A double surprise on two fronts: First, i fell for Bleakness since i stumbled across them by chance online. And sure was eager to see them. Second, i never thought i would get to see M.I.A. in Hamburg. Ever.
Bleakness opened the evening to a rather small turnout, as there where at least 3 conflicting shows in walking distance from the Hafenklang on Friday, that had partial overlap with respect to audience. But as ever, a mere luxury problem in the big city.
Having been listening to Bleakness already i was eager to see what is on the menue…
… and bang, somewhat a disappointment. My favorite song from their recent LP was missing! An outright scandal! Why the heck did this one miss the cut?
It is not only a great song for the mu-sick, it also carries great dark lyrics:
Live, boy, they are simply great. And thus can even drop such class songs from the set. Whilst the sound was not 100% perfect, you could feel that with their simple 3 piece setup they can create a near perfect blend of early 80s Post Punk (some said “Killing Joke“, i more leaned to “Wipers” – but any of these references would work) and very hard hitting and well paced Hardcore (in the non-NYHC sense).
Bleakness (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 27.09.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
Even within a single song they are able to venture between various styles and package that with sufficient umpf:
I was so glued, that i did not take a video shot – so big hugs to Beno for lending this one. It was also great to see that on stage they delivered with broad smiles, making the energy they put into it pretty much visible.
Audience reception was somewhat stereotypical Hamburg, very shy and held back. Maybe the sound anyway does not cater for enthusiastic and frenetic dancing, maybe it is more for the introvert connoisseur. But i could sense more than just listening, i felt quite some appreciation around me.
Bleakness (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 27.09.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
For me, Bleakness worked live as much as they did please my ears with recorded output. They are slightly different to the other great French bands recently that pair Oi! with Wave but they fit into the same bin. A bin worth to go though! As they had records on sale, i was determined to later score vinyl and to thank them for a great set.
And, frank, i would love to see them again, maybe with a wee bit a better (clearer) sound and better lights. And less stage smoke, as to me it adds nothing to a show.
After a short changeover M.I.A. took the stage and kicked off like this:
That’s “Beautiful World (But Not For Me)” from their 1987 Flipside LP “After The Fact“. Fun fact: Weird System (from Hamburg) even released a German version – so much in demand were they back then!
Shortly after that record M.I.A. did split up and called it a day. And ever since singer Mike Conley passed away in 2008 following a tragic accident i thought that it was all done and dusted. Me forever holding on to their records (that i played up and down in the 80s) as outstanding example of a slightly different California Hardcore sound.
But never ever getting a chance to see them.
Fast forward to 2024 and it is Nick Adams singing and strumming the chords, Larz Pearson pushing it forward hitting those drums and Paul Schwartz handling the heavy 4 strings (and occasional singing).
And all of them are from the pre-1987 incarnation of M.I.A.
M.I.A. (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 27.09.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
What was immediately apparent was the absence of the unique voice of Mike Conley and the lack of singers presence in the middle of the stage.
On top it felt like that Nick somewhat found it difficult to sing and play guitar at the same time. Chatting with him after the show he confirmed that it is indeed tough to manage but that they had made a conscious decision to play as original members only.
In hindsight i’d say it was the right decision. Stay self & true i guess. Also they did not try to 1:1 recreate the sound of the 80s and thus effectively – like some other bands – come across as cover versions of their earlier self (or, worse, misplaced in time).
Speaking of covers, they included “California Dreaming” too (as it was a standard in their set back then):
The more they played, the better it sounded and the better it came across. Reception by the audience was more outgoing than with Bleakness, i guess there were many older people like myself eager to finally see them and all came with own memories of the songs (up to and including being able to sing-a-long to some).
M.I.A. (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 27.09.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
My wild guess is that young people today have no clue how important, how good and how present M.I.A. had been over in the US of A in the 1980s. Little fun fact:
Yes, they played on the finALL Descendents bill. I would give a lot if finally i would be able to fix up my DeLorean to get there!
Towards the end they also threw one of my favorites in, “Boredom Is The Reason“:
Yet another song that did set them apart back then and a nice sing-a-long:
Hatred and destruction, it seems so cruel Don’t wanna be a part of it or be like you You wear a swastika to shock and offend It’s become so passive, just another trend Why do you do it? Why do you try? You’ve got no answer It’s just your instinct in life Boredom is your reason You beat up your own kind, refuse to unite Because you’re so stubborn, because you don’t like Your mindless fights, they don’t stop a thing You’re just a loser living in a dream (c) HIPR Music Was the set a "Show Of The Year" contender? No, i guess not.
But it was a worthy and humble effort to give people in Europe a chance to reconnect with the past, delivered well. And at the end of the set i was no longer missing a singer in the middle of the stage, to that extend it turned out a pleasant surprise.
Someone from the audience noted that the set was criss-crossing the records (and thus incarnations) rather random and he was not too happy with it. From where i sit that does not hold true, in contrast – i don’t necessarily like the idea of playing like all 3 LP’s back to back in pressed sequence.
And anyway, the above setlist in the last section is pure gold:
What you hate: Boredom, Hippies, Las Vegas and When It’s over.
My kinda humor!
Thanks M.I.A. for finally coming over and surprising me, much appreciated!
As ever when a band convinces me live i scored vinyl. Bleakness was a sure thing, the M.I.A. re-released stuff i did let go as i have all their stuff including the Lost Boys Double-LP. No need to get it again, though the packaging looked excellent.
You can score these beauties and more from Bleakness at our local trusted dealer Sounds Of Subterrania in Hamburg or from Sabotage Records in Bremen. They are worth it!
Great evening, would have deserved +30 up to +50 folks and a younger contingent. But a perfect package with a pleasant balance between new/modern and old/modernized – as such #thereaintnuthinbetterthanlivemusic!
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