Last year i did miss the Get Lost! Fest due to work and other commitments and had to let go great stuff like “War goes on”, “Hex Dispensers” and specifically “The Kids”. This time round i made every effort to attend and any effort was worth it! What did surprise me over the 2 days was how many people from abroad made it down to Hamburg and somehow that made it feel a wee bit like an in-crowd meeting…or an alternative Reeperbahn Festival? Hamburgs SxSW? As a more or less regular visitor to the Hafenklang i felt almost like being in another city – attendees from Hamburg where out crowded i’d say!
Day 1 kicked off with Küken from Hamburg and they took me by surprise: A scent of wipers and great twin singing (in a literate sense). Well done and actually wasted as a starter!
Next on The Sheiks (who also double as Jack Oblivions backing band) with a rather typical US type of raunchy rock’n’roll – not too bad but not my thing.
Back upstairs ZHOD (Zentralheizung of Death) from Erfurt – pffff, do i like “Psychedelic Punk”? No i don’t, but at least they gave a good show and had a solid sound. 35 years ago i would have yelled “Hippy Shit” and applauded people who would boot or botle them off the stage … so i have grown up!
Back down Jack Oblivion (backed by The Sheiks) took stage and gave his dirty blues rock version. Some people like it, i like him as an entertainer but actually not too much for the sound. But again – he does what he does extremely good!
Upstairs again and one of the “Headliners” of the day – France’s answer to 70s UK/Irish (Good Vibrations!) Powerpoppunk. I did not know anything about them and need to confess that they have some great tunes but they where not able to get it across live as good as the songs are. Also two key factors kept them down: The drumming was bad and the bass way too loud. But the first band with a consistent stage appearance, something that i highly value! See and listen yourself below:
I think you get what i say was a miss, that night on that stage. But they do have something and maybe they work best on vinyl actually!
So Day 1 ended with The Audacity (from Fullerton, CA), who where claimed to be the hottest shit in SxSW 2013 and whom i did read below statement (which neatly turns me off):
Audacity is Orange County’s latest proof that California’s the place to be. This fresh-faced Fullerton four piece has roots that stretch back to elementary school. That sense of lifelong camaraderie comes across in their buoyant take on the classic power punk sound. Bouncy slacker pop is always an appropriate soundtrack for a warm West Coast spring night. Formed when they were only 14 years old, the members of Audacity connect with a musical lineage that stretches back about as far as their ages combined. The music invokes trails of Todd Rundgren’s A Wizard, A True Star, as well as the best work of the Modern Lovers. Twisting in those influences with geographic touchstones like the Descendents and the Adolescents, Audacity crafts tunes that trade in hooks and fun amidst a rush of volume and youthful enthusiasm. Deflowered and inspired by Anaheim’s Thee Makeout Party, Audacity are putting in the effort on the road to make a name for themselves. They’re asserting their place among power pop peers like Nobunny and Atlanta’s Gentleman Jesse and His Men. Audacity is evidence that suburban sprawl combined with a little sun and surf can make for fantastic results.
Frank – such grand words make me almost puke! To me they are a jack of all trades, blend in punk with pop and surf and provide a great time to the audience. And indeed the audience got going for the first time that day i’d say. They had a low light though, i generally find bands suspect that find it worth to mention that they love Jesus. But sound wise they had it all and where totaly tight and excellent together. See and listen for yerself (and do not get set off by the drunk ZHOD guy trying to tell us something):
That ended Day 1 and took me home late, but thanks to my loving wife i could enjoy a long sleep!
Day 2 started even earlier (with a boat ride on the MS Hedi that i needed to skip), would last longer and would bring the Get Lost! Fest II to a high that i did not expect. And go myself a neat hangover on Sunday – perfect!
Bikes are from Berlin and they play 60’s garage rock. To me a fitting start upstairs, not my type of music but as a musical outfit almost ok (but they can do more on the look!).
They where followed upstairs by Sunbather from Denmark (incl. a Hamburg based member) who did play the MS Hedi on the afternoon. Whops, first surprise – tight, fast and good sound! That did cheer me up and with quite some excitement i went downstairs to see the mighty Youth Avoiders from France.
If you ask me hey are hot shit. The only thing that sometimes turns me down is the singing style on some songs but overall i like them. Indeed! And thus here something to digest:
Yes – that was a blast! From that set on i knew i was in the right place for maximum enjoyment!
Next on upstairs a real gem and real surprise: 2 Italians with matching stage outfit (a plus, i can assure you) performing realy driving powerpop with just drums and guitar. Wow – i did not have that on the map at all!
And downstairs that was followed by real cool driving AC/DC type of rock – with all the show that goes with it. Great stage outfits (only the drummer failed), great stage personas and killer sound leaving no prisoners!
Boys and Girls, by then the audience was fully engaged, enthralled and on the right track.
Upstairs New Swears from Canada did show that they are entertainers but not necessarily a great band (at least not when drunk) but that did not stop the excitement of the day to just grow…
Protex from sunny Belfast where next and they are adored by all the young kids. Everybody seems to know “Don’t ring me up” and everybody was grossed by the old men rocking it out, eg. the drummer from Youth Avoiders eyed the drummer from Protex for all their set and smiled away at his abilities at a size and age he does not yet fathom. Wow. Soundwise they started like shite, they had some hickups and chords wrong but the longer they played the better they became. Wow – well done, though it has the odd annotation of only 2 original members being in the band…the audience loved them!
The final bit was delivered downstairs and it was cool to see The Marked Men setting up their gear in what felt like 10 minutes, little configuration and no soundcheck. They knew what to set their amps to and they know by heart how to play. And then they blasted the Hafenklang away. Totally. It was packed and people where jumping up and down left right and centre. A true class finishing of a true class event. Stunning!
And that ended that exercise. 14 bands, 2 days, one hangover. And a lot of smiling faces. I could not join the after show party as i had to make way home, i am a football coach in spare time and i had to coach a game on Sunday. Thanks so much for Wild Wax Shows and Hafenklang to put this on – the effort was worth it and it was a worthy event. Gimme more!