
    57. Cloverbottom – Life Is A Game (2:30)
    58. Cuero – Destruir (2:29)
    59. Shaved Dogs – Ilanero Solitario (2:29)
    60. Nasty Facts – Crazy ’bout You (2:28)
    61. Slaughter & The Dogs – Cocaine Smile (2:28)
    62. Dee Skusting & The Rodents – Laying Wasted (2:26)
    63. The Donkeys – What I Want (2:26)
    64. Blitzkreig – Kommen Heir Saügling (Come Here Baby) (2:25)
    65. Vis Vires – Initium Novum (2:25)
    66. Connie Francis – I´m Gonna Be Warm This Winter (2:23)
    67. Paintbox – The Incurable World (2:22)
    68. Sator – In With The Crowd (2:22)
    69. Flanders 72 – Christmas Is Coming (2:20)
    70. TRASH – Nnervous (2:20)
    71. Hypnotic IV – The Last Supper (2:19)
    72. Ravagers – Down That Road (2:19)
    73. Wolfgang Sawallisch & The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra – Dvorak Requiem Dies irae (2:19)
    74. Mižerija – Lanci (2:18)
    75. Tenement Rats – Mindgames (2:17)
    76. Residents – Never Ending Story (2:16)
    77. BRUX – No Cierres el Bar (2:15)
    78. Oscar Lindok and Friends (Giacomo Dell’Orso) – So Crazy (2:15)
    79. Berlin Blackouts – Eyes Of ’84 (2:14)
    80. Boy – Anti-Social (2:13)
    81. The B’Girls – ‘B’ Side (2:13)
    82. Bloody Riot – Anarchia Per L’italia (Inediti Demo 1982) (2:12)
    83. Dum-Dum Bullet – Burning Power (2:12)
    84. Geoffrey Oi!Cott – Beamers (2:12)
    85. The Vicious – I Don’t Believe In Christ (2:12)
    86. Doughboys – Why She’s A Girl From The Chainstore (Buzzcocks) (2:09)
    87. Man or Astro-man? – Reverb 10,000 (2:09)
    88. The Razor Gang – All i want for xmas is a neutron bomb (2:09)
    89. Matrone – Letter to your Parents (2:08)
    90. Radio Dead Ones – Bootlegger Nation (2:08)
    91. Satan’s Cats – You Make Me Sick (2:08)
    92. Charles de Goal – Dans le labyrinthe (2:07)
    93. Crazy – Freiheit im Rechtsstaat (2:07)
    94. The Manges – Back To Bangkok (2:07)
    95. American Sharks – Overdrive (2:03)
    96. Martin & The Brownshirts – Boring (2:03)
    97. Missile Toads – Ultra Christmas (2:03)
    98. One Man Stand – Wet Paint (2:03)
    99. Crap Detector – Police State (2:02)
    100. Lumpen – Condenados A Vivir (2:01)
    101. The Creamers – Everytime You Come Around (You Stay Too Long) (2:00)
    102. Last Night – Mission (1:59)
    103. Nocturnes – Third Star to the Left (1:59)
    104. Planet Y – Alle Skal Ud (1:59)
    105. The Busy Signals – Uh-Oh (1:59)
    106. Charger – All Kings Must Die (1:58)
    107. The Cheifs – 1988 (1:57)
    108. Von Gam – Veckopress (1:57)
    109. The Rites – Pissing On Your Grave (1:55)
    110. 80nails – Aye Aye Aye (1:54)
    111. Atom Atom – Alles Gut (1:54)
    112. Big Fuckin Skull – Murder, Skull Wrote (1:53)
    113. Continental Lovers – Can’t Get Her Outta My Head (1:53)
    114. Flesh D-Vice! – Friday Nights (1:53)
    115. Slaughter Boys – Iron Lung (1:53)
    116. Teengenerate – Shake A Tail Feather (1:53)
    117. Tyrant – My Right (1:53)
    118. The Androids – Nine To Five (1:52)
    119. Faction-S – Usé Jusqu’a L’os (1:51)
    120. Avengers Vl – Time Bomb (1:49)
    121. Florida Men – Better Safe Than Sober (1:49)
    122. Ben & Fist – Ensemble ou jamais (1:48)
    123. Toxic Reasons – God Bless America (Unreleased Track From ”War Hero” Session) (1:47)
    124. Benzin – Zieh dir was rein (1:45)
    125. Brad Marino – Sick Sick Sick Sick (1:44)
    126. Prisonnier Du Temps – Finir Comme Toi (1:44)
    127. Thorazine – Stumble and Fall (1:44)
    128. Melusaaste – Alistajat (1:43)
    129. Random Killing – Don’t Ask Me Why (1:43)
    130. Nasty Rumours – Antisocial (1:42)
    131. F.U.’s – Razor (1:41)
    132. Reifer Madness – Summer Of 77 (1:41)
    133. The Slits – Shoplifting (Rough Mix) (1:39)
    134. The Testors – Primitive (1:39)
    135. Class – Pills On A Dish (1:36)
    136. Miki Antony & Tom Parker – Dirty Rat (1978) (1:33)
    137. Spurts – Je Suis Fier De Mon Grand-Pere (1:30)
    138. Stress – Informer (1:30)
    139. Teenage Knockups – Starts With F And Ends With U (1:30)
    140. Sötlimpa – Lita På Dig Själv (1:29)
    141. Liquids – Strutter (1:28)
    142. Motosierra – Burzako Furher (1:28)
    143. Postage – Asphyxia (1:28)
    144. Cracked Up – Zip It (1:27)
    145. Shitshow – Cellphone Monkey (1:27)
    146. Dillinger Four – You’re Not Blank (1:25)
    147. Generacion Suicida – Frakasos (1:25)
    148. Naked Raygun – Mein Iron Maiden (1:25)
    149. Dead Kennedys – Forward To Death (2022 Remix) (1:23)
    150. Evil Idols – Bike Age (1:23)
    151. Livids – Midnight Stains (1:21)
    152. Le Tunnel De L’enfer – The Tunnel Of Love (1:20)
    153. The Weaklings – We Gotta Find A Way (1:20)
    154. Chartbusters – Chartbusters (1:19)
    155. The Richard Ramirez Beatdown – I’m Not A Victim (1:19)
    156. Crass – Major General Despair (Demos recorded at Southern Studios on February 27th 1978) (1:18)
    157. Long Knife – If You Want Blood (1:18)
    158. Chemtrails Oslo – 9/11 Cock (1:16)
    159. Solger – Raping Dead Nuns (1:16)
    160. Strul – Hi-Fi Punx (1:15)
    161. The Stranglers – Shut Up (Bonus) (1:07)
    162. The Sins – Fighting In The USA (1:06)
    163. Mensen – Gotta Get Away (1:02)
    164. Christ On Parade – For Your Viewing Pleasure (1:01)
    165. Screeching Weasel – Six Ways To Sunday (1:01)
    166. Loli & The Chones – Nazi Death Camp (0:56)
    167. The Clitboys – Have Faith (Demo Tape 1982) (0:54)
    168. Dangerous Pyjamas – Fashion (0:53)
    169. Tokyo Lungs – Rat Cage (0:38)
    170. The Sobers – I, Vera (0:36)
    171. The Chats – Southport Superman (0:35)
    172. Mage… Or Astro-Mage? – Spectral Arc (3:51)

    Songs From The Holy War Archive Volume 22:
    172 tracks in playlist, average track length: 2:09
    Playlist length: 6 hours 11 minutes 27 seconds