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Tag: Hafenklang

  • … kids day: Staying young and BEing WELL.

    … kids day: Staying young and BEing WELL.

    Setup indeed was for a kids show, early start (doors at 18:30, first band on stage at 19:00) and early finish. And, much to my surprise, there were a couple of kids out on parents day in the audience. And, also much to my surprise, it was a sold out show – but that surprise may stem from the fact that the bands are from another niche that i don’t follow that closely in my own little niche.

    Kick off was with Hard Strike and i new fuck nothing about the band. But hey, experiencing the unknown is part and parcel of enjoying mu-sick so i am always open to it.

    For me they looked like something randomly assembled (remember, i love consistent stage attire) and sounded to a certain extend like something thrown together from all ingredients that make up Hardcore, Metalcore and related niches.

    Hard Strike (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 18.03.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    At moments it sounded surprisingly bad (and i guess a not optimal sound mix was part of that experience), at other moments just dull. Best moments where went they actually did let go the driving element and one guitar tried some flirting overcast – those where moments where multiple things actually fitted together.

    Here is a snippet, a short blast that sounded actually on the better side for me:

    Checking upon them after the show i realized that they actually never wanted to be a live band in the first place but are a circle of friends spread around Germany and the US that was initially focused on recording only.

    So my feel was not too far off and listening to their recorded output that comes accross a wee bit more pleasing. And, also worth to account, it was their 3rd live show only.

    Next Giver from Cologne and they pleased me already with consistent stage attire, so they had a bonus early on. They also used intro muzak for getting ready on stage, another little nugget of consistency.

    Their sound was much more consistent too and i would guess could be filled under “Modern Hardcore” (if only ever such a mu-sick-al cupboard existed). They have two nice guitars with balancing sound, an energetic bass and an active singer – plus a pretty good drummer that turned out to be the real asset, keeping things together and pushing forward.

    Giver (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 18.03.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    Here is a short blast, rather untypical as their songs tend to be longer and much more complex:

    For me they definitely had something, besides relentless energy also some few choice words, though their English lyrics are rather something to check out than to be able to understand from the performance.

    They played a very short set and as much as Hard Strike got not too much audience feedback. Actually it very much felt that the audience was in it rather for Be Well than to enjoy and provide feedback to the support stints.

    Not even 20:30 on the clock and it was time for Be Well to blast off, right from the first song with a lot of action from the audience and singing-a-long. The only thing i know about them was that the singer used to be in Battery (a 90’s DC hardcore outfit), is a well known producer and that one of me mates likes them very much.

    That mate also loves the other football team in Hamburg, so his love choices are at least debatable. But he loves them so much that he took his son with him, so that tells you how much he believes in them (and that he wants to influence his son, who sported a Samiam hoodie) quite early before he hits 16.

    Be Well (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 18.03.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)

    For me they were a blank sheet of paper, as they went on that sheet did fill actually with some good melodies, some harsh breaks and a singer keeping it all together with a unique stage presence.

    The mu-sick sure is not 100% up my alley but what they do and how they do that is far off from being annoying. For me it looked and sounded like this:

    They got loads of action, they got 10 year old girls crowd surfing and they looked after the smaller kids in the audience too. And the singer emits a lot of personal touch and seeks contact with the audience a lot.

    That said, on a much more personal level he did a sort of confession as the lead up to one of their signature songs (that many in the audience where able to sing-a-long):

    He is depressive, struggles with depression for a long time and has a hard time to live the life he wants to live (and that includes a small girl and a wife, giving him all the love he could ask for but him having problems to mirror that).

    That very personal song has a great sing-a-long:

    Depression is haunting and I’m not ok
Everything is going to be alright
Is just a thing people that don’t know say

I’m lost and worried and I feel afraid
Of all of the things that are inside my head
That I have been far too ashamed to say
But I want to get better, I want to change

    Thanks Brian, that was brave and outspoken – well done.

    From there on on-stage and off-stage where fully united and the Hafenklang literally exploded when they performed their encore with a class repetition of “Young ’till i die” from 7 Seconds. Apeshit galore!

    Way to fast it was over and for a Saturday i was home very early. As it was a kids show, i stayed off booze and that was a good feel too. Be Well worked quite well for me, though they won’t be my first love. I guess not even my 2nd. But as ever, if you do not dare to seek mu-sick that you have not seen before than you will loose out.

    Give them a try, it may be worth it!

  • … UK82 reloaded: Mess, all the way on Intercity from Guadalajara!

    … UK82 reloaded: Mess, all the way on Intercity from Guadalajara!

    Another great Monday evening at the Hafenklang was waiting for me and me mates, MESS all the way from Guadalajara, Mexico, would be in town. Plenty of folks got attracted by their sound, many where eager to grab their vinyl and one even made the effort to see them in Berlin a day earlier.

    Support was local and fitting, the RED⚒BRICKS where providing the warm-up. I have noted their record and i took note of their struggles from the need to replace the singer like the day prior their record release show – but i was yet to see them live.

    I guess thanks to them it was already well filled upstairs at the Hafenklang when they kicked off. Their sound is pretty dense, neither fast nor harsh, and they not fall victim of the trap of putting themselves into an obvious Oi! or Skinhead cupboard.

    RED⚒BRICKS (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 14.11.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)

    Controlled speed, loads of melodies and as an asset a pretty decent signature bass play, sometime carrying the songs that bit further that makes it worthwhile to listen. I am not sure if the singer resp. the vocals is a full fit, but that is just me and me mu-sick-al preferences – i would prefer it harsher and a bit more … dangerous maybe? Adventurous?

    Good tight set, excellent sound and some applause but actually they did not get people dancing.

    With a quick changeover MESS took the stage and took it into a different territory: Much more basic, much more stripped down and – with a positive spin – amateurish. Or simply: Authentic. Whilst many refer to them as “ah, the Mexican Blitz” i don’t think that default provides them justice.

    MESS (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 14.11.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)

    Sure some of the guitar at moments has that Blitz sound but by and large they are a very basic, very energetic and pretty much non-nonsense band that takes inspiration from UK82 (to use their own reference).

    At times they indeed sounded like lads just picking up instruments back in 1982 and screaming it out to friends, at other times they actually proofed that they are close, tight and able to create a sing-a-long wall of sound.

    Just like here with “Street Boys”:

    A great sing-a-long by the way:

    We have been challenged
To hate the whole world
Stand firm, stand proud

We have walked
The streets for hours
Searching for a way out

We are street boys ! X 4

We are different
And we will fight for ours
Struggle while growing old

We are tough guys
And we don't need your lies
Never say why, never say die

We are street boys ! X 4

    I liked it, many of me mates liked it (just one found them too lightweight) and the well packed audience at the Hafenklang liked them too, even beyond the novelty bonus of an Oi! Band from Mexico. I would definitely see them again, they are worth it.

    Worthy was also the shopping experience, being alerted of low quantities of records already ahead of the show i broke my own rules and purchased the vinyl prior to the band convincing me live. And i was lucky to score all i wanted, including the MESS / The Chisel split EP in colored vinyl. Lucky greedy bastard me!

    In case you need it this shit too – which is not only great songs but also great packaging – try local at Sounds Of Subterrania!

    Best shopping for a #recordcollectorbeingapretentiousarsehole

    It is these shows that actually make my day, specifically when that day was spoiled on the work front. Best club, best booking, best companions (many life long by now) and great new music. Luv it, love you (you know who you are).

    PS: Thanks to Beno for the video, i was too busy enjoying the band to shoot one myself.

  • … Proto-Punk reloaded: Dion Lunadon!

    … Proto-Punk reloaded: Dion Lunadon!

    This was indeed a show i was looking for, as i recently did figure out Dion’s solo efforts (2017 to 2022) and found some real gems in there. To most Dion Lunadon seems to be know from his stint in A Place To Bury Strangers, a quite know Noise-Rock band from NYC (and that Noise-Rock linkage fended at least one friend off).

    Support was from Hamburg, a band called Billy Zach. Once they entered the stage i thought they got all their friends in the audience, as the ~20 people upstairs at the Hafenklang all chatted with members of the band prior to the show.

    Billy Zach (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 09.11.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)

    They had like zero stage presence, almost shy. Their sound at good moments was like a movie soundtrack, at bad moments over-engineered post-something indie rock. Some of their guitar soundscapes over the very present bass where good, most of the rest was just not my mu-sick-al cupboard. If you like depressive dance music go check them out.

    Next Dion Lunadon and they kicked off like this:

    And stormed into this next:

    Now that had so much more drive and the kick-ass Proto-Punk i was expecting, though the light show, carefully constructed by Dion and run from this mobile made it a very dark and foggy exercise.

    I have no clue where his backing band came from, the bass player i believe is from Italy and provided, once some electrical problems where overcome, quite a groovy bass. The guy on guitar looked non-descriptive but was able to push some great power out of his guitar. And the drummer was just perfectly sturdy. 

    Dion Lunadon (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 09.11.2022 (c) gehkacken.de 2022)

    All three basically stood back and left Dion both the center of the stage and the attraction. And he lived up to it, dressed for the occasion and playing both with his guitar and his voice (through effects strapped to the mike stand). He was also not shy to put some Rock Show elements in, be it self strangle on a chain or ripping all strings from his guitar on the last song.

    I liked it and the approximately 50 folks now in attendance liked it too. But for the quality of both songs, mu-sick and show (sans light and smoke though) it was a way too low turn out. A packed Goldener Salon should have been their fate rather.

    As always when a band convinces me live i picked up a record, unfortunately the Double-A-Side single with “Com/Broke” and “1976” from 2016 is no more, but the re-release of the first solo album is an equal good catch.

    Good show, though really not enough of the Hamburg lot present.

    PS: Also their videos are worth it if you ask me, here are me favorite songs #1 and #2 (and the double A-Side single from 2016 in all glory)

    #1

    #2