Antti Tuomainen – Palm Beach, Finland (Rowohlt, 2019)
Gelesen: 06. – 09.05.2019, netto 352 Seiten
Finnland, Land der Palmen und der weißen Strände. Land der überschwänglichen Menschen.
Nicht.
Aber ein tolles Land mit absolut tollen Typen. Ich mag Finnland. Ich kann mir die kleine, lustige Kriminalposse “Palm Beach, Finland” tatsächlich genauso dort vorstellen.
Wunderbare Typen, einsame aber starke Frauen, gammelige Polizisten, durchgeknallte aber völlig bescheuerte Gangster und ein paar schöne Morde. Dazu das langsame Gemeinschaftsleben der Finnen. Eine perfekte Mischung.
Leonard Pitts Jr. – Grant Park (Polar Verlag, 2018)
Gelesen: 27.04. – 05.05.2019, netto 538 Seiten
Leonard Pitts Jr. ist ein angesehener Journalist bzw. Kolumnist (und 2004 sogar Gewinner des Pulitzer Preises) und … schwarz. Ein Neger. Nigger. Und hat mit Sicherheit genug davon.
Sein “Held” Malcom in diesem Buch hat auch genug, am Tag des Wahlsieges von Barack Obama hat eine zornige und anti-Weiße Kolumne in seine Zeitung, die Chicago Post, geschummelt – und fliegt dafür.
Und weil ihm rausfliegen eigentlich egal ist nach all den Jahren kommt es für ihn ein wenig schlimmer: Durchgeknallte White-Trash Terroristen entführen ihn und wollen ihn bei einem Selbstmord-Kommando auf Barack Obama benutzen.
Vorne ist das ganze ein durchgeknallter und lustiger White-Trash Krimi, dahinter ist das ganze eine fast epische Aufarbeitung der Geschichte der Schwarzen in den US of A: Sowohl Malcom als auch sein ebenfalls gefeuerter Boss Bob haben eine gemeinsame Historie die 1968 in Memphis beginnt. Historisch deswegen bedeutsam weil dort damals Martin Luther King erschossen wurde.
Geschickt wird ein historischer und ein aktueller Handlungsstrang gemischt, der historische ist dabei non-crime während der aktuelle crime ist. Der aktuelle Strang ist dabei wunderbar white trash crime, einigermaßen lustig und mit drive.
Das eigentlich spannende ist das dieses Buch erschien bevor Trump Präsident wurde. Und ist damit eine großartige Erinnerung daran das die Situation der Schwarzen sich eigentlich nicht geändert hat.
Last years triumphant show upstairs at the Hafenklang (one of the top 2018 shows in town) was still making waves in the circuit, as such their April 2019 run passing through Hamburg was given the prime stage – downstairs. But what should have been a prime event turned somehow into a laborious and painful evening.
Kick Off was with Waran from Bremen, an outfit i have never seen before, never heard off and, by the looks of the stage setup, may be slightly different. And different they where: A funny looking bass (who tried to hold back fun to the inside but every once in a while there where giggles and smiles on his face), a drummer from a showband, a non-descriptive guitar and … a vocalist.
And what they do is quite a concept: Whilst they play complicated Noise-Rock, or Noisecore or Math-Jazz the vocalist sings, speaks or recites word drawn up by a homeless guy (who ain’t no more). Bit of an arty thing, at good moments it was a bit of Victims Family, at better moments it was driving, hard and fast and and most other times it was … painful for my ears.
No clue how booking for this show worked, for me the wrong pairing as a starter.
Next on Dark Web from Philly (as in Philadelphia, US of A) took the stage, unfortunately with a full change of equipment. They looked just different (and younger) and yet again i have never seen them before nor heard any of their mu-sick.
Dark Web (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 01.05.2019 (c) gehkacken.de)
Whilst Waran where painful for my ears it turned out that Dark Web would rather be … not painful, maybe anoying … for my eyes. They had a good twang, a solid beat and maybe too much reverb (specifically on vocals). But they looks did not match their sound and after a mate hinted to me “try to listen with your eyes closed” i tried it … and was surprised that the mu-sick indeed worked better without the visuals.
They played a short set, most like the label “Post Punk” is the right sticker for them. I guess you should check them out for yerself, my mu-sick-al limits may just be too prohibitive (for my humble self):
And with that it was Johnny Moped time. By now the Hafenklang was well filled, though it lacked the age mix of young and old: It was old farts predominantly. Last years pairing of a young local band (with local supporters) with Johnny Moped just did drive a much more healthy mix.
And to that audience and with a triumphant return from the Rock’n’Roll Butterfahrt Festival on Heligoland (that little high sea rock that them Brits tried to blow up after WWII) Johnny Moped took the stage:
The band excused Paul (and themselves) before he hit the stage as “we are worn out and Paul lost his voice .. but fuck that, let’s do this” and indeed you could barely hear Paul and his voice was cracking. Bit time. You could even see the pains he got through trying to sing. Not good. And thus many feared the worst … either a weak show or Paul having to back out.
Johnny Moped (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 01.05.2019 (c) gehkacken.de)
But Paul stayed on and actually his voice got a wee bit better during the show. The pit was packed and people enjoyed it big time with loads of sing-a-long and some cracking jokes from the stage.
And thus finally Labor Day came through laborious (sustaining two bands i most likely would not want to see) and painful (for Paul). But still they did a perfect set under these circumstances and they got a lot of appreciation.
Crazed up fans from near (Hamburg) and far (Bremen) actually entered the stage to demand an additional encore:
They ain’t Rock’n’Roll Rookies! ( (c) gehkacken.de 2019)
Well done lads and i do hope that Paul saw a doctor next day, got some medication for his throat and vocal cords (and hopefully he has not destroyed something there) and a good rest before he and the troops hit upon Rebellion this year.
And can someone please explain the math (just to not use the word logic) behind the booking/pairing of the three bands for that labor day?
