Hamburg Archive - Golden Glades

These are special times we are living in at the moment. Amidst all the crises, are we ready for an exuberant music festival? Is Europe’s biggest club festival, where the global music industry and fans from all over the world meet, still as good as it was before the pandemic and before Brexit? Can one drift through the numerous clubs and events without hesitation? Or is the festival in danger of becoming a super-spreader event like SXSW last spring?

To be honest, I had my doubts. But after a two-year break, it was about time to see all the friends and colleagues again. The Reeperbahn Festival usually is a great get-together. A good opportunity to make new contacts and get fresh input. And of course, to see live shows by artists you already know and appreciate, but also to discover newbies. So far, the festival has always provided pleasant surprises. What about #RBF 2022?

Naima Bock

Luckily, my train wasn’t running late, so I was able to catch London singer-songwriter Naima Bock, who performed at Festival Village in the early evening on Wednesday. Bock’s debut album „Giant Palm“ is not the usual folk-inspired songwriter affair. It contains expansive arrangements, jazzy moments and, of course, her Brazilian background. Over 30 musicians participated in the recording. Now for the live performance at the Reeperbahn Festival, everything is stripped down. High up on the stage above the counter of the local drinks company „Fritz Limo“ we see Naima Bock with her acoustic guitar, accompanied by violinist Oliver Hamilton. This strange setting alone did not work well with her soul-searching music. Furthermore it is disturbed by heavy beats blaring from the rollerblade disco just a stone’s throw away. The clash of sounds was very unfortunate for the conversational intimacy Naima Bock usually creates. Clearly, she deserves better than that.

Dana Gavanski

Fortunately, Dana Gavanski’s performance later in the evening was booked at a more suitable venue: the hallowed walls of the neoclassic St. Pauli church. Of course, the reverby sound can be quite a challenge for an electrified ensemble, but Gavanski and her band sounded excellent. I would even say it was the perfect ambience for her stunning voice and her idiosyncratic songwriting, which comes across as elegant and tender. And it is palpable, how everyone is enjoying it: how the band easily connects with the audience – smiles are all around. My friend Dino, who’s hearing Gavanski’s music for the very first time mentions the innovative British act Broadcast. If this is an influence, it’s one of many. During the set we get to hear two cover versions: The sentimental The Kinks composition “Strangers” plus King Crimson’s “I Talk To The Wind”. Both tracks fit seamlessly into Gavanski’s own work. The cozy gig ends after midnight and is already my highlight of this year’s Reeperbahn Festival. But there are three more days to go!

This 17^th edition of the Reeperbahn Festival is a pioneer in diversity and equality: 50% of the conference panels and 55% of the music line-up are female staffed. And it’s good seeing this positive change – even if the majority of the audience is still old and male, because that’s the music business, right? Anyway, there are 400 shows on and it’s impossible to see everything. Though some artists play two or even three shows. A good way to cope with it all is just to browse through the clubs, to go with the flow. The Reeperbahn Festival has very few established names in the line-up, it’s mainly for discovering new talents. But I have to confess: a lot of them don’t resonate with me. Some are simply trying too hard, others are just uninspired. A lot of it sounds and looks very much like coming straight out of the pop academy, made for the industry.

November Ultra

However, I was very relieved to discover at least one great artist on Thursday who I had never heard of before, but who seemed authentic and played a wonderfully intimate show at the plushy Imperial Theatre. She calls herself November Ultra, is hailing from Paris and sings soothing DIY lullabys with a soft voice and sparse instrumentation. Her performance started with a mini keyboard and from the very first second on, the audience was absolutely captivated by the tender melodies and overflowing emotions. In between songs the French artist was up for lovely banter, she made the audience laugh and animated to sing along. Although November Ultra only works with simple chords, her music came very close to the listener. A feeling that she conveys with her voice alone, so vulnerable and easy to relate to – it left a lasting impression on me and my friends.

Alex Lahey

Next up: Friday: The day-tickets were sold out and I feared that this means long queues outside the venues. The legendary Molotow was actually pretty packed when Alex Lahey played her solid indie-rock set at 5pm in the afternoon. This is the kind of event when you completely forget about time and space and just bob along with music. A lot of hair was shaken, a lot of hands in the air and wild applause when Lahey unexpectedly put away her guitar in exchange for a saxophone. She knew exactly what she was doing and where she was. At the end of the show she says, she loves playing music to people who love music. Adding, that everyone here is working. Well, yes: some of us are. But Alex Lahey made the most of it. Her live set was fun for everyone, working or not.

Kiwi Jr.

Later that night at the Molotow backyard, Kiwi Jr. played their very first show in Germany. I had this band from Toronto on my radar since they released their fantastic debut album “Football Money” in 2019. At first, the band seemed a little irritated, as if they didn’t quite know what to expect. Maybe because they had to take over the stage after an act that appealed to a completely different audience. Well, there was no need to worry about that. Kiwi Jr. had a couple of fans in the crowd happily dancing and singing along to the upbeat jangly indie rock tunes. They were just as fun and infectious as on record.

On the fourth day of the Reeperbahn Festival, a certain concert fatigue often sets in. I went to see a few gigs, but nothing really captivated me. Even so, it’s absolutely fine. I had my highlights with Dana Gavanski, Kiwi Jr. and November Ultra.

Now I’ve been back home for a few days and haven’t heard of a single case of Covid – phew! Brexit wasn’t an issue either, there were many artists from the UK performing in Hamburg. Almost everything was as good as it used to be. I am already looking forward to the sequel #RBF 2023. Early bird tickets are on sale here.

I have a lot of love for chiming guitars and music made in Scotland, particularly for Glasgow’s Teenage Fanclub. October 9th in 1990, I was one of nine people in the audience, when the band played their very first gig in Hamburg. A billboard sign outside the Motolow announced “Teenage Fanclub from England”. To make things clear, someone crossed out the term England and wrote Scotland in capital letters. It was a night to remember.

Techno & Tequila

Despite the small crowd, the performance was powerful, the sound quite raw and the hair pretty long(ish). After the show I went to a bar called Sparr and bumped into the crew of young Scotsmen again. Somehow, guitarist and singer Norman Blake spotted my English textbook and started talking to me. I explained to him I had a test in school early next morning and still need to learn some stuff. That night I definitely brushed up my English. But I missed the exam because me and my friend Sonja ended up hanging out with Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley for a few more hours.

There’s no curfew in Hamburg and we cruised up and down the legendary Reeperbahn. We drifted into pubs and bars, danced in a shady techno club, drank way too much tequila, had awful coffee in the morning and played a round of Trivial Pursuit in the tour van before parting ways around midday. At that point I had no idea, that Teenage Fanclub were about to produce some of the finest records ever and that I’d still be friends with them almost three decades later.

For some reason, Teenage Fanclub have never failed to deliver the quality. They proved to be a cherished constant in turbulent times, survived the ups and downs of the music biz, the era of grunge and Brit-pop by just carrying on doing their own thing. But the idea of celebrating the sublime years and reissues of Creation Records with a three-night concert series seemed very ambitious to me. Some songs never played live before had all to be learned from scratch. Furthermore the original drummers were invited to get back into action. Do they actually still know how to keep the tempo?

On top of all, it was announced that bass player, songwriter and vocalist Gerard Love is parting ways with the band right after this tour. It’s the end of an era, but not the end of Teenage Fanclub. However, there was no way I was going to miss this very last chance to hear the three distinct songwriters performing their irresistible, much loved harmonies.

Blow away the cobwebs

In retrospect, I’m glad I went to the three-night residency in Birmingham and not only to the London shows. The O2 Institute in Birmingham was a mid-sized venue, packed with devoted fans from all over the world and offered a more intimate environment compared to London. The first night was all about Bandwangonesque (1991) and Thirteen (1993) They played both complete albums in the original order, only interrupted for a small break between sets. And when Teenage Fanclub kicked off with The Concept, the magic happened: hearing the spirit of 1991 is like receiving the holy grail. It’s an overwhelming feeling, a throwback into youth and not only a thing of nostalgia: the band sounded better than ever.

Also, it was a joy to see the original drummer from the early years, Brendan O’Hare. He may not be the most formidable percussionist, but he created a great sense of fun and played an unexpected role during this series of concerts. I suppose I wasn’t the only one who went to these shows with mixed feelings. There was a delicate sense of uneasiness in the air knowing Gerard will soon separate from the band for good. Whenever things turned a bit awkward, Brendan had a charming way to deal with it. Like when a small crowd on night two in Birmingham kept singing a slightly annoying version of Haddaways What Is Love for the soon departing Mr. Love, Brendan saved the situation by stepping on stage, frankly saying: “On behalf of the band – shut the fuck up!”.

Goosebumps

Night number two was all about Grand Prix (1995) and Songs From Northern Britain (1997) and presented the most successful episode of Teenage Fanclub’s back catalogue. Here, we had Paul Quinn back on the drums. He delivered a tight backbone to the songs and enjoyed playing along with his old pals again. But I wondered what it’s like for Francis, having to clear his seat most of the time for Brendan and Paul. Francis MacDonald nearly disappeared in the back behind a pile of instruments and almost secretly added whatever was needed. He filled all gaps by playing along and singing harmonies and showed he’s a pretty versatile all-rounder.

Just like Dave McGowan, who also added some salt into the mix and necessary extras to the sound of Teenage Fanclub. It’s obvious, how much he enjoys playing with this band and how he’s eventually stepping away from acting just in the background.

Hearing the third and final night in Birmingham for me was probably most exciting. I always thought Howdy! (2000) was a hidden gem. Plus, I had no idea what to expect in the second part filled with numerous B-sides. Some surprises and highlights were played and a very emotional moment happened in the end while the band performed the mantra-like ballad Broken – the audience joined in and kept singing on while the music slowly faded out. Just the right amount of goosebumps.

London vs. Birmingham

The three nights in London were magnificent as well, but the huge Electric Ballroom (capacity 1500) was tightly packed and the sound system appeared a bit dodgy. I found myself squeezed in between tall guys who wholeheartedly sang along all the while. They knew every word and had strong voices – I didn’t hear much of the singing coming from stage. Which was fine, really. Another special thing about these Teenage Fanclub shows is seeing, how dedicated and devoted the fans are. There was happiness and passion all around and many broad smiles. The enthusiasm seemed unlimited.

The Fanclub-way

While Birmingham had a cover version of Madonna’s Like A Virgin, the London show was finished off with their debut single Everything Flows. And yes, it’s not really a song from their Creations catalogue but it made perfect sense. Choosing this anthem-like tune as a farewell and presenting it in a “charismatic, shambolic Fanclub-way” (to quote Brendan here) seemed appropriate in the context of the event.

Visiting these shows, was a joyous, intense experience. I’ve seen this band countless times in many different stages and cities. But hearing some songs for the first time live was remarkable. It showed again, how much good this music evokes. And that there’s so much more incredible stuff in the Teenage Fanclub back-catalogue. Sidewinder, a song with Brendan on vocals was a true highlight. I had this song in my head for many days. Norman Blake’s very stripped-down acoustic performance of If I Never See You Again was sublime and emotionally resonant. Furthermore, Thaw Me and My Uptight Life by Raymond McGinley were stellar and left a lasting impression on me. I’d love to hear these songs again in the future, when they carry on without Gerard Love. Of course, Gerry’s presence and songs will be deepy missed. But after all, Teenage Fanclub life goes on! For next year, the band announced plenty of tour dates for Asia, Australia, North America and Europe. All German dates in April are supported by my beloved radio station ByteFM. See you there?!

4th December 2018

Schlagwort: Hamburg

Reeperbahn Festival 2022