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Tag: Hafenklang

  • … FCK RBF, here is real joy: A tale of Broncos, Oi Boys and a surprise return!

    … FCK RBF, here is real joy: A tale of Broncos, Oi Boys and a surprise return!

    On the day prior to the show i had to run an errand to get some medicine for our cat Toni and stumbled through early extends of the damn Reeperbahn Festival: Also bars in side streets had been booked by – i guess – Event Managers for entertainment of Mu-sick Biz Cool People. In short, i had to side step my way on the pavement through a bunch of indie whores.

    Boy was i glad that my outlook was not queuing to see a band marketenders hype as the next big thing but a real club with real people. A place not participating in it. A place where i would get to see something unknown (welcome Bronco Libre from Leipzig) and something unusual (welcome Oi Boys from Metz).

    Bronco Libre kicked off, a 3 piece from Leipzig with i guess a French singing in … quelle surprise, French. I have not come across them prior, namely because i tend to ignore Bands originating from Germany (and ever more eastern Germany).

    I know it is a shortcoming but somehow it is hard to overcome. I know also that i am wrong, simply because i loose out on good music.

    Like this one, here is Déchirures (Tears) from Bronco Libre:

    And the lyrics are worth to look at too:

    Sous les ordres de son pays
C'est lui-même qu'il assassine
Sous le joug de son bourreau
C'est lui-même qu'il massacre

    Under the orders of his country
It is himself he murders
Under the yoke of his executioner
It is himself that he massacres

    Unfortunately the vocals where not well audible, though as non-French speaking person that would not have made a large difference. I can only urge you to take in their 2018 LP to figure everything out – it is worth it!

    For me the mix of the hard hitting drummer, the very cool bass carrying loads of melodies and the high pitched voice (and somewhat high pitched hectic guitar for a lack of better description) worked very well and to my surprise i indeed liked it.

    Bronco Libre (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 20.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    As they did not have the LP with them i resorted to download it and as much as their short set it is a more than worthy effort. They got plenty of applause, though down from the stage their where largely quiet (shy?).

    Good stuff, i guess i will need to train my blind spot!

    Next Oi Boys and with them it would be going into a very different territory. Those in the know eagerly inspected the setlist, so here it is:

    Oi Boys – Setlist (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 20.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    They tag themselves as #oi #punk #synthpunk #coldwave #wave but that does not do them justice. It may for the vinyl but live they are much more wild, much more raunchy and much more outgoing than introvert.

    How did it sound live? It sounded like this:

    And the most convincing item: The smile of the drummer (aka human beat machine) at the beginning of the song. That smile carried through the whole set, as much as all made the impression to be utmost happy to be there, on stage.

    Communication with the audience was hampered by a lack of fluent English on their side but that was easily overcome (and some in Hamburg do speak French, indeed).

    Oi Boys (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 20.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    They got drive, they got some interesting soundscapes and they definitely got the audience (a shameful 66 people only) dancing, mainly the strong female contingent upfront.

    Somehow it reminded me of seeing Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft 1981 at the Markthalle for the first time and ahead of them breaking big as DAF.

    I did read a review somewhere and it had a fitting phrase:

    They manage to find a perfect balance between nostalgia and anger, and their up-beat and melodic songs can definitely become anthems on our way to an uncertain future.

    Another quote i captured makes neat sentiment too:

    Everything’s here to make us feel the unique over-wintering chills of disapointement.

    Oi Boys (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 20.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    Gosh, their set went like a fly and those attending where utmost happy, i would even say they all had a bright smile on their face. As much did the band, they loved the appreciation and many time provided a real and humble Merci.

    I think they also sold plenty of Merch (the LP, a cool Poster and some cool T-Shirts), exactly as it should be after a great set.

    Among the audience though was one person carrying the broadest smile: He had been battling health in hospital for many weeks and is on a long (and exhausting) road to hopefully full recovery.

    For him the evening was the first time out of hospital or home for like 3 months and for him it was nothing less than being a child in a wheelie enjoying it to the max.

    … the happiest person in the room! ( (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    Big hugs big man, these evenings continue to be your evenings!

    Great show with a wide mu-sick-al spectrum, all DIY and a nice middle finger to what is happening up the road at the Reeperbahn Festival. I know that some who attended will also pick selected showcases there to see bands but i for myself just don’t need that.

    I’d rather see happy kids throwing fists in a wheelie. Makes me happy. As a fuck.

    And as a double bonus next morning my early rise gave me a beautiful sun rise.

    Sunrise over Hamburg ( (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
  • … dancing the night away with Dead Years and Red Dons!

    … dancing the night away with Dead Years and Red Dons!

    As the Red Dons are not only a club favorite but also a fan favorite i was expecting a sold out Hafenklang downstairs. But unfortunately the new reality is that is was only ever a decent filled upstairs, not even sold out. So much for post-Covid reality. I was keen to see them, up to the point of cutting short work in NL and flying back on Wednesday in time get down to my favorite club.

    Little did i know that i was actually to get a double headliner, as the – to me and me mates at least – unknown support band from the town that does not exist got the lot dancing as much as the Red Dons would do later.

    Dead Years hail from Bielefeld, are a trio and tag themselves as #PopPunk #Punk #PostPunk. Little did i expect, also once they entered the stage. But from the first chord i was like “woho … wow” … a very welcome surprise did hit my mu-sick-ally single-minded ears.

    Their tagging may be right but in real they much better than these tags. They play a very modern mix of great spherical guitar work (though with umpf and drive), dual vocals with challenge/response effect and effectively a very dance-able sound.

    Dead Years (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 13.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    After the initial surprise i started to listen with much more attention and have to admit that they got almost all ingredients right. On top they seem pretty much in-sync, giving the impression that they have played their set often enough to know it insight out.

    How did it sound? It sounded like this:

    They appeared a bit shy (or maybe only humble?) to me, did not move a lot on stage and between songs did not do a lot of interaction. But letting their music speak for them served them well, they got a lot of applause and they got plenty of people dancing.

    They surprised me positively and they also surprised me mates. In my little sphere alone 4 records and one tape was grabbed from their merch table after the show, i hope they have been able to sell even more of their excellent record.

    Next Red Dons in their 2023 incarnation, eagerly awaited by some die hard fans. As such the setlist was inspected by more than one – here is what they where up to:

    Red Dons – Setlist (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 13.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    And this is how they kicked off:

    I am not a die hard fan, effectively i do not have a record in my collection. But i do enjoy them as an energetic live band. Even more so than Dead Years most of their songs are going straight into the legs, often paired with plenty of harmonies on the vocal side.

    They also moved much more on stage, though the small stage upstairs did not allow to much moving around. Still, energies flow from the stage and is echoed back from the audience, where a large part was all but standing still.

    Red Dons (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 13.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    Ever since their first EP in 2007 they have been putting out records with plenty of line up changes and collaborators, despite partially being a globally dispersed band. Still, they managed to keep their sound consistent.

    In January 2015 they reconvened in Portland to record “The Dead Hand of Tradition” at Buzz Or Howl Studios, the same establishment where they recorded the album’s predecessor. “The Dead Hand of Tradition” features ten new tracks of their signature dark, driving, melodic punk rock sound. 

The formula of their distinctive songwriting hasn’t changed, but has matured as a result of having five more nomadic years under their belts. These new experiences have only added to the themes of alienation, emigration, and loss present in their music.

    Words of truth, here is “Pyrrhic Pyrrhic” from that record:


    They got the lot dancing and to my enjoyment it was much more female in front of the stage than male. And across the room i saw much more smiling faces then consumers just taking it in.

    … dancing the night away!

    They did not play that long and in-between songs they had little interaction with the audience. Still, they got off the stage for sake of playing some encore. I liked it, though at few moments it a little itch of “it feels a wee bit non-inspirational” (but that again is my silly mu-sick-al understanding). People who know them much though also took some few points off from a 100% rating. By and large though they delivered a solid set and the lot liked it throughout.

    Great evening, despite not being a 250+ sell out. And as ever when a band convinces we me live i took home vinyl, as Dead Years convinced me more i did leave the Red Dons East/West Collection on the table and grabbed the Dead Years LP.

    Dead Years – s/t LP (My Ruin, Dirt Cult Records, 2023)

    It is a worthy buy, suggest that you check them out yourself – best live. Great stuff, i do hope they return quite fast to Hamburg!

    PS: Continued recovery wishes go out to the face still missing, though he has been able to leave hospital and continue recovery from home.

    Big hugs big man, these evenings are your evenings!

  • … and the winner is: Postpunk!

    … and the winner is: Postpunk!

    Just back from a lovely battery recharging in sunny Denmark the city greeted us with 30+ degrees … melting point temperature. Still silly me got nothing better to do then drop down to the Hafenklang for a quick slab of H/C (with Night Fever from K-Town headlining).

    Local start was with Briefbombe from Kaltenkircher Platz, this is how they kicked off:

    I thoroughly like uniform stage attire, as such their postal delivery uniform outfit (matching the postal delivery themed songs) indeed is a bonus. On top choosing to perform Postpunk, Posthardcore and Postviolence as a motto themed band is like the icing on the cake.

    Delivery was flawless, with a smile and with every song getting a fitting intro that was … themed too. And with the power to force a smile. Great stuff, check out their output by all means (and i am more than happy to own the EP already).

    Briefbombe (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 07.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    They had the laughs, though the singer – roaming the floor – was not fully audible (a problem that would continue throughout the night). They got plenty of cheers, up to and including from the family (i guess mum and dad where present as far as i could make out).

    Great start, delivered tongue-in-cheek.

    Next XIAO from sunny Stɔ̂kː(h)ɔlm. And they started to set up big, the guitar with two amps playing through two speakers and with a simple understatement on the backdrop: Sweden’s Hardcore Band.

    That backdrop statement and the amount of time it took to setup gave me some doubt though (as no band ever will be as great as The Vicious). But hey, they would tune the evening up to some Powerviolenceshit so go!

    XIAO (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 07.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    Hard, Fast, Loud (and overshadowing the vocals yet again) and with plenty of breaks, beat downs and what have you. Quite complicated stuff on the musical side and indeed you must be well rehearsed to deliver that.

    Meaning though went awol, as most of the singing was not really audible.

    As with many bands from that sub-genre it went fast, my wild guess is that it took not more than 20 minutes. The though by now almost packed Goldener Salon liked it, a couple of folks even performed the stereotypical power violence … dancing.

    For me it was more like an acceptable interlude, whenever they kept pace i liked it, whenever they threw in plenty of breaks, stops and whathaveyou it was less my thingy. Go and check them out, as you sure thing can not trust my silly mu-sick-al tastes.

    Finally Night Fever from K-Town and they would turn proceedings into much more of a solid slab of guitar sound. Like in a freight train coming at ya with 130 mph. Though loaded not only with leather and studs but also with some hair and some heavy metallic elements.

    It was sometimes on the right side of my boundaries, sometimes though it crossed over and had too much solo, too high pitched voice and an overall metal feel.

    On the positive though was that that freight train just would not stop and was completely well rehearsed. Just with a quick look the bass player commanded “Next” or “keep going” and the wall of sound never broke. 

    Night Fever (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 07.09.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    When it came to my favorite topic of stage attire they somehow got it almost right, drums and strings all black, singer in blue jeans, “No Trend” shirt in white and … black leather gloves with studs. Sight. Poor mans metal dreams? Never mind, he made up with loads of energy and jumping around.

    Whilst the mu-sick was not 100% up my alley they are a formidable and energetic live band and with that sound they will please a wide range of audience.

    Three bands, three hours and some nice shirts. Was it a must have show? I guess not, there are much more convincing packages still to come.

    … young men are send to deliver, to feed the dogs of postal service!

    But it was live, supporting live music in a real club and it was DIY in the widest sense. So in the end, even when i did not like all the mu-sick, it was worth it.

    And the city was still fucking hot when i left the Hafenklang. Arrggh!