It is not only me, also plenty of me mates share the desire to see The Haermorrhoids making it big. For a start (though a wee bit of a tiny start) they have setup a short tour through Germany, Dutchistan, Belgium and back to Germany: 10 shows in 10 days.
Kick off was sure on home turf, this time round on the MS Hedi supporting Autogramm from yonder side of the Atlantic.
Technically speaking it turned into a tour on the MS Claudia, as the MS Hedi was not available. The good thing with that was that slightly more people could be taken on board, so the packed tour turned into an even more packed tour.
The Haermorrhoids kicked off and from the start proved that they set sail for the tour as a well rehearsed outfit. Banger after banger, little chit-chat between the songs. Also no hick-ups.
The Haermorrhoids (MS Hedi, Hamburg, 28.03.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
Playing on a boat to an extend is also falling victim to the weather, luckily the mighty river Elbe was calm and thus the audience (standing 5 cm away from the musicians) was not falling into them (and vice-versa).
They even attempted (and mastered) a new song never before played live, much to the joy of the audience. And as much as the outside was gray and rainy, the inside of the MS Claudia heated up nicely – fueled by The Haermorrhoids and their crisp Ramonescore.
The Haermorrhoids (MS Hedi, Hamburg, 28.03.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
If anything, then this show yet again has proven that they keep it too small, to low profile. I do hope they lick blood on this short run and i also do hope for them that they say “Yes – go!” if even a glimpse of hitting it bigger – much bigger actually – comes around.
Make sure you check them out – start with their 2nd and latest LP:
Remember, they are the best band in the world (according to Luke).
And Luke, as you can see, is able to drink the Jever double handed. As such he is an authority you must trust, period!
The Haermorrhoids finished their hour just about when the MS Claudia was pulling dockside to replanish drinks and unload not needed gear. That gave way for the 2nd one hour sail through the harbor, mu-sick-al joy to be provided by Autogramm (technically from Vancouver, CA but with members from Vancouver, Seattle and Chicago).
It was their 2nd show ever in Hamburg and their first on a tiny cruise vessel through a large harbor, with a large city (the most beautiful city in the world, actually) as the backdrop.
Where The Haermorrhoids where Ramonescore (and thus very 70s), Autogramm are surprisingly 80s (and that in a very clever way). The Internet (damn Internet, never forgets) puts that in a few choice words (and references):
If you've been hankering after some old school Tubeway army style alt-punk, then get an ear full of this: it’s the Cars driving Numan around listening to some real ‘80s radio before checking out Duncan Reid, it's that catchy. (Dom Daley in Uber Rock Magazine)
From the start Autogramm lived up to that promise. Pure Pop in power mode, melodies and umpf plus a fitting synthie (and sometimes … less so fitting). On top soft vocals, catchy refrains and multi-vocal choruses. And a stunning visual opposite to that mu-sick-al cupboard.
Autogramm (MS Hedi, Hamburg, 28.03.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024
They played their normal set i guess and also spend some time to enjoy both setup on the MS Claudia and the surrounding in the harbor up to and including the views on a harbor at work. And because they played their normal set they where done well before the MS Claudia was back at the Landungsbrücken.
Whilst they started to pack up the audience insisted that they would only be done if the vessle is back at the mooring, so they unpacked and hit the lot with a real cool extra (that even has a video and a story):
And the story?
It’s kind of tongue in cheek, being well aware that we are neither kids nor cool. We took the song and changed it to sound more 80’s and part of the Autogramm sound, adding keys and harmonies. The video is about a secret murderer loose in the forest around a camp site. It’s supposed to be a throwback to those cheesy 80’s campsite horror movies. The video is based on a story/concept, ‘Unknown Caller’, by Jeffry Lee loosely and was inspired by 1974 Canadian psychological slasher film ‘Black Christmas’. It was shot on location at Lakeside Motel and Campground on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. Vocalist/guitarist Jiffy Marx says of the video:”I’ve always wanted to shoot a movie at Lakeside. It’s rustic simplicity seems frozen in time making it the perfect setting for a classic summer camp goofball comedy meets cabin in the woods slasher flick.”
A perfect ending for a cool set, they even had the female contingent upfront dancing (whilst the males nodded away sipping on the beer). If only this would have been on a lush summer evening and without the need to leave work early (check in at 1700 on a workday is … for many a challenge).
Don’t forget to check out their mu-sick, start with their recent LP:
If you want to score the vinyl that is easy, just hop over to Sounds Of Subterrania (our trusted local dealer).
Thanks to Wild Wax Shows for pulling this together and sending both bands on tour.
I was enjoying it so much that i took the offer for a lift to the Haermorrhoids show on Friday in Schneverdingen (roughly an hour south of Hamburg), as this band should play sold out shows only. Period.
