My loveliest club struggles big time – please support the Hafenklang unconditionally.
https://www.startnext.com/broke-but-dope-save-hafenklang
Why?
Because it is not only home to splendid people but also hosts splendid shows attended by fellow splendid folks.
Now open your purse. I will.
Thanks
Update 27.08.:
Whilst this show was on the other side of Rebellion (and plenty of regulars would have just come back from their Blackpool pilgrimage) i was pretty sure it would be a packed show. If eg. the Booze Cruise Festival could pack the Hafenklang for a weekend, then a show by The Queers should easily do it for the same crowd.
So much for my ability to predict. The Hafenklang, downstairs, was empty as a fuck when i arrived early and it never really filled up. Wild guess – at the max 50 folks attended. Pity, real pity.
Late addition to the show was Avem from There’s No Place Like This aka Ontario, Canaduh. They kicked off as early as 20:30 to i’d say a maximum of 10 people. Watching them at first i was thinking oh my and had too lightweight in my mind.
But the more they played, they somewhat crept into my mu-sick-al receptors and into my mind.
First, as they added the sound of birds singing via the PA to their set (and that was a very very clever backdrop sound throughout their set) and 2nd because they turned out to have a huge capability when it comes to melody and multi-vocal harmonies.
Avem (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 06.08.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
And were other bands from their genre concentrate on love, beach, sun & girls they simply focus all their effort on … birds. Beautiful birds. With beautiful songs (them birds, sure thing).
Here is “Let’s Go Watching” and sure that is bird watching, you dimwit!
The drummer sported a cool matching shirt (Fuck Off – I Am Bird Watching) so that all of their effort was hand-in-glove. Sing-a-long to this beauty:
Not much I’d rather do Spend days watching with you Our shit’s all in it’s place Let’s find nature’s embrace Let’s go watching Let’s go watching Not much I’d rather do Spend days watching with you Our shit’s all in it’s place Let’s find nature’s embrace Let’s go watching Let’s go watching Until we leave our heads Until we wind up dead, let’s go watching Not much I’d rather do Spend days watching with you Our shit’s all in it’s place Let’s find nature’s embrace Let’s go watching Let’s go watching Let’s go watching Let’s go watching Until we leave our heads Until we wind up dead, lets go watching
And here is the Bingo card to go with it:
And despite them making a continued point about the next couple of songs surprisingly being about birds it never got boring, in contrast it provided plenty of fun!
I never came across them earlier and i have to admit they got something. Apparently they did not have vinyl with them, so i need to resort to checking out their latest on Bandcamp. And, surprise, it is about … birds.
Tits and Cocks anyone?
But what is wrong with names like these Say Hooters, Tits, and Boobies Or even Peckers, Cocks, and Shags These names seem gross to newbies Some folks are shocked with what I say When I talk of my bird friend They think I’m just an old pervert My topic is to offend
Great stuff and super friendly people. They would have deserved a packed upstairs and maybe they should have been paired with local heroes (and Avem devotees) The Haermorrhoids. Still, the few already there cheered them a lot!
In hindsight i was really happy to see them and to discover a new sub-sub genre: Ontarian Ornithology Pop Punk aka OOPP!
From birds to one of the fiercest foes of them birds … omniverous scavengers. Rats.
Ups, time for The Favorats. Actually they are favorites with Kevin Apers ever since The Apers played their first ever German show in April of 1999 with them. And as early as 2000 they had an EP on Stardumb Records (that is SDR.4 for all #recordcollectorsarepretentiousarseholes).
The Favorats are from the sunny (and empty) Emsland, bordering Dutchistan, and that stretch of land is famous for peat bogs, big ships and magentic elevated trains (RIP). And where Avem were lightweight like a small singing bird they come across hard, fast and heavy like a noisy muscle car.
Here is what it sounded like (and it wasn’t the best of sounds, actually):
Still, they tick the same boxes: (Heavier) melodies, multi-vocal singing and songs about … girls, beach, sun and surf.
They existed early on from 1996 to 2003 and then called it a day. But in 2018 they got together again and seem now to be at it again, including – as someone noted to me – a great re-union show at a Puke Fest in Münster.
The Favorats (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 06.08.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
I guess that is exactly were you can place them, 100% old school pop punk deeply rooted in Ramonescore. From were i sit not all of their songs are unique, not all of their songs have their very own feel around it but live, hard and fast it is a worthy set to listen to.
Here is how they sound recorded:
What i did like was that they had variations in speed and umpf, i though missed variation in the delivery aka they where too much glued to one setting (and enjoyed an awful lighting).
On the bonus side the also covered an Apers song, though i still believe The Battledykes version of that song is by far the best Apers cover ever!
But whatever concerns, i’d be happy to see them again on a bill!
I’ve been a member of this club, for way too many years
All we really do is sit and drink and listen to …
.. The Queers!
Avem played quite long for an opening band, The Favorats also had a decent long setlist and then it took The Queers even longer to get ready on stage (and they still had to do some sorta sound check on the spot).
We happily stayed outside as we observed Joe Queer discovering the electric scooters in Hamburg that you can rent on the fly with your mobile. And whooosh he went AWOL on one. Seeing him scooting away from the Hafenklang we somewhat knew that we had a wee bit more time for chatting outside on this warm summer night in Hamburg.
Eventually everything was ready but it had pushed time towards late (compared against many other shows these days with doors at 1900 and start at 2000).
The Queers always have been a mixed bag but on the positive side: Deeply rooted in Punk rather than embracing only ever the Pop and Bubblegum side of mu-sick.
Here is Debra Jean, a sing-a-long from the Bubblegum side of things:
The Queers in it’s current formation are together quite a while, though Joe recruited a new tour bass player out of Italy (at least that is my wild guess). They came across well rehearsed, them strings being expert musicians and the drummer being a constant joy (and making faces). Bonus: He broke two bass drum pedals!
The Queers (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 06.08.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
Most fun moment was when Joe was changing the guitar amp settings whilst he gave the middle of the stage and the limelight to the guitar. The first two changes went unnoticed to the guitar, on the 3rd change he somewhat recognized that something had changed. But he did not dare to change it back. Joe is the boss i guess.
They delivered song after song, little to no breaks and no setlist – all was ready to go. Within that Joe also selected songs not from the short burst rooster but from over the 02:00 mark.
According to those in the know they never played Definitely whilst on tour in Germany (and for the first time they where over in like 1996 if i am not mistaken). So sing-a-long to the verse:
Definitely all right Definitely outta sight Definitely so cool you're my girl Definitely all right Definitely outta sight Definitely so cool you're my girl
And whilst they soldiered on and had a small and devoted fan base dancing in front of the stage the rest of the room unfortunately somewhat emptied. It did feel somewhat odd, as The Queers actually delivered a tight and forceful set that should have set the room boiling.
If only it would have been filled in the first place.
The Queers (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 06.08.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
I can only make some guesses why: First off, some only came back from Blackpool on that day (exhausted and some even sans luggage). And then there is summer school holidays in Hamburg. And finally Joe Queer seems too punk for todays Pop Punk generation. Or?
For the final they got Avem back on stage and they Kicked Out the Webelos with them Canadians:
Great show, one of me mates claimed it as “Show of the Year” but i guess that was a premature ejaculation. For me it was surprisingly good with Avem as a real WOW! moment and as a new discovery.
The Queers where done at i guess 23:30 and it was still nice enough to stay outside, have a beer (my first, for others the final one) and a chat – best way to wind down a mu-sick-al night on the harbor front.
Once the beer was gone, me mates safely on the way to the last subway or in a taxi home i strolled the few hundred meters uphill towards home, but not without turning around and taking the views of the harbor (and QEII) in.
If only some of the folks on the QEII would have been ferried over to bolster the attendance, if only!
There was a bit of buzz around the return of Go!, namely because Go! Singer Mike did spend some time in Hamburg in the early 90s and thus to some is a known figure.
Still, it was a rather low-key show upstairs at the Hafenklang, ahead of the Monday Ping-Pong DJ Fixture Go! would play supported by outspoken Go! Fans GxUxTxSx from Brno (home of the famous Brněnský drak), who sport a matching name to Mikes last effort TxWxOx.
The Hafenklang was quite empty when GxUxTxSx kicked off and sneaking into their setlist i could make a good guess at what was coming.
My assumption where double confirmed when the singer added skate helmet and knee protectors to his outfit – it’ll be skate fueled hardcore was my (rather safe) bet.
And how did it sound? It sounded like this (and that song is a neat reference to a 1977 horror movie by Wes Craven):
Wow – that sounds pretty good! The singer goes AWOL in the space of the only half full room, the Bass and Drum provide a rock solid drive and the guitar, well, the guitar was very capable and provided the icing on the cake.
They almost rushed through their set, i guess their assault did not take more than 20 minutes. But these 20 minutes where actually very entertaining!
GxUxTxSx (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 22.07.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
They did not have anything in terms of merch with them, they are currently trying to get a record done. Time being thus you need to refer to their demo:
Great stuff and proof that a surprise support from far can be a very joyful and convincing affair. If they play near you – go and see them!
Next Go! and Mike went at great length to decorate the stage with Go! Posters, all hand placed and hand taped to whatever he deemed fit. The setlist looked huge but some of the songs where give/take less than a minute.
And who did it sound? For a large part of the show it sounded like this:
At the start of the song you can hear an interaction with the audience about the mike that Mike was using. Next to quite some deep feedback between songs the sound, specifically on the vocals, was less than optimal. Later in the set he changed over to the backup mike (cable, rather) and by magic the sound improved.
Still, compared to the support, they where less together and it sound less like a well rehearsed machine. But how could they, they life thousands of kilometers apart.
Go! (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 22.07.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)
At some moments they sounded actually on top of their business, at others more often it sounded just not right (both sound off stage and the mu-sick-al presentation). They played for an hour i guess (out of which Mike covered some part chatting ahead) and left a somewhat awkward feeling with me (and me mates).
Mike was open down from the stage that they did not want to end up standing there, for say 20 people, and be bad. They scored more than 20 in Hamburg (at the end the Goldener Salon was reasonable filled) and they were per se not bad but somewhat not convincing.
I checked with friends outside of Hamburg and got feedback like this:
I didn't write anything specifically about Darmstadt, I like Mike, but Go! was simply too old and finished last Thursday and was only drawing on the splendor of days gone by. I didn't think they played particularly well either. Kind of heartbreaking - with Go! the resolution is very personal. Shit. Depresses me so much that I don't even want to nag. And that actually never happens.
Was touring travel stress indeed a too heavy toll on them? Nevermind, there is still enough good output (all and more for free on their Bandcamp site) like below – a collaboration between Mike and guys from Crippled Fox in Hungary.
And that being presented in a near perfect form factor for greedy record collectors being pretentious arseholes: Green vinyl, stochastic shape. Go and score it on Every Chord Counts Records. It is a full worthy effort (and limited).
I got that record a while ago and effectively it triggered with me the urge to definitely see Go!. And – taking all in – it was still a neat and not too hot Summer evening out at the Hafenklang with friends.
So nothing wrong with it at all!
