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.
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:
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.
