Nach den verschiedenen Seitenprojekten von Jo Nesbø ist endlich der 11te Harry Hole Roman da … und der geht ohne Startschwierigkeiten sofort in die Spur. Und eins ist über die Jahre klar geworden: Harry Hole ist tatsächlich ein Hardboiled-Cop und seine Fälle werden immer härter.
Diesmal wird er quasi aus dem Ruhestand zurückgeholt und er erkennt schnell, dass sein Gegner etwas ist das er schon kennt. Und das ist böse.
Das großartige an diesem Buch (das am meisten Spass bringt wenn man die anderen 10 Bücher kennt) ist, dass hier echter Polizeiarbeit zugeschaut werden kann: Statistiken helfen, Technik hilft und das der Täter Tinder benutzt um seine Opfer zu finden hilft auch High-Tech. Und, wie das eben so ist, ist eine Auskunft von einem App-Betreiber in den US of A verdammt schwer zu bekommen. Und was hilft noch: Abklappern. Ausschließen. Und kluge Korrelationen herstellen.
Dazu lösen sich noch ein paar lose Fäden aus den vorherigen Büchern auf, so dass es einfach ein fulminantes Comeback ist. Ach ja, blutig ist es auch!
Hast du Band 1-10 der Harry Hole Reihe durch? Dann kaufen. Ansonsten: Zurück auf Anfang!
That was a perfect setting: A Friday, two bands who are favourites of the Hamburg Blackpool pilgrims and the outlook of a fun evening at one of the fun places in Hamburg.
The Monkeys should have been sold out but wasn’t, but that did not stop the good vibes: everybody had space and everybody had like half of the audience as buddies and knew the rest from sight. It was to be an evening of friends and with friends and and evening of thirst. Thirst for beer, thirst for booze and thirst for good entertainment. And entertainment the lot got, a lot!
First on Wonk Unit, a band that has been the talk of town recently and that people, who saw them live, described as “killer”. So many people where eager and i guess to much surprise of the band (and me) a lot of people where able to sing-a-long to Wonk Unit.
Wonk Unit (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 20.10.2017) (c) gehkacken.de)
From the first chord onward it was pure fun with loads of interaction between band and audience. I would not dare to push a singular label on them – they are very versatile and they do so much more than just clean cut fun punk fucking rock. In essence i think they distilled a very tight UK “we are the lads” sound that branches out into other spaces too (for the sake of having a laugh and having a say).
Here is on of their beauties, their ode to Lewisham:
Wok Unit took the lot by storm and the lot was dancing, singing and smiling. A lot of smiling actually. The moments i liked best where when the singer moved left and pushed the rather shy guitar player into the middle and to the front. First he did not like it but later he started to smile too.
Wonk Unit Appreciation (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 20.10.2017 (c) gehkacken.de)
Sold, and i am god damn sold on Wonk Unit too. And a band that sells T-Shirts with “I love my vagina” for sure needs all the love (’cause they won’t sell a lot of T-Shirts). I’d say they can come back whenever they want, Hamburg will have the red carpet rolled out for them. And some more.
More beer, more chats and bang the first chords from the stage – Dirt Box Disco took the brand new stage of the Monkeys with only a short changeover and they knew they where up to even more love and appreciation by the lot.
Dirt Box Disco (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 20.10.2017) (c) gehkacken.de)
For me it was a wee bit special, the last time they graced the Monkeys i was only a couple of miles away but in hospital, due to an emergency gall bladder removal. And thus missed them, dearly actually, though i was flying high on heavy painkillers and thus only had little bad feelings about missing them. But those who came by the hospital later told of a raunchy show and great fun.
Whilst back then my life was shit (for a split second) theirs forever is … fun:
And that fun down from the stage was echoed as every single song was a sing-a-long for the Hamburg lot, most of them Blackpool Pilgrim and thus Dirt Box connoisseurs for quite some time.
And in every single break it was the Hamburg lot who gave a loud and cheerful hooray to this Dirt Box Day until finally the band gave in and recorded it, so that they could wank to it back home. And in return gave the thirsty lot the final steer of the evening – to get fuckin’ wasted:
And boy, i live to tell you, the lot got wasted later on!
But for now the lot stayed in front of the stage, fists in the air, dancing, singing and having a fun time. When it comes to good clean fun then Dirt Box Disco are right there, fuelling your energy and bringing on that one smile that cements itself right in yer face.
Dirt Box Disco Appreciation (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 20.10.2017 (c) gehkacken.de)
Finally it was time to end the set and the set was ended with the lot on stage and getting a full return of the appreciation – it was fucking Dirt Box Day:
Great stuff and frank i even liked Wonk Unit better simply because they paired the great British loudmouth attitude with so much more variable sound whereas Dirt Boy Disco, at least to my ears, came across well polished and more on a singular sound. But that is complaining on a very very high level and almost feels like being a stupid bum.
It was fun and it took off into the wee of the morning. I was home at 02:00 and knackered (and hungover next day) but the lot drained all liquid (and everything looking like liquid) from the club. The Monkeys crew had to do a thorough clean up on Saturday and had to replenish all beer stocks.
Legend has it that both band have now been contracted as house bands, so the fun will continue. Thanks to all there – that was a killer night!
Quite often you go to shows mainly because of another friend is going, sometimes it needs this warm feeling to be convinced to go out. On Monday night i had all of this but non of me mates where there – that friend giving me the push to be at a show was someone who does not know me, but has been with me for quite some time.
Welcome Mr. Steven Shane McDonald of Redd Kross fame (and OFF! and most recent also Melvins fame). I’d go an extra mile to see Redd Kross (one of the most perfect Power Pop bands) and i am also willing to pay some extra bucks. That upfront payment was good, as the Logo was sold out and packed – most of the audience though waiting for the heavy duty from the Melvins.
So it was me, a lot of hairy guys, some young girls and i knew only one person in the audience (say hello to Olli). And i recognised about 3 faces. Wow – i sure was breaking out from normal custom, that would be a bonus!
First on Redd Kross, this time the McDonalds brothers plus the Melvins drummer plus another friend of them helping out on guitar. Initially they sounded way of, specifically the drumming did not fit well. But the more they played the better they became – by the end of this tour they will be there.
Unfortunately they only had a small rooster rehearsed and were confiened to the support slot – so some of the hits i had in my inner ear never made it to the stage and thus back. But one thing for sure: Melodies, harmonies, fuzz and loads of chorus signing. Just perfect!
A band that can create and re-create this beauty can’t be that bad:
Lady in the front row (1994):
Lady in the front row (2012 – and love that shirt of Steve):
And to make it easier … sing-a-long to this:
You look so fine
But are you too old too be the first in line
Die hard dedication
Would you give me a standing ovation
So bad you stand in her place
You better go now
Oooh you better look out
The lady in the front row
Someone took your spot
But nobody's gonna knock you off
Jealous thieves
It's invisible the power you keep
So bad you stand in her place
You better go now
Oooh you better look out
The lady in the front row
I know your face but what's your race
Are you a homosapien from space
A barometer of the mob reaction
Simple love everything we know as action
So bad you stand in her place
You better go now
Oooh you better look out
It's show time
It's show time
It's show time
It's show time
It's show time
(c) 1993 Quicksilver Recording Company Ltd. - written by E. Kurdziel, J. McDonald & S. McDonald
Did i like it? Yes i did! Would i prefer more? Yes i would, best with a well rehearsed group and as a headliner. And one item got stuck in me head whilst watching Jeff MacDonald singing: Should Leonard Graves Phillips ever die it would be Jeff who would be a perfect fit for The Dickies!
Next on the Melvins, which was easy: Steve stayed on Bass (but changed outfit to black) and Dale Crover stayed on Drums (but changed outfit to black and moved the drums forward). And then came Buzz Ozborne and added his visual and his heavy guitar sound.
I have never been a real fan of the Melvins, too many friends who liked them took too many drugs and their sound was way often much too strange to my ears. But they have their moments, specifically when they take apart other songs and reassemble them in a Melvins way. A unique way. And where Redd Cross had a 45 minute limit Melvins played for slightly above an hour and ended the set with a long lasting and slow but heavy exit. Stunning but just no my favourite thing.
And the audience? Hairy and thirsty.
There are two more Steve McDonald groupie items worth to mention here:
Steve also provided Bass to the non-bass White Stripes
And his daughter has a neat small LA Punk H/C band that is worth to be checked out:
Did i mention i am sold on Steve McDonald?
And just in case you are not sold on Redd Kross, people claim it is the most important band in America (or, better, have claimed). Nevermind, a neat write-up of their history and them scamming money from the big lables (in times where there was still money) you can find over here.
