A busy weekend to finish off September, with opportunities ranging from the MOi!n It’s Hamburg Festival (Edition #8) at the Monkeys, me mates Frosch 60+ birthday bash and FCSP playing away at Berlin (with ~ 12.000 Fans travelling, could have been me too). Hard stuff to choose from and taking all of these options somehow would not work out (though i was proven 2/3 wrong later).
Friday i choose the Monkeys, specifically as it would feature two surprises for me: Los Pepes had been on me bucket list for quite some time and Rotten XIII from Euskadi where something i regretted to have missed at the Indra in April 2022.
Los Pepes kicked off at the Monkeys quite early, i guess some people simply missed them because it was a footie kick-off at 20:45. They hail from a little niche within the niche of evening, some sort of edge overlap in the wide (warning, euphemism incoming) territory of Oi!:
The loudest powerpop band on earth… the Motörhead of powerpop! No hit wonder 60s and 70s garage pop melodies drowning in a wall of punk rock guitar. Good Vibrations records served up with a Testors punch in the face. Songs about love, antipathy and getting up to no good. They’ll stick in your head and leave your ears ringing.
Let’s agree it is Power Pop on steroids, it is indeed the thunder and drive of hard hitting Rock’n’Roll sugar coated with the beauty and twang of Power Pop. And delivered taking a Johnny Ramone memorial stance on stage (at the least by the towering bass and by the 2nd guitar).
Los Pepes (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 29.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
They did not waste time on audience interaction, they rather fast forwarded through their set in a near perfect delivery. And within that, they even got some people moving and a fair share of applause.
Where they a 100% fit for the evening? I think yes, as much as Alvilda from France would be on Saturday. They both cover some of the softer edges (lol) and indeed they cover that well. I thoroughly enjoyed them and thus they ended up as the record pick of the night (and if you are a regular reader you know what that means).
With the City Saints from sunny Göteborg next it was back to more traditional territory. Straight forward working class Rock’n’Roll, delivered rather unpretentious. They sing in Swedish and in English, with some neat sing-a-longs in the latter.
And as such them Göteborgare got much more of the audience, they also had an easier bonding as they played more than once already to more-or-less the same locals over here.
City Saints (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 29.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
By and large i liked it, though i have to admit that at some times it was a too simple receipt for me ears. But hey, that is the beauty of such occasions – you get a crisp exposure also of things that are not 100% up your alley. The rest of the by now more and more filled Monkeys gave them plenty of cheers, so i better shut up.
From the shores of the North it was then all the way down to the middle if Italy, Mad Rollers hail from Rome and musically they trace back the same roots that Giuda took in: Proto Punk, though with less Glam.
Their debut album was recorded by the Giuda producer as far as i can make out and thus there is some truth that it sounds like a early Giuda record. But hey, what is wrong to play in a successful niche, a niche that has it’s devotees and a niche where you can excel?
Mad Rollers (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 29.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
A review of their record summed it neatly up:
‘Bish, Bash, Bosh’, and it’s like the 70s never ended, in the best way. One listen, and you’ll be convinced you’ve known it all your life. Producer Silvestri has mastered the Chinn/Chapman hit factory sound. My heart goes out to any young bands in Rome; the benchmark , for this style, is immense. ‘Another Night’ adds some cheesy keyboards, but doesn’t stray into the 80s, so if Giuda’s brief flirtation with Duran Duran wasn’t your thing, you’ll be happy here.
My legs got the beat instantly like me many in the audience. It was namely the female contingent up front, who could not stop their dancing shoes from moving. And right so! Strong beat, driving bass and superb twin guitars and a singer that takes the audience along.
Great stuff, great live band.
It was for Rotten XIII from Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea to finish the lot off and boy did they do that.
5 young lads from Larraga and a mate noted immediately after their first song “They must be very angry“. Stance, delivery – all came deep from the heart and all came delivered with all anger & stamina they got.
And they do not sing in English.
Rotten XIII (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 29.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
Mu-sick-ally they are broad: Fast stompers, slower and longer songs with some folk like edges and even using outlandish instruments like the saxophone. How did it sound? It sounded like this:
It is though only one angle, one corner of their wide abilities. They got me and judging by the cheers they got plenty of the by now well filled Monkeys. By storm i’d say. The singer tried to explain bit’s and pieces and more than once apologized that their English was not that good.
Who cares actually? Even without understanding Euskara there was enough in their songs to a) like it and b) almost feel the urge to sing-a-long. The sing-a-long in the audience was delivered too, i guess they had a couple of mates with them.
Rotten XIII (Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, 29.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
They did not stun me as much as Kaleko Urdangak did in 2019 but they where a worthy headliner to finish off the first day on a high. The little niche that these two days at the Monkeys would showcase has indeed some high’s in France but that is not all there is – also bands from Euskal Herria continue to deliver on a high.
Well done boys, specifically as this was only ever the 4th show outside of their own ground.
Suggest you check out their latest record:
I was home late and luckily not knackered, as i resisted the thirst most of the time.
But i still had options for Saturday. Sure not i was going to travel to Berlin and sure i would start the evening at the Hafenklang (a mates invite is always worth more than my 2-day tickets for the Monkeys) but would i sneak out and head back to see The Drowns?
MOi!n It's Hamburg #8 (Monkeys Music Club & Indra, Hamburg, 29./30. September 2023)
Came Saturday and it was a private function at the Hafenklang. And would surround me with some of the Punk Rock Hamburg family, fellow old punks and generally good people.
The plans to get a last and final stand of Jam Today with some extras though fell through the crack short notice, as their drummer tested positive for Covid. Damn.
Live music thus was limited to the nameless band (that quickly was christened Frogger by the lot) that was originally only ever to play a few songs as a very personal gift of Nico (one of the guitars and one who helped me mate to to conquer fate).
They play guitar pop, at some times like early Cure at other times more like 80’s bands from the UK. Within that they also threw two Jam covers, namely to please the lot (and lot was pleased).
It was a nice surprise over some of the more obvious choices me mate could have made and i recon it was his return for the support provided. And within the short set they also covered the very personal song that Hedwig penned for him for his 40ties birthday:
Yes, they call him Frosch. Less Pogo now, as the knees are utterly ruined but still attending loads of shows, much more than i do. And holding the season ticket next to me a the Millerntor.
Frosch gave a little speech and reminded people that fate can strike anytime, anywhere (something our little community has experience more than once recently) and that you must enjoy the moment.
And that the lot did, with DJ Starry Eyes perfectly providing the soundtrack to a couple of hours of chatting, dancing, drinking and … enjoying the result in Berlin. Top of the league, as much as this party. And as much as the people around me.
For those who don’t know that song, here is the beauty i did for his 40s birthday following the drunken guarantee to Hedwig & me mate “… if you record the song i’ll put it out as a picture disk“. Said & done, back then in 2003.
Demolition Girl & The Strawberry Boys – They Call Him Frog
(Holy War Records, 2003, limited to 500 – last copies on sale!)
And here is how the original sounds like:
Happiest Mate, it is a privilege to be on your side and it is a pleasure to have you around, continued.
The options on Saturday? I did not take them but one of the lot was so brave to take a taxi, see The Drowns and be back (with companions) for some more dancing. Well done Mao, well done.
And Sunday? Lazy.
Perfect weekend i’d say. Welcome to Hamburg i’d say.
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