Peter Farris – Letzter Aufruf Für Die Lebenden (Polar Verlag, 2022)
Gelesen: 09. – 17.08.2022 (netto 403 Seiten plus Nachwort von Jon Bassoff)
Spannend – das Buch ist 10 Jahre alt und kommt “erst” jetzt in Deutsch auf den Markt, sehr passend in der Dark Places Serie des großartigen Polar Verlages.
Das Buch beginnt als Bankräuber Story (mit dem ersten lakonischen Mord auf Seite 35), geht dann über in einen Hinterwäldler-Meth-Aryan Brotherhood-Knaller und zielt dann ehr in die Richtung Stockholm-Syndrome.
Etliche unappetitliche Tote weiter ist es dann ehr eine Vater-Sohn-Geschichte um dann am Ende in ein zugeggeben großartiges Bankräuber Shoot Out abzubiegen.
White Trash, Meth, Suff, schmutziger Sex, Südstaaten-Rassismus aka Southern Pride, durchgeknallte Irre in einer Klapperschlangenanbeterkirche, der klassische geschiedene Säufer als Dorfsheriff, die Feds, Knastgangs und ihre Hirachien und jede Menge lakonische Gewalt.
Ist schon eine ganze Menge was hier zusammenkommt. An manchen Stellen ist das schon ein wenig überbordend (bzw. unsortiert) an anderen Stellen ziemlich spannend: Wie Hinklin (der Bankräuber) und Charlie (die Geisel) die extrem fiesen Jungs des Brotherhood fertigmachen ist absolut großartig beschrieben.
Was ich so gar nicht verstanden habe sind die Passagen in kursiv im Buch, sind das Flashbacks oder Fieberträume? Was soll das? Ohne diese Passagen wäre das Buch ein wenig mehr hard-boiled, ein wenig mehr stringent. Würde mir besser gefallen.
Am Ende gewinnt das Buch mich aber doch: Eine perfekte downward spiral an lakonischer Gewalt mit wirklich fiesen Burschen. Sehr real und wahrscheinlich aus dem echten Leben der US of A gegriffen.
Das ganze Buch hat Kapitelreferenzen zu dieser LP, passt perfekt. Warum? Weil Peter Farris der Sänger der Band ist/war und die LP ein Konzeptalbum für einen imaginären Film. Das Buch passt da nicht 100% zur Story aber das ist egal. Spannend!
Daddy was a bad man from a bad land
Gave him twenty years – served them like a man
Momma was a southern belle from a southern hell
Had a bad leg and trouble with the pills
They were married in the month of July
It was a shotgun wedding
Bought everything that the lord ever sold
Except the happy ending
Actually i do not know where to start nor to finish. Whilst many of me mates where in Blackpool the other week they brought home only good stories about Jeff (doing a spoken word performance) and Cockney Rejects (doing a great show). For me as a regular Blackpool absentee it did not matter too much, i was just keen to see them again (having had to miss the 2019 edition of the Sauna event).
Just like 2019 they where paired with This Means War from Belgium, who technically took the stage 2nd, as there was a short Book presentation in the pub for starters. I preferred to stay outside, enjoying plenty of chats with people from near and far, watching them brothers Nickel applying liquid drugs through the eyeballs on Matthias and trying to stay out of the sauna – it was damn hot in Hamburg.
This Means War kicked off to an already well filled Monkeys and they play Oi! with a definite scent of Hard Rock, though not leaning too far into that territory.
This Means War (Monkey Music Club, Hamburg, 13.08.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)
For me it was a mixed bag, i sometimes felt a wee bit offended by them trying to bond with the audience. Not sure what did offend me, because i guess they just tried to be friendly and with the audience, rather than fronting the audience.
Within their rooster they do have one or the other quite melodic song with sing-a-long qualities, overall most of them without “speeding”. They played for about 30 minutes i take and they got some cheers (and even some folks singing along).
This Means War (Monkey Music Club, Hamburg, 13.08.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)
For me there was one ill-fated choice though, but again it may just be stubborn and selfish me: If i would do support for Cockney Rejects i would not cover Cock Sparrer in my set and if i cover Cock Sparrer then definitely not “Suicide Girls”. Period.
With a quick changeover it was all ready for the Rejects and by now the Monkeys was well filed (though i believe not sold out). And what was awaiting the lot? A mixture of old and new, classic Oi! anthems and selected songs from their later efforts.
Cockney Rejects – Set List (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 13.08.2022)
They took the stage totally unpretentious and stormed into their set as a well oiled engine. And the engine got some new extra horsepower, the young lad on drums was pushing them forward a wee bit more than in the past (at least it felt like that).
Cockney Rejects (Monkey Music Club, Hamburg, 13.08.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)
As always Jeff was the engagement manager and due to the smaller stage he could not do as much sparing as he does on bigger ones. He was having a little chat here, a little smile there and consistent messaging: We are the Cockney Rejects and we do what we like to do. Period.
The lot from start to finish went with the band, and then a bit more and then over the top. And it was mostly fun in front of the stage, thanks largely to the absence of the football faction. Even more, there was a large female contingent front row and one individual specifically with non-stop dancing, not bothered by male bodies throwing themselves around.
Great view that pit, great view.
Cockney Rejects (Monkey Music Club, Hamburg, 13.08.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)
They gave 75 minutes i guess, came back for some encore and in all honesty thanked the club and the lot for having them. As someone noted it may just be that Bridgehouse feeling that they need from time to time.
For me the best ever Cockney Rejects show in Hamburg and a total teardown as we say in German. And the best is that them Brothers Geggus are still consistent with their 1981 attitude.
Snippet from Melody Maker, August 22nd 1981
It is worth to add that they only ever flew in & out for this club show, so big thanks from the Hamburg lot for that effort (in times of travel disruptions left, right and center – as many of the Blackpool Pilgrims experienced on their way home). I also heard some folks saying that most likely they will not do this small stints anymore and instead will concentrate on bigger festival like appearances, if only.
What is definitely true is that their last ever album, Power Grab, is about to come in September. Whatever route they choose will be right for them, i am damn sure. For what they have injected both into Punk (and that little niche Oi!) and into Hamburg at the Monkeys i am forever grateful.
As i share my views on shows i attended i never shy away from pointing out items i liked and items i did not like. And there is no preference nor bitterness. What i do like is to get surprises, share surprises and praise surprises.
And this hot Tuesday was to be a show of surprises. The least surprise was that the Avengers used the Blackpool weekend as a lift off for a round of shows in Germany, it was actually expected and much welcome. Also a lesser surprise was to meet Biber, former Knallschoten Bass Player, as he usually attends Avengers shows at the Hafenklang.
A slightly bigger surprise was to meet an old school fellow long out of country, who actually was Punk #4 at my school in early 1979 when i was just about to venture into that mu-sick-al direction. I think he is to blame for my love for Sham 69!
The biggest surprise though was the support act. I never took note of them prior and only got word from friends after the show that they had seen an incarnation earlier (and had been equally surprised back then).
And what did surprise me? It was Reverend Beat-Man & The Underground from sunny Switzerland.
It has been quite some time that i saw such an enigmatic front man who is able to not only command his troops but also literally confronting the audience in a way that glues eyes towards him. He is quite unique and acts like a real actor in the best positive sense of the word.
And how does their self proclaimed Doom Blues Nasty No-Future-Wave Synth Folk Trash sound? The Doom Blues element of it sounded like this:
Every song sounded different and on every song the Reverend assumed a different persona. I guess his fellow musicians (i understand stolen from other bands. eg. Milan Slick from the Synth-Punk-Duo Entartete Musik on Keyboards, Beatrice Graf from Ester Poly on Drums and Benjamin Glaus from Skinny Jim Tennessee on Guitar) and their respective abilities and background make that possible.
They not only got plenty of applause from the audience ( i guess almost 200) but also had Penelope Houston glued to the side of the stage and taking videos. I guess they surprised her as much as they surprised me.
The are unique, driven by a singular cause (and personality, i take) and they bring back a variation that frankly i sometimes lack on eg. H/C shows. Somehow it felt like being back at the very early 80s when Punk branched out way beyond the original rock rooted Punk Rock.
If you dare, try them out. I won’t dare to buy a record (as i am unsure if the music works for me at home or on the move) but if you dare on that front too than please rely on Sounds Of Subterrania to get their stuff. The owner loves them.
The Reverend and his disciples already made the evening a good one, as such i was in no eagerness for the Avengers actually. A rare feel in the context of support and headliner but to a certain extend if was here exactly for them in the first place.
The Avengers (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 09.08.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)
It feels really good to see Penelope and Greg still at it, supported by young guns on Bass and Drums. At the start the drums felt a wee bit loud, as the drummer had a high intensity, and Gregs guitar was way to low on volume. Down the road that got better and we got to enjoy not a 1:1 copy of the 1978 Avengers but got their classic hits (and they only ever produced hits) in a real 20th century fashion.
Here is Corpus Christi and a song that is covered in 2020 by a rock star is testament to that simple fact: Only ever hits!
And yes, Penelope is still a great voice and has aged well. Would she know that some of her 1978 pictures made an everlasting impression on me? I bet she does, as she has been a hell of a good looking punkette back then. And she does well in keeping the Avengers alive and kicking.
The Avengers (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 09.08.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)
They played for about an hour i guess but game back for some extras, including the all time sing-a-long and mantra: I Believe In Me!
I believe in me
I make my dreams real
I believe in me
I said I believe in me
If there is one 7″ you should get from 1977 US of A then it is the Avengers debut one on Dangerhouse.
To quote an infamous person:
These three songs are the Avengers recording debut. My all time favorite female punk singer, Penelope Houston, fronts the band and is just too great. What a voice filled with feeling she has! You just automatically believe everything she says.
True, so true. The Avengers left behind many happy people, the Reverend left behind many happy people – i can tell you i left happy too. I got what i love most: Live musik i can sing to and live music that surprises me. Paired with meeting people that share an equal vision. Just puuuurfect!
PS: The story of The Avengers is not without tears and one of the sadder element is the story of the original bass player James Clavin Wilsey, who went to fame and from there down to drugs, homelessness and … death. There is a book on this story but to get my hand on it i would have to spend 25$ on postage. Too expensive. Anyone with an idea to get it in Europe cheaper?
