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Tag: Molotow

  • … worthy goodbye for the Sky Bar with Clara Bow and Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery!

    … worthy goodbye for the Sky Bar with Clara Bow and Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery!

    The days seem busy in the run up to Christmas and Year End. On the show front there where choices like Peter And The Test Tube Babies at the Markthalle, 40 Years of Die Goldenen Zitronen at Kampnagel or … the final show at the Sky Bar above the Molotow. Low key, with Tanju and his Racoonery and in walking distance to home.

    And bonus: Early show, early doors – early bedtime.

    Easy choice for me and some friends, plus it would be the final show of the year for me as this year me and the love of me life will be away over the year end to our 2nd home up north.

    Support was from Clara Bow, self-proclaimed “Punk Barbies”.

    They are around since 2003, had a first album with loads of positive reviews in 2012 and fell victim to Covid somewhat. This show was their first after Covid times.

    Clara Bow (Molotow Sky Bar, Hamburg, 19.12.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

    I had not seen them prior but others recognized them as “ah, these girls“. That was not true anymore, they have added the bass player from the Racoonery on 2nd guitar.

    By and large they make Power Pop with a Girl-Pop scent, less Punk and i guess more Indy. But always with a smile, always with a harmony and multi-vocal singing.

    Clara Bow (Molotow Sky Bar, Hamburg, 19.12.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

    As it was their first show after an extensive hiatus not all worked well, not all songs were delivered hand-in-glove (namely the drums varied in speed a couple of times, not synced with the rest).

    But enough nuggets to dig deeper and as much as the pairing with Tanu went – that was a fit.

    Let’s see if they get the restart completed, also because that is the song i like best from their record. As ever, go an check it out for yerself.

    For Tanu it was a special evening too, though not a restart: It was 20 years of Tan U Sound and the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Hasenschaukel. And a final show slot up in the Sky Bar.

    Tanu and his Racoonery started off in the same fashion that i experienced at the Pretty Vacant HQ 3 months ago. What was right away apparent to me was that Rudis guitar had a near perfect sound: Well tempered and bright as a bell.

    Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery (Molotow Sky Bar, Hamburg, 19.12.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

    The Sky Bar was almost full, as much as Carla Blow they got a warm reception up to and including some dancing upfront.

    The further they went into the set the more they added: First a trumpet, then a keyboard and finally a 2nd guitar player.

    And that song, with 7 people on the tiny stage of the Sky Bar, then produced my personal highlight of the evening: No clue what the name of the song was but it was a near perfect mexican desert surf/western song of slower sorts – stretched out to i guess 7 minutes.

    Wow – i did not expect this, given the Racoonery is made out of musicans with a much harder background.

    If that one, in that form, is on record – bring it on, i’ll buy it straight away.

    Edit: Rudi tipped me off after the show, it is this song:

    The live version on this evening though outclassed the recorded version by far! Still, i guess i need to buy that record now. Promises, Promises.

    Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery (Molotow Sky Bar, Hamburg, 19.12.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

    For the grand finale they added just another guest from a sunny land up north:

    An old Ebba Grön classic from 1979, a song that Tanu claimed to have DJ’ed at 03:00 in the morning during the wedding party of the guest who entered the stage. And a song every Swede can sing to, apparently.

    Here is the original:

    They played for much more than an hour and really managed to entertain the crowd.

    I left as happy lad as i got live music, got something new and got entertained. Now i only have to finish work on Friday, turn to my loved ones for Christmas and jump with me love into the car up north.

    Done & Happy, thanks to all bands seen this year.

    And Tanu? Also has a christmas wish:

  • … the return of boozing and dancing in front of the stage – don’t let it stop here!

    … the return of boozing and dancing in front of the stage – don’t let it stop here!

    It has been a while (since i attended a show standing) and it took a while until our local government set the new rules under a higher (but not high enough) vaccination quota. And then it took a while for clubs, regulars and bands to get their head around it and come to a conclusion.

    The Molotow decided for 2G, specifically as their backyards counts as “outdoor” and thus allowed for standing, drinking and … no masks. The only funny (or odd, if you will) item was that i could stand unconstrained with the lot in front of the stage but should we be in need of a pee we had to wear a mask, as the loo is indoors. But an easy price to pay for that time travel back almost two years!

    First on THIAVV, who are not really from my circuit but in their little corner of the mu-sick-al universe are treated as hot shit. I have seen all bands they originate from (Plastic Propaganda, Cavity/Search, Violent Instinct) and was surprised that THIAVV is not just a blend of everything but something unique (though like fallen out of time, eg. straight from 1985).

    What did i get? Pounding drums managed by the Animal. A driving bass with almost feminine vocals exercised by the towering Pablo Boredom. And across all of that an overtone of high pitched flirting guitar, i guess full of effects, delivered by Julian Human Capital.

    See for yerself how it looked and sounded:

    They came together in 2017, took stage in early 2020 with the intend to go strong … and got cut short by Covid. As they did not give in, they seem to be earnest with what they are doing and continued to practice and get new songs under their belt.

    It is not exactly what i look for in mu-sick but as ever i do recognize effort and determination and for that they got my applause. Their little niche is a niche that i avoided post punk, whilst others took that path i took on H/C rather.

    THIAVV (Molotow, Hamburg, 21.09.2021 (c) gehkacken.de 2021)

    They played a crisp set, did not wander off into endless soundscapes and by the looks of it they had fun. I guess as much fun as the audience in front of the stage, where everyone enjoyed live mu-sick with maskless walking around, direct social interaction and drinking – be it booze or not.

    On came the headliners and local heroes Spitfire Stevens. They still are at odds with a single mu-sick-al cupboard, the best i ever heard is that Luke and his vocals stretch them between Ian Curtis dark room and GG Allins hate chamber. Indeed – he is a kind of a personality. By the way one of the most charming and positive persons around and the only one i know that can do the gum-knee-dance.

    Spitfire Stevens (Molotow, Hamburg, 21.09.2021 (c) gehkacken.de 2021)

    They delivered all of their spread: From slow, post-punk and Joy Division like all they way to short crisp snotty punk smashers. Here is a rather mellow song from their 2017 10″ (and you got to love them for their preferred vinyl format choice):

    They played much longer than i thought, though both myself and other noted a little bit of stretching within it. Where other bands go bang-bang-bang, they take their time and enjoy their breaks.

    Spitfire Stevens (Molotow, Hamburg, 21.09.2021 (c) gehkacken.de 2021)

    They had the audience anyway but given the circumstances the audience had an almost normal setting back and was thus super-duper happy. That said i would guess that for quite a while we will continue to enjoy local heroes rather than traveling bands, as touring across all the various patches of rules is almost impracticable.

    At the end both band and fans where happy and the net result could be seen scattered around the Molotw backyard tables …

    And whilst the first young folks entered the place for a Friday night out dancing to indie mu-sick the Oldpunk lot kept bragging, drinking and largely enjoying the evening.

    Many of the lot got ready to see Sixteen Again, Kücken, Sheep On A Tree and Razors the day after outdoor in the Harburg Harbor, i had to turn to a family thingy and had to let that opportunity go by. My hangover on Saturday anyway asked for a break though that little sun that started growing again on Friday did warm my day.

    Now i want more of these G2 gigs, it is the right way forward as far as i am concerned. Next Stop: Jam Today / Sixteen Again on the MS Hedi, who luckily also starts to set sail again. And, double lucky, the Hafenklang also is open again.

    Happiness.

  • … it’s a long way back to … Ramonescore!

    … it’s a long way back to … Ramonescore!

    The circuit already started to pick up again but i was enjoying a break away to Danish shores, so this slot was my first show since … 23.09.2020. 9 months without a seeing and feeling live mu-sick. Daunting. Devastating for both Clubs and Bands.

    But with vaccination picking up, numbers currently being rather down, the outdoor seated (and regulated) show has resurfaced and everybody is willing to put something up, provided the Club actually has access to an outdoor area (with my loveliest Club hasn’t, damn).

    This time round it was the Molotow and the reformed (and enlarged) Haermorrhoids that lured people towards the end of the Reeperbahn.

    Kick off was early, queuing was eager as it was first come first serves when it comes to front row seating. The support was taken by Notgemeinschaft Peter Pan, another local outfit. And just another band that could not really keep practicing during the pandemic situation.

    Notgemeinschaft Peter Pan (Molotow, Hamburg, 25.06.2021)

    Their approach to Punk Rock is neither 77, nor hardcore and also not humpta-humpta Deutschpunk. They rather work on the fringes of all of that, most of the time the later two. Paired with strong political lyrics and their neat ability of dual vocals (the drummer sings half of the songs) it came across not at all bad.

    They got good feedback but you could feel that both the audience was up for Ramonescore and they needed some time to get back into it.

    Next on The Haermorrhoids, the best band in the world (as one assured member in the audience kept on bragging). They exchanged they sturdy bass player for two new members: A new bass (almost as tall as the old one) and an additional guitar. So a fresh start into the post-pandemic circuit, hopefully also with fresh output – the long awaited 2nd long player.

    And the start was … like this:

    Hui, the addition of the 2nd guitar has strengthened their own wall of sound. I guess as they had to bring two new members on board they did rehearse a lot and thus sounded quite together, tight and almost perfect.

    The Haermorrhoids (Molotow, Hamburg, 25.06.2021)

    The only complaint i got to make is about stage attire and stage movements, it was all pretty much static and thus some of the energy of the songs got a bit lost. Specific the bass in the middle was almost shy, i guess it was the nervousness of the first show.

    The longer it went, the better it sound – specifically also for new songs. If they keep direction, if they keep pace and if they capitalize on the additional guitar then we are in for something mighty!

    The audience had much fun, plenty of booze and enjoyed it thoroughly. And as ever, the finish got me me loveliest song by them, now it is OVERDOSE as a four piece, cool.

    Great start into getting back onto and in front of a stage, little did i know that the beer quality in the Molotow Back Yard would lead to some headaches next morning. But their ain’t no headache that can’t be cured with … more beer next day. And that was waiting at the Knust, where we would be stopping next for … DeALL!