Viennas mighty DeeCRACKS returning to Hamburg, for me that would have warranted at least 200 good people, including most of the Punk Rock Raduno pilgrims. Unfortunately next door Michael Schenker was celebrating 70’s guitar wanking to 1.200 old white males …
… but did that really steal the audience? A mere 50 folks made an effort to get out and real, a pity. Both for the bands but also the club for sure.
Support was from Berlin Neukölln, a band with the strange name Rong Kong Koma (though derived from a Walter Moers figure, so not too odd). German speaking. From Berlin. As such i feared the worst.
And was somewhat surprised. Not so much how they looked like, more how they sounded.
Rong Kong Koma (Monkeys, Hamburg, 10.04.2025)
(c) gehkacken.de 2025
In an interview the lead singer (and guitar player) Sebastian phrased his sound approach like this:
For me, pop music has always been a big factor. In my opinion, pop has always been underrated. For example, think of the Pixies with their great melodies and harmonies.
I come from a jazz guitar background and refuse to use standard chords. The punk, rock’n’roll or hardcore that resonates is simply part of our attitude to life.
You just need the hardness to create beautiful harmonies so that they don’t become boring. That’s why when I write songs I try to bring both worlds together.
Those in the audience looking for the ramonescore element enshrined in the DeeCRACKS one by one disappeared to the bar, the rest of the audience stayed on and – like me – gave it a try.
How did it sound? It sounded partly like this, i believe that one finished off their set:
Listening to them on Bandcamp prior to the show it sounded to me interesting (their 2020 album) or way to German (their 2022 album).
Their dislike for their home turf they put down like this:
Though all of them originate from outside Berlin and thus may have just created the pull that fueled the gentrification. As I never dug Berlin after 1989, i frankly do not care to an extend.
Om stage they run a pretty fast and pretty tight ship. In good moments it has a heavy scent of Surf (from said guitar player with a Jazz background) and complicated but rather sweet harmonies.
Overall they had many moments when it was quite a wall of sound. And because it was fast paced, it worked somewhat well for me.
Rong Kong Koma (Monkeys, Hamburg, 10.04.2025)
(c) gehkacken.de 2025
Will i make an effort to see them again? Most likely not. Will i buy a record (at least their lable is Hamburg based)? I guess not.
But i will not walk out on them, as long as they do not polish their guitars with their testicles skins.
Next DeeCRACKS and this was the big stars main act professional setlist:
Still missing is my all time favorite Ritalin For Lunch, but i guess asking for that one continues to be water down the river Danube.
It’s been a while since i saw them, i guess it was prior Covid and 2019 (when they supported CJ Ramone at the Hafenklang). They admitted freely to be Schluchtenscheisser, as they hail from the gorges of the Alps: two from Austria and one from Switzerland.
And then they took it one-two-three-four from there.
DeeCRACKS (Monkeys, Hamburg, 10.04.2025)
(c) gehkacken.de 2025
Where Rong Kong Koma had wall of sound the DeeCRACKS had ramonescore, guess what i was liking more so?
Short, crisp, fast forward. And exactly up my mu-sick-al alley. And as ever with the DeeCRACKS with plenty of humor and an accurate reflection on themselves and the hardship of touring: Matt expressed the desire to resort to the bar quickest whilst thanking the few that made an effort come out.
DeeCRACKS (Monkeys, Hamburg, 10.04.2025)
(c) gehkacken.de 2025
From their recent effort with Andreas Manges, the full Ramones LP cover of their 1989 effort Brain Drain, they included the lovely Pet Semetary into the set:
(Note: The sound is muffled as i stood too much sideways)
That record added nicely to the “Full Ramones LP Cover” series in my collection. Here it is, you can get it from Stripped Music too:
They had more people in front of the stage and more people moving, up to and including the lovely couple in wheelies. But was definitely was lacking density in front of the stage, paired with movement aka dancing.
DeeCRACKS (Monkeys, Hamburg, 10.04.2025)
(c) gehkacken.de 2025
Still, at least to my liking, a top notch set by the DeeCRACKS and i noted the few mates around me equally liking it. They went on to have another one with the band at the bar, i went to score the only missing item in my collection:
For their 20th anniversary they had a retrospective done in the only format that matters: 10″. It always was on my shopping list but i never got around to order it. But now, together with the classic bag, it was a must.
Whilst too many people where absent, though some with reasoning (get well A., get outta hospital fast F.), it was an entertaining evening. For me specifically as Rong Kong Koma somewhat surprised me.
And surprise is always a good thing when it come savoring mu-sick for all these years.
PS: Pic of the day, download high res with a swift click of the mouse…
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