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Tag: Knust

… bäm, bämbäm: Perfect party bands fueling a dancing party!
Sometimes it is all about correlations. A band hitting a ready audience. A band hitting town on the wrong day. And evening with a thunderstorm, hail and rain. And thus now show on the audience side. And sometimes it is two great party bands for themselves, criss-crossing Europe and having a day to spare before descending down onto Back To The Future in Glaubitz.

The brave folks of the Knust, Wild Wax Shows and Punk Rock Hamburg sized the opportunity and got both into Hamburg, though due to traffic The Spits where quite late in managing the 500 km between the Plan B in Malmö and the Knust in Hamburg, crossing through Denmark.

The Briefs kicked off and an eagle eyed friend provided me with the set list whilst i was still outside and chatting. Here is what they set out to do:

The Briefs – Set list (Knust, Hamburg, 26.07.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

And this is how they stormed into the set with Static:

Yep, that is Briefs territory: Speed, melody and energy. From where i sit the Glam-to-Punk connection from early UK Punk, deeply rooted in a more traditional rock fashion but with all the speed and umpf needed. Power Pop in the widest sense.

Plus a great sing-a-long mentality attached to almost all songs.
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The Briefs (Knust, Hamburg, 26.07.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
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And, always a bonus, they dressed for the occasion, giving away individual stage personas (whilst not really interacting with the audience a lot). But as they have a lot of good music to give to the audience, that one was not a downside.

They almost rushed through their almost 25 years of mu-sick, spanning also all the way back. Here is Stuck On You, which dates back to a 2005 7″:

The audience loved it, already some dancing was going on but then the party was spoiled a wee bit: As much as i could make out a drink was spilled on stage, on the left side behind the PA and that somewhat not only created a little lake but took out part of the electricity on stage. Amps where off (thanks to the invention of circuit breakers).

And off went the band, to give room for RCA.
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The Briefs (Knust, Hamburg, 26.07.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
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It took the technical folks of the Knust some minutes to identify the problem, isolate the offending circuit and get it all going again.

The Briefs came back and went on just as if nuthin’ had happened. And also got some real fan favorites out, like Silver Bullet:

This songs gets it condensed in it’s 1:00 and bit glory and this little rhyme from the songs pretty much goes all the way back to their 1976 connection i guess:
```
When i think of you you know i think of rotten fruit
The world would be a better place if you were born a mute
```
Correlations. It is all about correlations.

And now sing-a-long: Kill Bob Seger right now! Surprisingly Bob Seger is still alive when i last check (though not at best health).

All-in-all a perfect show by The Briefs fueling the audience well and setting a high bar for the further proceedings.

For The Spits it was a wee bit tougher, arriving late they had to do the sound check on the spot, after the stage was changed over for their definitely different setup. That tune in of sound, monitor sound and all the rest took a bit and was in full view of the audience but thanks to the expert sound people of the Knust it went faster than feared.

And once they had changed into their stage uniforms and personas (a robot and three child molesters dressed in trench coats) they kicked off with Remote Control:

And this took the baton offered by The Briefs up and onward. All the way from Power Pop to … actually a splendid mix of rough, dirty and sleazy Garage Punk mated with Synth Punk and, believe it or not, Dance Muzak.
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The Spits (Knust, Hamburg, 26.07.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
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And besides the mu-sick the stage setup indeed makes them stand-out: The robot on the keyboards stands up on the drum podium, the rest of bass, drum and guitar is lined up to the front of the stage. Lovely and welcome different view point for the audience.

That said, the guitar putting down the trench coat triggered a friend next to me: “This is how a child molester looks, if he stops by on the street i will ruuuuuun” – and indeed she was right. He looked all the way evil with his old school glasses and the fishnet shirt.

But the audience did not run away, in contrast, the short and dance-able bangers of The Spits did creep into large parts of the audience forming a wide sea in front of the stage that moved around, all the way back to the bar area.

And the best was that they attracted all ages, all genders – it was far off from a stereo typical old punk show. Wow.

And i can not even explain what secret ingredient they use to get that effect, in my simple mu-sick-al mind it is the combination of short songs, drum machine like drumming and … voila, the feeling of sing-a-long (whilst actually you can’t).
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The Spits (Knust, Hamburg, 26.07.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
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It got my feet moving, it got plenty of other feet moving, it got even more bodies moving and – by and large – all people smiling. And frank, it has been a while that i had that feeling (to be exact 3 days). No, honestly, it was a near perfect party soundtrack that converted the Knust – not full enough but ok filled – into a dance hall.

And this is how they closed out the show, with their robot flying into the audience (an earlier and more uncontrolled attempt made him hit the dance floor hard):

Stunning set, topping the already excellent one by The Briefs.

And – frank – i was not aware that so many people in Hamburg actually dig The Spits.

Or was it just coincidence? Very capable bands hitting a very willing audience on a Friday evening? Whatever it was, it was a show that with me qualifies for the short list of show of the year.

Yes, it was that good, yes it was that sorta fun. A real party. Fueled by party bands.
2024/07/28
… of Gerd and a Perfect Cousin to dance with (and booze off a wee bit)!
Gerd, Hamburgs very own stadium rockers, are never afraid to throw a party. Anybody suggesting a reason? Mhhhh, maybe 33 1/3 (not yet 53rd and One 3rd) is a good one?

Deal!

And as a party needs companionship, they took the Perfect Cousin along, just like in 2016. And some 250 other members of the Punk Rock Hamburg Family, most from near – some from far.

The Perfect Cousins obviously traveled from far (Derry in Norther Ireland would be my wild guess) and came with the following gifts:

Perfect Cousins – Setlist (Knust, Hamburg, 16.03.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

It is custom knowledge in Hamburg that a party failing to get momentum only ever needs an Undertones song (below the magic 02:00 mark) to get the lot onto the dance floor and dancing.

And as it was to be Family Entertainment they choose their entry wisely:

Perfect Cousins, actually not seen for a while. Hence i was a wee bit surprised that they did shrink to a 4-piece but it did not hinder them at all (in contrast, they had a near perfect sound).
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Perfect Cousins (Knust, Hamburg, 16.03.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
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Sure that near perfect sound had it’s icing with Arne and his voice – if there ever was someone with the same type of nasal vocals as Fergal it is definitely him, Period. And on top Arne was jumping around the stage full of energy – the same energy that the others took into their gear.

Together with Jan on Guitar, Kai on Drums and Lui on Bass he continued almost down the Wrong Way:

Beating the original by 13 seconds, puuurrrrfect!

But also above the magic 02:00 mark they are able to score, because they didn’t let go:

Poor Little Jimmy (Jimmy), one of the saddest hit songs i actually know. And a real banger that stands the test of time, easily. And as ever, was one of the biggest sing-a-long within the set – maybe next to Teenage Kicks.
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Perfect Cousins (Knust, Hamburg, 16.03.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
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But as a Perfect Cousin they also had an Angry surprise gift in tow all the way from Samoa:

What a perfect finish, they even did threw Lights Out next towards the audience (though Arne needed a little cheat sheet for the lyrics). I guess that one was a message from Lui that he needs yet another job in an Angry Samoans cover band.

But as said, there ain’t no better way to infuse a dance party than throwing in an Undertones hit. Thus, the party was already going when it was time for Gerd.

Gerd – Setlist (Knust, Hamburg, 16.03.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

Their œuvre speaks for itself – like in those words on the right. Clues needed? Come on, you are part of the Punk Rock Hamburg family, you do not need no fucking clues!
```
Hold tight - Now we're on our own
Cue lights - Now it's ready to roll
Tonight  How I've waited for i've competed for years

It's fun - Oh I just can't wait
Hold on - Do I look up to date?
You're on - I'll do anything if it's the right thing to see

There's one - Born every day
Same song - Then they fade away
Ding-dong - What's the future in the pop music industry

All right - So you made the grade
Hold tight - To the buck you made
Just wait - You've been rated for constipated peak viewing time
```
And putting enthusiasm over stage entry grandness Gerd went about to Kick Out The Jams:

But hey, there is a new face! Led Zeppelin could not lure him, but Gerd (with all of the money from their stadium tours) got him signed. Welcome Henry (who still has a little side hustle with Boy Division, Hamburgs best dressed cover band)!
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Gerd (Knust, Hamburg, 16.03.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
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The last time they graced the Knust for one of their club shows was 2021, it was sheer luck that their busy schedule allowed them back so early – the lot did only expect them in 2031 for “40 years of GERD”.

The lot largely anyway was happy, i ran into a number of good people that had a bright smile on their face following the grown-up-controlled-play-like-a-champion away win of the FCSP at Nürnberg in the afternoon.

Gerd took on to continue that party on the lawn:

Boy, they had this one in 1967 for 10 weeks in the German single charts (and it was single in our household that i could hum along to as a little boy). Good to see that Gerd have left that la battaglia del denaro long behind.
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Gerd (Knust, Hamburg, 16.03.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
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But still, they can beat anybody when it comes to mu-sick. Twice this songs has been robbed from them and re-used with different words. And still they can hammer home their ode to G.E.R.D. in the exact 1:17 that it took that other band from NYC (that never paid their dues to Gerd):

The only item that was surprisingly not at par with their performance was the sound. It sounded less good than the Perfect Cousins and less good than last time at the Knust (where by and large most bands sound excellent, thanks to the good PA and experts at the sliders).
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Gerd (Knust, Hamburg, 16.03.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
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But Gerd being Gerd just went over that with not even a blink in the eye. They rather took on to keep the dancing audience … awake and dancing. And they made them choose.

And the lot choose to be Foxes, on the run:

Far more people than the obvious offenders actually had their dancing shoes on, here is a snippet from the audience proving it:

Pick your king, as Poison Idea suggested. The lot picked Gerd, for sure.

As every family thingy it started early (doors 19:00) so that the elderly could have the most of it. Most of the elderly (and frank – the only sad of that show actually – it was almost exclusive elderly in attendance) where thankful, easily and early loaded (one so much that he was shown the way off the dance floor in a perfect choreographed ballet) and had as much fun as the bands.

The icing on the evening then was more booze at the bar to the blaring sounds of DJ Hollyholetsgo, where the stadium hardened stars and fans mingled and danced even harder.

2/3rd Happy fans and 1/3rd photo bombing new Gerd member (c) gehkacken.de 2024

I was home not too late (and not too loaded) around 02:00, so that i was able to make the most out of the joy of both the FCSP win and the fantastic Gerd party on sunny Sunday.

Only one wish went unanswered: More people and specifically younger people putting on their dancing shoes and descending onto the Knust – both bands and club would deserve it. And once there, knock it back and ‘ave another one.

So everyone – next time bring a younger friend along! And ask for him/her to also bring someone younger along.

I will try hard! Or even harder. But please not hardly.

PS: My perfect moment of the evening below – click for high-res!
2024/03/18
Family. Here to stay.
It ain’t all honky-dory all the time, for myself i was confined away from shows for some weeks due to an operation on the leg but that ain’t nuthin compared to the fate that the Molotow awaits.

It’s now 10 years that they had to evacuate their old place below the so called Esso-Building (as the owner let it rot to the point that tenants, business and the name-giving petrol station had to be evicted as an emergency) and now they single-handedly got their lease for their current place terminated by mid-2024.

It will be torn down and another new Hotel will rise.

It actually does not matter at all that club itself ain’t a favorite of mine, the simple fact that yet again all of the praise of the cultural work of places like the Molotow (coming through once the City can suck up Press and Mu-sick Industry praise for something like the Reeperbahn Festival) is void and nothing if it comes to hard business that makes the City tick.

Another deal with another property developer. Fuck it.

The Molotow asked for solidarity and that is what they got – approximately 3.000 people took the Reeperbahn and made a stance.
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Molotow Must Stay! (Reeperbahn, Hamburg, 30.12.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023
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Team Scheisse was supposed to play but generator problems hampered the start but then they set sail, up the Reeperbahn and down the Ost-West-Strasse to finish in front of another Hotel of that chain.

What really sucks is that the fate of the Molotow (being bend over and raped three times directly or indirectly by property owners) is the custom fate of the smaller & underground clubs. The City of Hamburg is only ever paying lip service when it comes to support towards more underground and/or independent culture and for sure all is void when it comes to making money from or supporting money being made from property deals.

Regardless if the investor meets his promises (like the one that was supposed to re-build the former Esso-Building complex).

A really sad start into a long evening with good music, family and friends but it was also good to see so many faces i know from shows (on and off stage) taking the street – it means a heck within the given limits and it generated at least a peak of noise in the local press.

Will it help? I doubt. Damn.

Still, as long as we can, we gotta take our side of the story into the world – and the annual We’ll Burn The Baum Down (now as edition 16.0) is exactly part of the storyline: Next to Staatsoper, Elbphilharmonie and Ohnsorg Theater there are tight and striving communities and they stick together, against all odds. But it is getting harder.

This year the Razors went all local, providing stage time for their Rebellion companions Harbour Rebels and … big surprise … providing a comeback opportunity: The Rubbermaids came back out of (almost) nowhere.

The Harbour Rebels had the hardship of starting early (as in 20:00) but the Knust was already well filled (as many where taking the street for the Molotow and just strolled over from there).

As much as when they supported the Razors for the Rebellion warm-up earlier in the year they are a mixed bag for me. They got the right messages, they even get some dance-a-long Ska-stuff in their set but somewhere in the back of my single-minded mu-sick-al brain always opens the cupboard “Deutsch-Rock“.
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Harbour Rebels (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023
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And as ever my deduction of received mu-sick might not be all right, so check them out for yourself. They do their thing, with dedication, and such do deserve the spot up there. And deserved the share of applause and support they got.

Next from the ashes of the Rubbermaids … the Rubbermaids. And this is how they kicked off:

They had a more of less secret gig in March 2023 at the Indra for a Birthday Bash and now, with apparently only a few rehearsals, took the big stage of the Knust. I guess that this surprise return also up’ed the numbers of tickets sold, they did draw plenty of additional people.

And from the start they where back together as if they never disbanded in 1994. I saw them a couple of times in the late 80s and the beginning of the 90s and always thought they would make it big, but somehow they never got off the independent label circuit and signed by the industry. They biggest shows where support slots in Hamburg and Bremen for the Toten Hosen on their 1992 Learning English Tour.
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Rubbermaids (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023
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They sure looked different than back then, where they took the look of the time all in: Hair (extra hair), non-punk conformity clothing, ribbed and thorn jeans and sneakers. Very 90s. Very American.

And being able to pen matching hits like this one (and the video definitely sports the look of those days):

And how did it look and sound today? It sure looked different but sounded still great. And their main asset – lightweight songs with drive paired with multi-vocal harmonies still comes through almost puuurrrfect on That Rings A Bell:

I was not the only one more than positively surprised. And taken back in time by say 30 years. Wow. As much as myself plenty of folks of the now packed main room of the Knust had either their jaws dropped or moving in sing-a-long.

They did not do a lot of chatting, rather kept the flow and nodding toward many old fellows in the audience. And receiving loads of applause.
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Rubbermaids (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023
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Near perfect set, only few misses in chords or rhythm. Perfect drumming, perfect bass and fast forward dual guitar play. And their biggest asset in perfection: Near perfect vocals and multi-vocal harmonies. From where i sit one of the biggest mu-sick-al surprises in 2023, i honestly did not expect this.

Will they do this again or more regular? No clue, as they all have family, work and other musical adventures. In different places.

It did set the bar high for the Razors though, trust me! And the Razors kicked of like this:

Bang! As in a literal and visual Bang!

And from there they took the lot through an extended set – old old stuff and new old stuff. Favorites and outtakes. Covers and originals.
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Razors (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023
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And sure thing within that the one cover (from a long forgotten Scottish Power-Pop band) that i now regard as their signature song:
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Oh oh oh oh the shape of things to come
Oh oh oh oh the shape of things to come
```
The well oiled machine almost never stopped to take a breath: Christiane on the wild side, Stoffel shredding it (in a great shirt, Bärchen was in attendance of the show actually) and Sven hammering it home.
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Razors (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023
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And Klaus, towering the center of the stage, smiling, singing and encouraging the lot to sing-a-long.
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Razors (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023
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Little did i know when i thought for myself that the Razors would have a hard time after the energetic show of the Rubbermaids, i was proven so wrong.

The Razors simply took the lot by storm and the lot (sans one intoxicated individual that got a helping hand leaving the room) returned the favor.

Prior to the encore they even took the opportunity to side with the lot.
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Razors - Hanx!(Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023
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It was almost midnight when the encore culminated into the all family hands on deck sing-a-long mix of “Because You’re Young” and “YNWA” and the whole place sung the last song together with Klaus.
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Razors & Family (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2023 (c) gehkacken.de 2023
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The perfect finish to 2023, a year that as said was not all honky-dory but as most of the years the traditional Razors show was an uplifting one. Plenty of people to bump into, to speak with or to just say Hi to. And great mu-sick.

And as every year it draw people from Hamburg and far. My friend Nico from Rotterdamn did return after being my guest last year and walking him home to his hotel after the show i realized that he is now ready to sign up for the Razors Fan-Club (he liked the sing-a-long attitude of the set).

Due to the post-Op situation of my leg i did not stay for the dancing procedures in the pub of the Knust but rather went home – all sober – early with my guest. Big thanks to the Razors and the Knust for making this possible, year on year. We love you!

PS: As an extra, as Sven is most of the time hidden behind the drums and those who can roam around the stage without the baggage of a drum set (and thanks to the virtue of long cables) – here is the god of drums:

Sven “Gott” Gotfredsen (Knust, Hamburg, 30.12.2023 (c) gehkacken.de)

As as form of appreciation here three downloads you can print on high gloss photographic paper if you dare (or in any other form). For me they sum-up the evening and have a lot of individual details (go searching!) that make me simply … smile! Go klick on ’em!

Rubbermaids

Razors

Razors Family
2024/01/02