… showboating with Bad Job Boys and plenty of guests!

Sometimes it helps to wind back the clock. If you have your DeLorean at hand then set the dial to 28.11.1978 and location to the Bezirkskrankenhaus Suhl in what was back then East Germany tucked away behind the iron curtain (and Suhl specifically tucked away in a distant & empty corner of that country).

You’d be a lonely new born boy, locked in during a catastrophic winter, including power cuts.

If the DeLorean still works reset it to 11.12.1978 and set the location to the Airport Club in Hamburg (in what was back then West Germany).

You’d be a happy as a fuck youngster, as you would see the first show of The Buttocks, most likely the first German hardcore band ever (at least according to experts that like to stick labels on items).

DeLoreans are no longer available, so the Bad Job Boys took 2nd best – the M/S Hedi aka Frau Hedis Tanzkaffee. It holds more passengers than a DeLorean and it allows for a gentle (and sometimes not so gentle) ride on the mighty river Elbe. And you can play music on it. You can load your friends in, in numbers.

And that is what Bodo, Frank, Piotr and Stéphane did.

Bad Job Boys (M/S Hedi, Hamburg, 04.10.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

But having the M/S Hedi all for themselves was not their thing so they invited some special guests along. And all of these special guests would get special tasks within the 2nd set of the jolly.

Round One was to be more or less their standard set, delivered to what should have been a packed showboat (as only 5 tickets where left). In reality it was much more spacious, by the looks a couple of folks dropped out in fear of weather (a wee bit colder and in the morning strong winds).

Bad Job Boys - Setlists (M/S Hedi, Hamburg, 04.10.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

Round Two was to be the fun part, nicely hidden from the view of the fans. Only rumors of surprises came via whispers (and bread crumbs spread within the press).

The first part went almost too fast, besides the anyway to-be accepted fact of the impossibility to get a perfect sound on that tiny dinghy they came across fully rehearsed, in sync and with steady feat (though both Bodo and Piotr did not move around a lot in fear of surprise waves).

Bad Job Boys (M/S Hedi, Hamburg, 04.10.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

And then the fun part descended upon the lot: First Luke provided guest vocals for his very own praise “Luke Kocht” (Frank did write this song as a praise for the vegan cuisine cooked and served by Christiane &Luke), then Dennis joined in for two songs.

Bad Job Boys - Guests (M/S Hedi, Hamburg, 04.10.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

Next was for Barbro to lend her great voice to “Delfine” and giving it indeed some extra umpf (though the vocals where almost non-audible).

From there the baton was passed by Stéphane like this:

… and it left the lot stunned. The Bad Job Boys normally do not cover songs but technically speaking these where not covers, this was the maximum you would ever get that would smell like a Buttocks re-union (that anyway never ever will happen).

And within that the proof that Mike still has it and that songs like “You” and “Law and Order” are able to stand the test of time. The amount of joy this provided to most of the lot was unfathomable and there where silent smiles all around.

But the Bad Job Boys did not leave it there, for the next song Arne joined in, leading into a grand finale with “Jet Boy Jet Girl” being sung in 3 languages: First verse in French by Stéphane, 2nd verse in English by Sabine and the 3rd verse by Arne in German.

And the lot: Sang the chorus, as loud as possible.

And whilst the M/S Hedi was almost back moored they played a final song, i think it was “No Winners” yet again. Great show, great idea to have friends sing-a-long and a moment to forever remember with Mike singing the old Buttocks burners. It did not even feature in my bucket list, i guess i need to rewrite that one now!

One of the most enjoyable trips i ever made on the M/S Hedi and almost coming left field.

Thanks indeed Bad Job Boys for that showboat trip, well done!

And that little lonely boy from eastern Germany? He survived the winter, he survived growing up as young punk in a toxic environment and he battled through hospital this year … with the Buttocks being his biggest love in Punk from Germany next to Schleimkeim.

And on this early autumn evening he joined the sail for the 2nd round, sat on the bench of the M/S Hedi holding his crutches and was made a very very happy bunny thanks to Stéphane, Mike & the rest of the Bad Job Boys.

This was his view on “You”:

followed suit by “Law and Order”:

I thoroughly believe that these goodies will help him to recover even faster as good music simply heals, the energy of good music simply is flooding your blood with euphoria and the broad smile it creates makes you happy.

#thereaintnuthinbetterthanlivemusic

And happy he was, 45 years later.

The only downside? How the heck will the Bad Job Boys ever top this night?

And yes that damn new vintage crash cymbal, but that is another story from a book yet to be written. Holding title is “How to ruin your ears in 1978 seconds”. Anyone in for it?