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… the fate of an April Wednesday!
April. Weather shenanigans. And thus keeping people at home. Though when i strolled down to the Hafenklang i was greeted with a stellar view towards the sunset in the West.

Sunset on a miserable Wednesday ( (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

But as empty as the streets the turnout at the Hafenklang would be. Next to a couple of friends of the Slanders it may have only been 30something good people. And half of them i knew by name. Pitty, as the rooster was an excellent one. Though definitely something that work so much better on a hot summer evening, best a Friday (or in Bergamo, i guess most of the Punk Rock Raduno regulars where at the Hafenklang).

Sharp at 21:00 Slanders kicked off with their very own Pop Punk, deeply grounded into the US of A, 1990’s and … on Lookout Records. Screeching Weasel anyone?
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Slanders (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 17.04.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
```
Their stance on stage remains feet wide, strings low. And this night it was quite fun to see two of the members sporting a shirt of The Haermorrhoids. Who just finished a very successful short tour. And where Greg plays and sings too.

Nice appreciation (or simply cheap shirts). How did it sound? It sounded like this:

Pleasant indeed, the speed, the dual vocals – it all works well. The songs are crisp and short (more or less) but the sound overall does not carry too many variations, they tend not to break out of their style a single note.

I dig them, though that lack of variation sometimes annoys my single-minded mu-sick-al brain.

The Yum Yums took the stage next and despite the fact that it was feeling a wee bit empty upstairs at the Hafenklang they did smile from the start. And that is the upbeat feeling of their songs anyway, singing about love, girls and everything that goes with it.
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The Yum Yums (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 17.04.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
```
On stage they are much more active compared to Slanders, though Morten stood center stage like a rock and did not move at all.

The amount of variation i missed with Slanders was there but somewhat it was all covered in a layer of sugar. Even up to the point that it was too sweet.

They played quite long, did throw in a couple of extras (but not all from the setlist) and took a rest. Well deserved. In all honesty a shorter (and crisper) set would have worked too.

As they had their brand new LP with them i scored it (on red vinyl, pitiful #recordcollectorsarepretentiousareseholes me), also the repress of their first LP now finally sits in my shelf.

The Yum Yums – Sweet As Candy
(Norske Albumklassikere, 2022 reissue)

The Yum Yums – Poppin’ Up Again
(Screaming Apple, Red Vinyl, 2024)

Relaxed evening surrounded by largely friends (and friendly people), just a tad bit too empty.

Still, that is how music should be enjoyed.
2024/04/19
Bücher, schnell gelesen: 1.696

Frauke Buchholz – Skalpjagd (Pendragon, 2024)

Gelesen: 07. – 12.04.2024 (netto 278 Seiten)

Manchmal kaufe ich ungeplant bzw. nehme etwas im Buchladen meines Vertrauen mit das in mein Blickfeld fällt und im Kopf etwas tickt.

Hier: Nordlichter, Tippi = Kanada plus Pendragon Verlag. Und eine Autorin mit Nachnamen Buchholz. Also mitgenommen und erstmal frustriert festgestellt das es Band 3 ist, ich also mal wieder ein Reihenfolgeversagen vor mir habe …

Das Setting ist tatsächlich Kanada und die Autorin ist offensichtlich durch Studium und Leben “Indigenaffin” (boah, was für ein gruseliges Wort), sprich sie kennt sich vor Ort und mit der Kultur aus.

Held ihrer Bücher ist Ted Garner, der Psychologe arbeitet als Profiler für die RCMP. Und der Fall im letzten Buch (Reihenfolgeversagen, here i come) hat ihn so fertig gemacht, dass er seinen Job hinschmeißen will. Und irgendwie gerät er bei einem Kongress in Vancouver an eine Esoterikerin aus Österreich, lässt sich im Suff überreden an einem Indigenen Ritual (inkl. pflanzlicher Drogen) teilzunehmen und wacht am nächsten Morgen in einem Tippi auf, mit einem blutigem Messer in der Hand, und einer toten und skalpierten Österreicherin neben sich.

Und denkt – das hab ich im Drogenrausch gemacht.

Und flieht deswegen. Auf der Suche nach dem Medizinmann, der das Ritual gemacht hat.

Der zweite Blickwinkel auf diesen Fall kommt von den Cops, ein ungleiches Paar versucht den Fall zu lösen. Und sucht irgendwann Ted, den sie auch unter Opfer einordnen.

Bis eine zweite skalpierte Leiche auftaucht und wieder Fingerabdrücke von Ted gefunden werden. Und damit ist er nicht mehr vermisstes Opfer sondern potentieller Täter.

Zwei spannende Verfolgungsjagden in einem Buch, dazu zweimal auf eigene Faust ermitteln. Und eine persönliche Tragödie als Zugabe.

Der Anfang fühlte sich zäh an, aber als die Geschichte ins Laufen kam passte das dann wieder. Vor allem die zwei Verfolgungsjagden (wobei die Cops im zweiten Pulk hinterherlaufen) sind spannend angelegt und geben der Geschichte ordentlich Tempo.

Dazu ein guter Schuss an Indigener Kultur, an Verbrechen der Kanadischen Nation an den Indigenen und …

… wird nicht verraten.

Solider Krimi, ich kaufe dann mal Band 1 und Band 2.

Soundtrack dazu: Brutal Chérie – Antisocial et brutal, was sonst?

2024/04/13
… taken by surprise by an inner enemy!
Enemic Interior? No clue. From Catalonia? Mhhh…

But sometimes it is good to listen to those in the know. And they suggested attendance. Plus the internet (damn internet, never forgets) was having some choice words too:
```
Barcelona’s Enemic Interior is a band that treads the finest of lines between raw rage and an introspective sense of melody, a balance which they manage to maintain in spite of their confrontational delivery.

Catalan lyrics, daring audacity, and incomparable songwriting come together to create bittersweet, desperate songs that at once seem both huge and intimate.

... their trademark sombre punk, both emotive and bleak, melodic and dark, at the place where punk, post-punk and Oi! meet.
```
Sounds like a reasonable promise for a Wednesday evening. So down to the Hafenklang then.

Upstairs though was quite empty and it was not really getting full, wild guess would be around 50 people. And two mates, one even made the effort on his birthday, so hugs and kisses again my dear!

Sharp at 21:13 the lads from Barcelona took the stage, very much unpretentious, and kicked it off like this:

Bang! And their signature song from their first tape in 2022.
<a href="https://enemicinterior.bandcamp.com/album/enemic-interior">Enemic Interior by Enemic Interior</a>
And what a forceful delivery! A clear indication of what was coming towards the audience. For myself i felt already convinced, as this was right down my alley.

And it turned out less so much Spain per sē but more France. The shirt of the drummer was my bet no coincidence and i spotted a female guest with a Youth Avoiders shirt – same references i had in my simple mu-sick-al mind.
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Enemic Interior (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 10.04.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
```
And also for the presentation it kicked all my boxes, up to and including the centered bass that takes the main singing duties. Paired with the heavy push-forward drumming and very capable twin guitars, that carefully craft both forceful and flirting sounds (sometimes even the stereotypical Blitz sound), it was a near perfect mix.

And within that, breaking down a lot of mu-sick-al silo boundaries.
```
Enemic Interior (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 10.04.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
```
They paced through all of their songs (the three EP’s carry 16 songs that sum up to only ever 23:53 minutes) and where done with their set within 25 minutes.

Enemic Interior – Setlist (Hafenklang, Hamburg, 10.04.2024 (c) gehkacken.de)

In an almost shy fashion they thanked the audience for coming out but the audience, having gotten into dancing mode in the latter part of the set, was not ready to let them go.

They looked a wee bit astonished towards each other and then shrugged shoulders like in “why not, though we played all of our songs“. So the lot got one more extra, a song from another band of the guitar player if i understood correctly.

And the clock was 21:42, so they strummed through 17 songs in 29 Minutes. Now that is keeping pace.

As ever when a band convinces me live i strolled (frank: ran) over to the merch table and checked what was available. And as the whole discography was on the table at a bargain price i took it all in one go. A worthy investment and i was not the only one performing an all in…

Enemic Interior – full discography scored … ( (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

How does it sound on the brand new EP? Like this my friend, like this …
<a href="https://enemicinterior.bandcamp.com/album/enemic-interior-iii">Enemic Interior III by Enemic Interior</a>
And neat Catalan lyrics too:
Corbes negres cap avall Les mans blanques al volant Prego veure el primer raig Els seus ulls al meu clatell No goso mirar el mirall No hi creia però es fa present Estela de sang i foc Sense nom però el sents venir Estela de sang i foc Fugint d’ell fins a morir Als Àngels hi pujo sol Aquest ha estat el meu camí Als Àngels hi pujo sol Al mirall em veig a mi
Black curves down White hands on the wheel I pray to see the first ray His eyes on the back of my neck I dare not look in the mirror I didn't believe in it but it is present Trail of blood and fire No name but you feel it coming Trail of blood and fire Running away from him until he died I go up to angels alone This has been my path I go up to angels alone I see myself in the mirror
You can score these beauties at our trusted local dealer Sounds Of Subterrania!

Perfect Wednesday evening, this is exactly why #thereaintnuthinbetterthanlivemusic and why you should never stop exploring new stuff (and expose yourself to the unknown).

It may be an uplifting surprise for your inner enemy (that glues you to the sofa).
2024/04/12