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Tag: Hafenklang

  • … from Leeds to Osaka: Fun at 50 RPM!

    … from Leeds to Osaka: Fun at 50 RPM!

    Initially it was Cyanide Pills only and 19 lucky guests got a slightly cheaper ticket for only them. But later The 50 Kaitenz from hot & humid 大阪市 where added and would be gracing the upstairs of the Hafenklang too.

    A rather wild but, as far as i am concerned, interesting mix. I do dig settings that face value do not match, it is by and large a good recipe for an entertaining evening and often a setting that exposes something new and/or a surprise.

    The Cyanide Pills kicked it off, on time and without any fuzz:

    Their shows in Hamburg almost never differ, i take they are consistently themselves. That included almost speeding through the set and little to no chit-chat with the audience.

    Cyanide Pills (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 21.05.2026)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2026

    They simply deliver. And what they deliver is upbeat, fast forward, fun and hand-in-glove. Even the sound was great, just the lights – as often – where shite. Most of the time all was saturated in red, D’oh!

    My guess is that they punched through the 21 songs on the set list in less than 45 minutes, including a brief walk off the stage and back for extras, like this one:

    On top of everything else cudos to them for maintaining a single consistent stage uniform over all these years. It is always a bonus if a band dresses for the occasion.

    What did the lot get for their bucks? This rooster…

    Cyanide Pills – Setlist (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 21.05.2026)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2026

    I am happy to see them once a year, this time round they even had their brand new double LP with all their A & B sides with them, hop over to Damaged Goods to score it (or your favorite dealership). I was temped but choose to let the opportunity go by.

    The Japaneese Beatles Ramones Rockers next, here is how they greeted Hamburg and introduced themselves:

    Wow, that’s a lot to take in. First, perfect stage uniforms (front white shirt, black trouser – back black shirt, white trouser). 2nd: Beatles haircut. 3rd: It’s showtime!

    And sure thing a somewhat “… we’re all crazy now!” attitude, which was mirrored by the almost exclusive female first row that flew in from Japan. With at least one lady sporting a The 50 Kaitenz fan scarf. Stunning!

    The 50 Kaitenz (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 21.05.2026)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2026

    Their sound ventures from what people dub as 60’s Punk (thus the set includes a Surfin’ Bird on speed) to Ramones (thus the set includes their very own Ramones appreciation song).

    They where fun, they where fast (50 RPM!) and they had a perfect show. Rock’n’Roll at it’s bare best. Last time i saw such a perfect setup was RFTC in the 90s!

    They got plenty of cheers from the packed room, plenty of smiles and even sing-a-long. And the devoted fans? Kept the front row and smiled like there would not be a tomorrow.

    Here is the set list, what a beauty!

    The 50 Kaitenz – Setlist (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 21.05.2026)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2026

    And – not really a surprise – as an extra there was also a Ramones cover:

    Boy, what a fresh take on something chewed over so many times. And, what a great show to go with it. Gregor from Sounds of Subterrania indeed is a truffle pig when it comes to bands that are … different. And outlandish. But fit perfectly. As such get your dose of The 50 Kaitenz vinyl over at our trusted local dealership!

    Great show, early start, best companionship, a vinyl gift from the best booker in town and reasonable early home to take on the last working day before me and the love of me life scoot north to our 2nd home.

    50 Kaitenz, arigatō! Odorokasa remashita!

  • … tough women, history lesson & fucking loud music!

    … tough women, history lesson & fucking loud music!

    I love books and i’d rather spend time reading than binge watching some streamed entertainment. Books fuel my brain cinema, be it crime, noir or … music related. When it comes to music it is either visual history (pictures from back then) or oral history (how did others discover Punk, how did other grew up in Punk and what are they doing today?).

    Geralf Pochop already has two other books out detailing the history of Punk in East Germany (aka GDR aka DDR aka Ostzone). Both books eventually triggered plenty of feedback, memories and a feeling that the story already told was from an overly male view. As such he specifically set out to get the female view captued.

    “Dance on the Vulcano (Resistant Punk Women in the GDR)” is an almost 400 page oral history (with additional visuals) delivered by own words of the protagonists and documents and observation reports from the Stasi (the East German notorious Secret Police, who in the early 80s decided to see Punks as the biggest danger of all to the socialist society).

    Geralf delivered this reading together with two of his protagonists – Nancy and Sheena took the stage to provide their story, their experience and their pains. It did include hard truths and realization that the state tried to crush the kids (and yes, they where still kids back then) and partly succeeded.

    Tanz auf dem Vulkan Lesung (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 18.05.2026)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2026

    Within the setting Nancy also used the opportunity to add some music with her partner Jörg (both play together nowadays in Jærman Anxt but already knew each other back then).

    It was great to listen to the accounts first hand, it was heart touching to see that some of the stuff from back then still throws tears today when they talk about it.

    Geralf Pochop – Tanz auf dem Vulkan (Hirnkost, 2025)

    I sure thing took home the book (here is my review in German), if you can read German than i would urge you to give it a read too. Choosing to be a Punk back then behind the iron curtain certainly was something special and in the GDR and under the brutal rule of the Stasi it was not at all a pleasant cup of tea. It was repercussions to the max and very personal consequences.

    Simply: They tried to crush the movement, break them kids and silence non-conformity. And that with much more brutality than ever experienced in say Hamburg (aka the stairs down to the hold of the Police Station Budapester Straße). Some sustained resistance, many more gave up or simply broke.

    Thanks Girls for speaking up (and out) and thanks Geralf for providing the forum to do so. Those attending (i guess 50 odd people) definitely where touched.

    TIDE Radio, local DIY Radio Station in Hamburg, aired small edited recording from the session:

    Link to TIDENET.DE Program Archive (note: German only)

    As this was on a Monday, the Hafenklang next would host Mondays Regulars Table Tennis event with some live mu-sick ahead.

    Heihaizi from Croatia took the stage and … blasted most of the people that came for the reading out of the room.

    Here is how they kicked off:

    Boy, they where hard, they where loud and the guitar was plagued with on/off problems that somewhat distracted it’s user from delivering. No matter the problem, no matter the mu-sick style itself (they dub themselves as Rap Punk) – they where the perfect showcase how the most simple setup of drums, bass & guitar can blast a room.

    Heihaizi (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 18.05.2026)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2026

    In between they even mastered an art bands rarely get done – they created lasting soundscapes that as a listener you get lost in. It ain’t fully my type of cupboard but they indeed have carved and perfected a little niche.

    Their first record is more short hardcore like blasts:

    And their 2nd and recent spans a bit wider, with longer songs going down that soundscape route:

    Go and check them out and make your own choice.

    For me it was entertaining and live music, nothing can beat that. That they where able to reduce the audience to say 10 people i would also count on the positive side (though i take that attending for the book reading might not set your appreciation for fucking loud mu-sick).

    Cool evening, i got a valid history lesson and a refreshing new take on Punk. For a rather rainy Monday not too bad. Thanks to those who made it possible and specific thanks to Nancy and Sheela to put their heart (and tears) into the open.

    Much appreciated and much adored.

  • … return of the raunchy Oi!: It’s skyfart!

    … return of the raunchy Oi!: It’s skyfart!

    I am lucky. Very lucky. Why? Because i can trust friends who work the booking for my favorite haunt. Fench Cold Oi!? Yes! Bootboy Hardcore? Deal! Surprises? Always! Flyers that bend the genre? Sure thing!

    And so came Oi! The Himmelfahrt with 4 bands stretching from North to way South as in Vienna. And sold out in record time. And on an evening that would be followed by a day off, as such a perfect setting.

    Angry Voices from Hamburg kicked it off, in almost broad daylight. And a bright double rainbow over the mighty river Elbe, luring plenty of folks to the windows to take a snap.

    Angry Voices (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 14.05.2026)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2026

    They venture between Punk and Oi!, fast forward & growling and more articulated songs. Here is a more or less traditional banger, aptly called “Underpaid & Overdressed”:

    Musically they worked best for me when the focus was on chorus, sing-a-long and mu-sick that was more worked out.

    They got plenty of cheers, plenty of sing & dance-a-long from locals and they also had valid and clear cut messages.

    Perfect intro to the procedures, though sound & message would be less broad (and much more heavy) with the other bands.

    Choke Combat from Munich next and they play self-proclaimed Bootboy Hardcore. And seeing their guitar with a Fléau sticker did give me (and one of me mates who loves them French too) almost shivers.

    They kicked off like this:

    Indeed hardcore driven, energetic though throughout the set the guitar – for my liking – remained too low volume. I would have loved a wee bit of a heavier thrust from that side of the stage.

    They send the dancers flying, including a nob that choose not to listen to some behavioral advisory (and encountered a flying fist & removal as a consequence).

    Choke Combat (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 14.05.2026)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2026

    For me their hard’n’fast’n’short approach worked like a treat, it was all like real and rough. Check out their Demo, it gives a good impression.

    There was also some fun visuals included: The drummer sported a rather outlandish t-shirt and the bass player played plucking style, something i rarely see in the hard’n’fast territory.

    Choke Combat (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 14.05.2026)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2026

    Great set, justified pit violence for free and a large part of the room moving, i guess i am keen to see them again. To me they somewhat stood out, as much as and musically similar to Complete Loss who played MOi!n It’s Hamburg #7.

    Where Choke Combat to me where a neat surprise, Collaps looked like the headliner to me. I knew there Demo and listened to their LP already online – and the later sounded almost perfect.

    How would they do live and in real? They kicked off like this:

    A sturdy drummer (in a cool shirt), a very capable bass (with another cool shirt) and the most perfect sounding retro powered sandpaper guitar (for a lack of a better description) coming through a dual speaker setup (and, if i saw correct, a tube amp).

    Collaps (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 14.05.2026)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2026

    Song writing, presentation, musical capabilities – i guess they excelled in all areas and are able to create a distinct, stripped down and bare to the bone Rock’n’Roll sound.

    But they don’t rest there at all, they even take it further into the equivalent of a pop song. Here is the song that gave name to their brand new baby – Getting Used To The Dirt:

    Wow – that take the genre, often categorized as one dimensional, much much wider. The record itself is a rough gem, my loveliest song is Grey Men (a fast forward one more in on the hardcore side).

    Utmost great set, utmost great delivery (setting aside the just a bit too low vocals). Frank, i want more! Well deserved they got the loudest cheers.

    Denim out of Vienna next and with them it got dangerous. First they wanted it dark and got most of the lights switched off and then the singer took residence on the dance floor.

    And the dance floor was then taken over with the somewhat odd (but fitting) berzerk-into-each-other dancing style.

    Denim (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 14.05.2026)
    (c) gehkacken.de 2026

    It fitted their harsh, primitive and brutal onslaught that somewhat not fully did work for me. Go and check them out for yourself:

    To the overall rooster of the day they though fitted hand-in-glove and many around me seem to take a liking too.

    As always when a band convinces me live i got to score something, here it was clear that i have to take home the Collaps LP (even in case they would have been only half good live).

    Collaps – Getting Used To The Dirt (Primator Crew)

    Great record capturing their live sound almost perfect. Go and score it from our trusted local dealer Sounds Of Subterrania!

    Utmost thanks for Fab for setting this up and i take it helped his recovery (as being a mental uplift on all fronts). From where i sit i simply want more, also because i finally was relieved from palliative care duties by fate (eventually the passing of a relative can be both utmost sad and a relief for all, including said relative).

    Yes Fab – more please!