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Tag: Bad Job Boys

… a quarter final football nightmare followed by a late show highlight: Good Job Boys!
To be honest I was a little hesitant when being asked by my mate Frank, singer of the Bad Job Boys, if I want one of the exclusive tickets to their after game show at St. Pauli’s Millerntor stadium.

I’d already got my ticket for St. Pauli’s quarter final cup game vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf in the regular seating area Gegengerade next to Dirk, Anja and all the other friends I’m visiting home games of our FC with for the last couple of decades. Football fans are superstitious people who don’t like to change routines as this could bring bad luck…

And it was a BIG game for our FCSP: quarter final cup game against another 2^nd division team they had just beaten away a couple of days ago and with a bit of luck of the draw a really good chance to play another 2^nd division team in the semi-final, dream of a cup final for the very 1^st time sounding pretty realistic.
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Millerntor (DFB Pokal, Hamburg, 03.02.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
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Sold out stadium (as usual) and high expectations, we were in for a magic night of football. Unfortunately the team wasn’t, and instead of showing the wonderful football they’ve been playing for the majority of the last year and the first 2 games of 2024, which they had both won in a great way, they had big issues finding their way into the game.

It really didn’t help that our coach had changed the team on 3 positions including the goalie. Never change a winning team…? Let’s not get into this too much, it was just an awfully bad, boring game, and it still hurts going out on penalties after overtime in the end.

But as much as I like football I love music even more!

It got really late coming up to midnight (extra time, penalties) but despite of all the disappointment and misery on the pitch the Bad Job Boys were getting ready for their show at Separee 31.

The setlist included all songs of their debut album “Direkt Ins Gesicht” minus one plus a lot of new, more recent songs.

Bad Job Boys – Setlist (Separee 31, Hamburg, 30.01.2024 (c) gehkacken.de)

Generally I’m not very keen on using elitist advantages, be it fast lanes, 1^st class seating, access to backstage at shows and business seats respectively VIP boxes when it comes to football.

Invitation for the cup game and Bad Job Boys after show came from Frank Otto for his Separee 31 at Millerntor stadium. Surprisingly guests at his lounge right under the stadium roof were pretty cool and down to earth, no snobs around.

That goes especially for the host himself, Frank Otto, or “the other Frank” as my mate Frank saluted him. A billionaire and his family ranked in the Top 10 of the richest families in Germany he doesn’t show off at all, instead standing outside on a winter night watching 120+ minutes of (very dull) football with a bottle of Astra beer in his hand.

He also played a big part in saving our club in 2004 providing a guarantee of €600.000 to secure the 3^rd division license as well as sponsoring Viva Con Agua along with lots of others social projects.

Now it was up to the host to introduce the band and of course the band’s name Bad Job Boys summarized the game and performance of our team on this night perfectly.

The band kicked into the set with a favorite from their first album:

Other as the title suggests the song is sung in German, same as the majority of the Bad Job Boys songs. Most probably I should be very ashamed but in general I’m not the biggest fan when it comes to using the German language in music. Frank is a very close friend and he knows about my dislike. But there are quite a few exceptions to this rule and if language and words are used in a good way I’m all up for it and count some German records among my favorites.

As for the Bad Job Boys and songs like Into The Future, Nostalgie, Wahrheit or Delfine, the songwriting and Frank’s lyrics work so well that I quite often find myself humming these catchy tunes at night lately when I try to get back to sleep, they really stuck in your head.
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Bad Job Boys (Separee 31, Hamburg, 03.02.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
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With their 1^st live show happening a little more than 2 years ago at 1910 Weinbar at the Millerntor stadium, a friends and family gig in Covid restriction times, they’ve come quite a long way, getting better and better with every gig.

Their last shows at Goldener Salon/Hafenklang, MS Hedi (see Dirk’s review) or Astra Stube already went really well, but tonight’s gig is close to perfection from my point of view.

Frank has become a lot more confident with his singing and the band sports, very experienced musicians: Stephane on the drums and Bodo, guitar, having more than 45 years of playing in various punk bands (Buttocks, Channel Rats to name a few) under their belt are a well-oiled machine at this point in time. New Bad Job Boy Piotr on bass is fitting the band perfectly.

Here’s one of the few English songs, admittedly my absolute favorite and the fastest song of theirs:

A perfect punk song, Frank’s vocals very reminiscent of the Damned, his favorite punk band of all times.

Bad Job Boys really did a fantastic job rocking the Separee 31, all the hours of practicing are paying off. Especially as it wasn’t an easy task playing at this very late hour, following that dreadful football game.

Smiles all around, not only the handful of friends allowed to join having fun, but also Separee 31 guests who weren’t aware of them before and the “other Frank” really enjoying themselves, staying until the end of the show.

Here’s the absolute crowd fave Delfine, once again from their 1^st album “Direkt ins Gesicht”:

And here’s some more pictures to prove it, the Bad Job Boys joined by the host.
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Bad Job Boys (Separee 31, Hamburg, 03.02.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
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That wasn’t the end of the night yet as we were allowed to stay in Separee 31 until 2 am. From what I’ve heard Frank Otto likes to party on until the early hours of the morning at times, but apparently he had to catch a flight in the morning.

Some experience for sure, being one of the last leaving the stadium. We continued for a last drink at guitarist Bodo’s flat just opposite the stadium, home at 4 am, not bad for a Tuesday night.

To close this out here’s a photo of the empty Gegengerade stand looking slightly scarry with rain and fog shining in the floodlights. I love the declaration of war on the fascists. “No Football For Fascists“, ever so important in these crazy times of right wing populism, where Neo Fascists threaten to come back to power.

Standing up against fascists is something that is taken very serious at FCSP for the last 4 decades now, making us the perfect target for right wing football supporters from Rostock or Dresden e.g.

Back to the Bad Job Boys: They’re looking at a very busy 2024 ahead, with lots more shows planned, Hamburg and away, culminating in another “BJB and friends” gig on MS Hedi in October 2024.

(Report by Frosch)

PS: Thanks to me mate Frosch for this review and i agree – the game was jinxed because he did not sit next to me. Proof? Next Game vs. Fürth with him next to me was a triumphant … win!

PPS: For those who like to experience the pain … here you are
2024/02/05
… 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.
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Bad Job Boys (M/S Hedi, Hamburg, 04.10.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
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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.

Bad Job Boys with their specials guests (M/S Hedi, Hamburg, 04.10.2023 (c) Bad Job Boys 2023)
From right to left: Luke (Spitfire Stevens), Sabine (Bullshit Boy), Barbro (Demolition Girls), Arne (C³I, Nasser Hund and many more), Bodo (BJB), Frank (BJB), Mike (ex-Buttocks), His Holiness Monseigneur Larsson (BJB), Piotr (BJB), Dennis (Nix Da)

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).
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Bad Job Boys - Setlists (M/S Hedi, Hamburg, 04.10.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
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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).
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Bad Job Boys (M/S Hedi, Hamburg, 04.10.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
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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.
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Bad Job Boys - Guests (M/S Hedi, Hamburg, 04.10.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
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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?
2023/10/06
… blatant localism: Bad Job Boys and Slanders!
Me mate Frosch claims that this summer is the best ever summer for live mu-sick and in full consequence he has been following eg. Civic and Rancid throughout Europe, been to Punk Rock Raduno in Bergamo and Rebellion in Blackpool. This week he went to see Devo (Tuesday, Berlin), Beltones (Wednesday, Berlin), Anti Heroes (Thursday, Monkeys), The Prize (Friday, Astra Stube) … only to finally go blatantly local with us on this Saturday.

The Bad Job Boys set this up, mustered fellow locals Slanders to the rooster and got folks upstairs into the Hafenklang.

And they choose to take the stage first:

Bad Job Boys – Setlist (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 19.08.2023 (c) gehkacken.de)

They have tidied up the set list, re-arranged the sequence and added brand new songs – a proper approach to win over the local audience.

Within that, they even unintentionally cut short my favorite song:

Fun moment around the 1:00m mark when Frank and Stephane realize that Bodo got carried away and ended up playing his bridge way too early … but as they are fully in sync they master that challenge with ease (and speeding up a 02:30 song to 1:46 – awesome times).

Their set definitely benefited from the new mix of songs and that some of the new songs have more umpf, more drive. Already that evening the ode towards the cooking abilities of Christiane & Luke named “Luke kocht” was an immediate sing-a-long hit.
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Bad Job Boys (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 19.08.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
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Here is another great sing-a-long:

From where i sit a great set, only hampered by insufficient lights. During the set Bodo even complained that on his side of the stage it was way too dark and whilst he can play “blind” a little bit of light would help (that help never came though).
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Bad Job Boys (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 19.08.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
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On the positive side his massive guitar play was having – at least for my ears – a near perfect sound. Where some found it a wee bit too loud i found it exactly perfect with a wall of sound like experience.

Perfect set, well delivered and taking a willing audience along. Good stuff.

Next Slanders, the other band of Greg from the Haermorrhoids. Almost same territory but slightly different in setup and sound.

This is how they kicked off:

Closing my eyes and having Gregs very unique voice in my head i would almost guess Haermorrhoids but in real it ain’t. Very different songs (though from the same broad genre) and definitely very different twin guitar work.
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Slanders (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 19.08.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023)
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And whilst stage attire was not aligned at all the stance was: Feet planted wide, neck of the guitar to the left and gentle lowering towards the back. And matching sound to that A stance they delivered for sure, less #ramonescore – more #poppunk.

When the drummer did setup the drums it felt from in front of the stage like ages, me and some mates where already joking (slightly annoyed) that we most like get an amateur setup paired with an amateur delivery. Boy, we were so wrong!

The drumming was outstanding and pounded the Slanders through this set list:

Slanders – Setlist (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 19.08.2023)

Good set, with loads of applause from the i guess half filled room. The singing though by Greg forever triggers Haermorrhoids with me. I guess i will need to see them Slanders more often to wash that away. And yes, i will!

Now Go! and check them out:
<a href="https://slanders.bandcamp.com/album/solution-for-suckers">Solution for Suckers by Slanders</a>
And because it was a pleasant evening with perfect companionship i kept chatting after the show to ~~Tom~~, ~~Dick~~ and ~~Harry~~ … no, actually to many of the lovely friends around up to and including receipt of personal love message for this blog…

… only to realize that i was almost the last man standing and the bands had perfectly cleaned out the stage of the Goldener Salon at the Hafenklang. A definite first, did not expect that to happen.

And me mate Frosch? He was right almost 100% – the missing % is the Descendents cancellation (and i somehow luckily could not make up my mind in time to get a ticket for Melkweg in Amsterdamned).

I guess Frosch had nowhere to go on Sunday other than out into the sunny weather but i am damn sure he is already getting ready for the Get Lost Fest (that i have to let go for 2 weeks of battery re-charging and reading in Denmark).

You should get ready for that too – the fantastic Split Systems will play twice – on the MS Hedi and at the Hafenklang!
2023/08/21