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Tag: Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery

  • … like in a Nashville smokehouse: Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery with The Sleeveens!

    … like in a Nashville smokehouse: Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery with The Sleeveens!

    Now thats a fun coincidence: I finished the mu-sick-al year with Tanju and his Racoonery and a wee bit late in February i got a kick-start into shows yet again with them.

    From set to set they seem to become more glued together, more defined and – in my head – more energetic.

    Down in the cellar of the Komet and for the support slot of The Sleeveens they choose a crisp, uptempo and to-the-point set.

    Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery (Komet, Hamburg, 21.01.2025 (c) gehkacken.de 2025)

    What they do might not be 100% down my mu-sick-all alley but their songs are full of little references, nuggets and just neat chords and harmonies. On top of a solid back line of drums, bass and guitar Tanju is giventhe ability to front, wander around with guitar and vocals.

    I got to admit though that this condensed form somewhat works best for me, for the surprisingly rather low number of folks on this friday around me it seemed to work too:

    Plenty of applause!

    Next The Sleeveens from Nashville, Tennessee. They got a critically acclaimed debut out on Dirtnap Records in 2024 and sport “77 dublin nashville punk rock & roll garage pop pub rock punk rock n roll milwaukee” in their references resp. stickers on their cupboard.

    Check it out here:

    Fun fact: The Sleeveens had dancing girls at the front (but did not give them regards).

    And this is how they kicked off:

    First impression:

    Very Unamerican (in terms of musical style). This is mainly fueled by the accent of Stef Murphy and i guess his own upbringing as a musician in Dublin (eg. with his Power Pop outfit The Subsoncis around 2000).

    Seeing an interview with Stef on the Internet (damn Internet, never forgets) it looks like he is also very self-aware and has a solid reflection on being a touring musician:

    It all sounds very glamorous, but the reality of
    being a touring musician – and Murphy and his band
    tour a considerable amount to stay financially afloat – is what
    he called “15 per cent glamorous and 85 per cent extremely hard work.” 

    “It puts a terrible strain on your family,” he says, nodding somberly.
    “My family are terribly supportive, but it’s very tough on
    your own mental health, and I find that particularly hard.”

    Irish Post 2015

    The Sleeveens (Komet, Hamburg, 21.01.2025 (c) gehkacken.de 2025)

    Their sound indeed varies between Power Pop, Pub Rock and early Punk and next to Stef’s voice (and vocals) it was the Bass (DeeDee Ramone style through and through, including downstroke galore) and the Drums (very precise and hard hitting behind a wall of hair) that made an impression.

    They rounded their set, about an hour long, off with two covers, one not very surprisingly from the mighty Undertones:

    Get Over You is sure thing a safe bet. Much better and surprisingly was the 2nd cover as an extra – a long forgotten 1980 gem by the Jim Carroll Band:

    Into that one specifically Stef put a lot of energy in – that was indeed a good selection and great cover version.

    Did i buy a record? No, i did not. But it was nevertheless an entertaining set and The Sleeveens are worth a listen.

    Is solid the word i am looking for?

    Besides that i was surrounded by friends, had chats and a beer or two and was a wee bit surprised that the smokehouse below the Komet was not full.

    It was Friday, what else do the kids need to come out?

    nb: Following the short stroll home the love of me live indeed complained that i smelled full of smoke – it is probably a Rock’n’Roll coolness thingy that the cellar under the Komet is a heavily used … smokehouse.

  • … 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:

  • … Krawall 3000 DIY: Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery at the Pretty Vacant HQ!

    … Krawall 3000 DIY: Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery at the Pretty Vacant HQ!

    Another DIY show at the Pretty Vacant HQ, this time with a young band from south of Hamburg and Tanju with his Racoonery, they missed the bill at the first one due to Covid.

    Büller Bü from Schneverdingen kicked off the early evening and it was their first show. Ever. And then facing largely – next to a home town contingent – a bunch of old farts that have seen it all. Twice. But luckily the Pretty Vacant HQ is all about low key, all about DIY and a chance for everybody.

    Else there would have never been a Krawall 2000.

    Büller Bü (Pretty Vacant HQ, Hamburg, 28.09.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

    For me they still have a long way to go, the drummer seemed more a liability than an asset and by and large they have not found their sound, their unique whatever that glues them together. Some of the songs did not work at all for me, some had actually well crafted elements (and worked best when i had my eyes closed).

    Not a surprise to the expert lot was their sole cover song, their name somewhat gave away that they have a liking for Hüsker Dü. They got friendly applause and support and i guess they where happy to have mastered the first ever gig.

    Next Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery, Tanju’s current vehicle for music. Some of my friends have been full of praise but also noted that it may not be down my mu-sick-al alley. But as the Racoonery is made up half by people i have trusted in the past, when it came to music, the venture did have some credit with me.

    Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery (Pretty Vacant HQ, Hamburg, 28.09.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

    What did i get? First and foremost Tanju, dressed like a Gentlemen that has fallen out of time, taking the lead. And Rudi, Michael and Malte as expert addition towards the creation of something that is indeed slightly different.

    The internet has it down like:

    [Tan]...was was called Gothic Soul, Glam Dub, weird indie folk, psychedelic freestyle, baroque pop, a total piece of art, a punk rock Van Morrison.
Tan would contradict it all. He is long enough in the game to know old school power pop to electronica, young enough to still have the urge and hunger to go out there and create something new.

And and on top this incarnation of the Recoonery has the sound much more bare bone, edgy and Rock'n'Roll (of the NYC dirty side), much more Power Pop and less Folk (though it still carries the more silent elements).

    How did it sound? It sounded like this:

    Within the set they also had a veritable hit: A steady single strong chord played by the band on top of a steady mechanical drumming – stretched out “forever” to allow Tanju to venture back/forth/up/down.

    That was a cool one (and damn, forgot to ask what the name of the song was). It sounded a wee bit like this old beauty out of Dutchistan:

    Ivy Green is considered to be one of the very first Dutch punk bands. Singer Tim Mullens wrote the song “I’m sure we’re gonna make it (Wap Shoo Wap)” in 1972. At the time he was only 14 years old. Living in the small town of Hazerswoude-Dorp he unknowingly created a proto-punk masterpiece using just one guitar chord (and a half).

It fitted the band perfectly and if it was a nod off the Ivy Green song than hats off to Tanju for the idea and delivery (and the sole Dutchie in the audience loved it!).
    Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery (Pretty Vacant HQ, Hamburg, 28.09.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

    At the end Tanju closed the set with a very personal, very heartbreaking song for a fellow old punk from Hamburg about to loose a long health battle. As many in audience know him, the chorus was carried on by the lot.

    Tan LeRacoon & Racoonery – Setlist (Pretty Vacant HQ, Hamburg, 28.09.2024 (c) gehkacken.de 2024)

    Whilst ending somewhat on a sad moment, it was another super friendly DIY showcase, another worthy effort that Eugen (congrats, Granddad) and Mike put together. Thanks for your efforts, outside the beaten track.

    Whilst some scooted over to the Hafenklang for more live mu-sick, i scooted home to have a final sundowner on the surprising away win of the mighty FCSP.

    All together – a grand day!