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  • … 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!

  • Bücher, schnell gelesen: 1.834

    Bücher, schnell gelesen: 1.834

    Malin Thunberg Schunke – Tödliche Felder (Polar Verlag, 2026)

    Gelesen: 07. – 20.05.2026 (netto 373 Seiten)

    Aus dem Schwedischen von Stefanie Werner.

    Schon das erste Buch von Malin Thunberg Schunke bei Polar war ein ziemlicher Brocken, für Tödliche Felder gilt das auch. Diesmal gibt es aber weniger Recht & Gesetz sondern tatsächlich sowas wie einen länderübergreifenden Krimi.

    Die Mafia in Italien macht ja so mit allem Geschäft, was ordentlich Geld abwirft. Neben Drogen gibt es auch … Bio Tomaten. Damit kann auch gutes Geld verdient werden, wenn die Saisonarbeiter wie Sklaven behandelt werden, das Ernterisiko mit Chemie begrenzt wird und auch sonst die Regeln die eigenen sind.

    Saisonarbeiter aus Polen und Rumänien sind in Italien verschwunden, eine Ermittlungsgruppe mit Hilfe von Eurojust wird aufgestellt und Fabia Moretti und Esther Edh haben einen neuen Fall.

    Das ganze ist ziemlich nah an der Realität, bezieht sich durchaus auf die Wirklichkeit in Europa, wo verbotene Pestizide immer noch gehandelt werden dürfen (nur nicht eingesetzt). Von Italien zieht sich der Fall auch nach Hamburg, da über den Hafen die Importe der Chemikalien aus China laufen.

    Dazu kommt noch einen Nebenschauplatz in Stockholm, der Freund von Esther ist offensichtlich … ein Cliffhänger.

    Ich komme irgendwie nicht besonders gut mit der wirklich ausführlichen Art von Malin Thunberg Schunke klar und das Lesevergnügen fühlt sich zäh an – die Spannung jedoch, die ist da (kommt halt nur langsamer ins Rollen).

    Am Ende aber ein sattes Stück Europa-Realität, incl. einem von der Mafia entführten Journalisten (der zu nah dran war), armen Italienern, die knallhart ausgenutzt werden (und das doppelt), und Mafia-Gangstern mit BWL Abschluss die einfach mit ihrem Geschäft durchkommen.

    Immer noch anders, immer noch nicht schlecht. Bin gespannt was aus dem Cliffhänger wird!

    Soundtrack dazu: Asedio – Campo de batalla, was sonst?

  • … 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.