Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Review: Low

I bought my ticket for this well in advance and I sort of had really high expectations. I'd say they are one of my favorite (still existing) bands and when I saw Low once a while ago they were good. I think they were even better this time!
Lido concerts start quite early most times which was okay to me that evening after a hot sunny day of riding bike and swimming. The support band Dark Dark Dark couldn't play because they were stuck in traffic somewhere (did I get "in India" right?) but I didn't want so see them anyway, so that was a good thing.
We entered a pretty well filled Lido at about 9.30pm just before Low came on stage. At first they had to announce some "technical things", due to the support band not playing, they decided to split their gig up in two sets, which was a really good decision. I had a superb view because I managed to get hold of a spot on the steps at the front. Nice.
Low started with some newer songs and they mostly played songs from their latest three records. I wouldn't have expected so many songs from The Great Destroyer and although I would say this is my least favorite Low album, they worked well live. The band was in a good mood and the sound was good, too. So they played their way through the first set, then left the stage for a break and me wondering if they could keep up with the second half.
Their second set started with some guy of the audience climbing on stage and wanting to announce something. He started complimenting Low for being an awesome band (certainly right about that) and then asked his girlfriend to marry him. Luckily this cheesy instant passed quickly and Low continued playing. They kept on being awesome and played a few older songs, too. Towards the end they got more and more chatty and fooled around with the audience. After finishing up they played a nice encore and probably left the most part of the audience sweaty and happy at the same time. At least that's true for me.

Sunday, 29 May 2011

date

A picture from our date last night. J. to the left, c* to the right. (© J Outpt)
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Review: Abe Vigoda + Idiot Glee

This could have turned out to be a disastrous night. At least we were worried that that was going to be the case when we arrived at West Germany at 10pm and the place was deserted. I cannot remember when I last saw West Germany this empty. Was it because Parts & Labor were playing at a different venue or because all of Berlin had flocked to Primavera? We don't know but I really did think this was going to be packed and that Abe Vigoda was one of those groups that drew a set crowd that would always show up at their gigs.

We were just digesting this information when Idiot Glee started playing. I think at this point there were less than 30 people in the room. But I'm not particularly good at guessing volume related figures. It was a shame so few people had bothered to show up for Idiot Glee. Over the past week his songs have guided me nicely through some stressful and lovesick days, lifting my spirits. His songs are pop tunes that are melancholic but positive and uplifting at the same time. Granted, live it's just one person with a keyboard-type machine (I know nothing about musical equipment but noticed that he was inserting little cartridges into the machine before each song). There is not a great show or anything energetic going on (he could maybe benefit from some projections or someone singing with him). But the music alone should suffice with this one, really. Pop pearls the way they are lacking on the music scene a little lately. And despite the very small crowd, Idiot Glee played a surprisingly long set. It felt a little like a band rehearsal with audience.

God knows where they suddenly all appeared from but when Abe Vigoda came onstage not very much longer, the crowd had tripled. Odd. Abe Vigoda played their two disco hits first and even though I was slightly irritated by this (why the best at the start?) this looked more like a calculated move. To start with the craze girl and another few people jigged but very quickly, everyone got into the dancing spirit. Which lasted until the very end. The atmosphere was just great. And musically, this is the best I've seen Abe Vigoda so far, or maybe the only time they have fully convinced me live. The sound was great, the songs fantastic as ever, the spirit carried across nicely. And when technical problems didn't let them play the last song on their setlist, the band just went into another song without hesitation. Nothing could spoil this evening!

Abe Abe Abe Vigoda. I admit I am a fan anyway but this was a great gig and a sweet date with J. It was also one of the nerdiest evenings out I have spent in a while. The audience looked nerdy. Idiot Glee looked nerdy. Only music nerds seemed to have bothered to show up. I loved it.





Friday, 27 May 2011

Preview: the week ahead (30th May - 5th June)

The weather has been weird and temperamental lately. It looks as if the same applies to the event calendar. While we had almost too much in the calendar the past few weeks, it's scarcely filled this week. But those events that are in there, are close to our heart:

Monday
Low at Lido: On the outset it looks like an odd venue for Low. However, I saw The Album Leaf play Lido last year and it worked surprisingly well. So maybe this will work after all. And presumably, die-hard fans of Low will not mind where they see their favourite geniuses perform slow and minimalist, mesmerising tunes. Go early and try and grab a spot where you can at least lean although sitting would be preferred to truly appreciate Low's music.
The Black Heart Procession at Heimathafen: This is a tough decision if there ever was one concerning evening entertainment. Low and The Black Heart Procession definitely appeal to the same crowd. And according to the posters around town, this is going to be a "special stripped down show". I am not sure what this means en detail, but I imagine more saw playing, more quiet melancholic songs maybe. I am very tempted personally, especially since 1 will forever be one of my favourite albums of all time. A work of pure genius created by a host of geniuses. And this is a must if you have never seen them before. Simple as that.


Saturday
Erich Mühsam reading + concert at Mehringhoftheater: This is of course not a gig in the traditional sense, but you know, we like to keep things special here. Erich Mühsam was an anarchist and poet and you should definitely check out his writings if you are not already familiar with them. Every now and so often authors and musicians get together and organise events in his honour. This one is taking place as part of the Linke Buchtage Berlin in the facilities of the Mehringhof. This is a literature festival that I try to attend every year and is a treasure to have (meet me at the talk on Riot Grrls, too). Among the artists involved with the Erich Mühsam event are Frank Spilker, Manuel Schwiers & DJ Patex. Find more information here.
Digger Barnes and Pencil Quincy at Bei Roy: The Diamond Road Show is a mixed media performance of Hamburg based graphic designer and painter Pencil Quincy and Digger Barnes. Digger Barnes provides his folky acoustic guitar songs and Pencil Quincy projects a self built and live altered miniature trick film thing. It looks great and fits so well to the music that this won't be your standard folk singer songwriter experience but probably a lot cooler. Check out the video to get the impression:




Sunday
Crystal Stilts and Blank Dog at Festsaal Kreuzberg: So far, Crystal Stilts have played at the former Bang Bang Club. This time, they are moving to the larger Festsaal and thus exploring new territory. Crystal Stilts are an absolute favourite of mine of recent years and I am actually really looking forward to this because somehow I think they can pull it off. Come out and dance with me to fuzzy post indie pop pearls from Brooklyn. Also good for a first date I reckon. Yum.
Tune-Yards at Magnet: Ooooh, but oh my, Tune-Yards is playing the same night. Berlin booking agents, as much as I love you all, why do you always have to make it so hard for me?? Tune-Yards is a lady who will give you one of the most impressive live performances of your life. No kidding. She samples herself, building songs live as she goes along. It somehow reminds you of African singing just as much as of street music and all the while it's a very pop and rhythmic affair and wonderful to dance to. And that voice! If you have seen her before, you'll have a tough time deciding, like me, but if you haven't seen her before, the choice should be clear - this will be the one for you.

Thursday, 26 May 2011

Chain chain chain

I've reserved my tickets for Chain And The Gang today. Cannot wait, cannot wait. Let me hear you all say "YEAH".

Review: Thee Oh Sees

Oh wow! Just oh wow!

Once again, there was too much going on in Berlin on a single night. For me, the question was Marie-Antoinette or West Germany? Eric Copeland and Prince Rama or Thee Oh Sees? A friend who called decided it for me. With a date and no expectations whatsoever I made my way to West Germany, passing by Festsaal and people who were there to see Anika (see J.'s review).

When you hang out at the same venues a lot, you sort of get to know most faces that attend every event the way you do. And you notice the unfamiliar ones. When I arrived at the packed venue, I immediately noticed a couple of heavily tatooed guys that I had never seen before and that looked different to the rest of the crowd and very interesting to me. They turned out to be 50% of Thee Oh Sees. I didn't give it much more thought until the band hit the stage later on and I made the connection. But it underlines the charisma of this group. 

I missed most of Admiral Black and what I heard didn't sound like I would get into it too much, it being too much standard rock for me. But from what I gathered some people were into it.

Let's have another one of those moments of honesty at this stage. For the first couple of songs I wasn't getting into Thee Oh Sees really. It kind of sounded like ordinary garage rock and I couldn't figure out what the fuss was about. But wow, each song that the band played it got better and better. By the time we got half-way through the set the entire room was dancing. And sweating. I don't think it's ever been this hot at West Germany. And I'm sure this helped the overall atmosphere, in an uncomfortable way. Thee Oh Sees played the 60s influenced stripped down garage songs with such a power and furiousity, it was so very wild. The band didn't go crazy on stage or anything, the high-pitched singing wasn't ferocious, it was simply the music carrying a power I have not experienced in this way before. And pair this with a very hot sweaty room in which everyone is dancing and what you get is a wild party. 
I stood on a beer crate to see anything. Being small in a full venue limits your view somehow.

I left before an encore, finally needing fresh air, and before parts of the ceiling were falling down. I got a chill outside in the breeze with my wet clothes on. It felt as if I'd just been thrown this very hot moment, just to be dipped into a bucket of ice straight after. On my way home I tried to remember how all of this came about being such a crazy evening in the end. But I couldn't remember. It must have been the magic of Thee Oh Sees.


Wednesday, 25 May 2011

Review: Anika

I was so looking forward to this one because I like their record so much. And I didn't get disappointed.
Anika is sort of the new project from members of BEAK> (if you don't know them give them a try, they are so great!) and produced by Geoff Barrow from Portishead (who also plays in BEAK>). They play a minimalistic mixture of dubby bass lines, simple but rhythmic drums and unobtrusive guitars and synthies. This works well combined with Anika's vocals, which you can't help but compare to Nico from the Velvet Underground.
I was curious how they would do live and definitely wanted to see them, since this is one of my lately most played records. We arrived at Festsaal Kreuzberg when the support band already was playing. I just watched them for two songs, it wasn't my cup of tea so I waited outside until Anika was up next.

Anika started a bit weak, the sound wasn't all that great at the beginning and they all seemed a bit uncertain and nervous. But that got already better after two songs and throughout the whole set, especially after I went up to the gallery because I couldn't stand the people in front of me talking all the time any more. Anika didn't do much besides playing their songs. There was no audience interaction whatsoever (one time I thought there was a faint smile but that was it) and they, especially Anika herself, managed to create a cool and distant atmosphere which fit the music and songs very well.
Apart from the songs from their debut record, they played about three or four new songs, including a great cover of Nirvana's Love Buzz.
They ended their set like they played the whole concert and just went off stage after finishing the last song without saying anything. I loved that they didn't play an encore despite people clapping and demanding one and left happy.

Monday, 23 May 2011

AIDS Wolf aaaaahhhhh

I am excited. AIDS Wolf are finally hitting Berlin in July. We were so disappointed when they cancelled the last tour. This is going to rule!

Watch a fun video about a failed video attempt by the band here. And watch the live experience that we are looking forward to here:

Review: Thank You + Skeleton$

Oh brother, this event seems ages ago now that I write it. But it was so good, and it will go in my Best of 2011 list, that I wanted to put a lot of attention to detail in the review. As a result, I put it off until now. But here goes.

Basically, before arriving at the venue I felt indifferent about the gig. I had had such a hard time deciding whether to attend Stanley Brinks, Austin Lucas or indeed Thank You & Skeleton$ that night. So by the time the decision had been made for this gig it was for reasons other than believing it was going to be the best event musically of the three. It was for wanting to show my boyfriend West Germany, for wanting to hang out with friends that I knew would be there and for its close proximity to my home. 

We had made the best choice ever when we climbed the staircase to West Germany!

Not knowing too much about Skeleton$, I was given a very positive surprise from the moment they played. And I think I wasn't the only one. The music was so danceable yet so distinct, with many rhythmic changes and unexpected turns within songs. The band was likeable and the atmosphere between audience and band just right. And the group was loved so much that when they were already dismantling their stage set up, having played an encore, people clapped and shouted until the band plugged back in and played another song. Oh boy, oh how we danced! 

Now I was worried. What if Thank You couldn't live up to this? Wouldn't that be possible? Heck no! They moved people just as much. They were just as much fun. Their music was just as great. The trio impressed with very rhythmic but also at times jazzy drumming and an array of soundscapes to go with it. Yes, we danced. And yes, we also didn't want this band to stop playing.

Maybe I favoured Skeleton$ just a tad but I would highly recommend you check out both bands if you are not already familiar with their work. I really wanted to make this a special review but really, words fail me. A perfect evening, simple as that.


Sunday, 22 May 2011

Preview: the week ahead (23th-29th May)

Oh brother, are we busy enough? Not only is the weather way too nice to sit at home and do chores but the event offering this week is so ridiculously good that you will most likely not find us at home at all. Meet us around town dancing to some experimental music or other!
(BTW: you realise that J. and c* write the previews together, right?)

Tuesday
Anika at Festsaal Kreuzberg: I'm seriously looking forward to this since Anika's debut LP is one of my most frequently played records lately. Think of Beak> with Nico from the Velvet Underground singing. Dubby bass lines, minimalistic drums, I think this is going to be great!
Thee Oh Sees and Admiral Black at West-Germany: Thee Oh Sees play lo-fi stripped down rhythmic garage rock and are well worth your attention. Check out the video to Block Of Ice, which gives you good idea of the band's work. It's a tough one because as a Black Dice fan I wouldn't want to miss Mr Copeland but Thee Oh Sees have been on my horizon for a while.
Eric Copeland and Prince Rama at Marie-Antoinette: Eric Copeland of Black Dice fame is going solo on this tour. Highly experimental yet accessible, he is using his electronic equipment to perform rhythmic abstract dreamlike songs, heavily laden with samples. An experience. Prince Rama on the other hand use analog equipment as well as pushing buttons. Psychedelic and definitely for fans of Pocahaunted et al. I've been meaning to watch this group last time they were over but missed them because of overbooking in Berlin that night. Mabe this week will be the time for me to sway to Prince Rama.

Friday
Float Riverer and Turn to Crime at bei Roy: Float Riverer are fun. They're a duo from the UK playing "gnarled, catchy-as-a-cold garage punk hits." Somehow that describes it well, watch the video to get the idea. Turn to Crime from Michigan play something like experimental and dark noisy wave stuff. Hard to describe, listen to them, they've got lots of stuff on their website.


Saturday
Abe Vigoda and Idiot Glee at West-Germany: You all know I'm excited about this one, right? And you've read my previous Abe Vigoda reviews, right? And would you know it, but I'm actually also looking forward to Idiot Glee, a one-man project from Kentucky, combining traditional folk music with modern singer-songwriter style. I like. Let's just be there early as I expect it to get full. And let's dance to one of the best bands around at the moment. Cannot wait!

Sunday (Also known as Experimental Sunday at the Craze offices)
Matmos and John Wiese at HAU: Talking about an amazing combination for fans of experimental and ground-breaking music! What an evening ahead! I have no idea whether this is sold out or not but if you are into drone noise à la Sunn O))) (Mr Wiese has done a lot of work with the band) and into experimental electronic music (Matmos) and if you need to brush up on your music history lessons, go to this and be amazed.
Nisennenmondai at Festsaal Kreuzberg: The craze girl, however, will be at Festsaal, dancing to Japanese girls playing experimental guitar music, at times noisy, at times jazzy. Oh yeah! This is going to rock and is a must. Just trust me on this one.
 

Friday, 20 May 2011

Review: Ty Segall, again

I swear, for some reason there are more tall people attending shows at West Germany than anywhere else. And I can understand that a tall boyfriend wants to stand with his petite girlfriend but brother, does it always have to be right in front of me? 

Ty Segall: "What the heck, it's not everyday we are in Berlin" 
Audience member: "Scheiß auf Berlin!"

Anyway, this gig was almost like the months between the last time Ty Segall played at WG and this time hadn't passed. It was a fluent continuation of energy from the last performance. And if you read my previous review you get a pretty good idea what I am talking about. The only differences, and they were all positive, were as follows: less metal covers, even more rock'n'roll and more sweat. Alright! And when Mr Segall (think Jack White but with blonde hair and way more sexy) followed suit to the audience's request to play the Strange Boys' "Be Brave" as an encore, you could literally feel people's bliss as a perfect rock'n'roll evening came to an end.

Mr Segall & friends: you are always welcome in this town. There are not many artists that get this town dancing with frenzy the way that you do.


Thursday, 19 May 2011

Review: Akron/Family + Kurt Vile & The Violators

OK, so neither bands are necessarily anybody's cup of tea. My partner in crime this evening appreciated the first act and couldn't stand the second. I felt the other way round. So what was it all about?

Well, Kurt Vile and his band of Violators play indie pop. Simple as that. And I got bored. But I did like the Bruce Springsteen cover three quarters through the set and the gig improved from there. Kurt Vile definitely finished on a high. Top marks for naming the band The Violators, which sounds like a '77 punk band but was actually long haired boys who are either hippies or devoted to metal. It was hard to tell really. 

Akron/Family do a weird thing which borders on to a cult. They are very hard to categorise because they switch genres numerous times within songs but overall, they are dancy with many beat changes and unusual lyrics. The two guys upfront (the drummer falls somewhat to the back even though he is well worth watching!) interacted heavily with the audience, going on and off stage into the crowd on several occasions. And people danced and went wild, almost trance-like. It was surreal and fun to watch and made you move. And I liked that I got the impression that the band themselves weren't taking themselves too seriously. But I might be wrong on this one. Either way, I can see why this would not appeal to many people. And indeed, Festsaal was half-empty when I left, happy to have witnessed the experience that is Akron/Family.


Quick review: Mile Me Deaf

First of all let me say that I love performances at Bis Aufs Messer. Be it readings or gigs they have an excellent taste in choosing the performing artists, the gigs are usually early and with a wonderful personal atmosphere and to top it all you can look at art while listening. 

This one was special because not only was the venue right for the artist but the artist right for the venue. A match made in heaven. The audience was appreciative, the artist in touch with the audience. And the music of one-man-project Mile Me Deaf is just wonderful. It all sounds kind of improvised but given that he has released a record we know that it is not. He uses some electronic equipment and pairs this with a fuzzy guitar to create pop lo-fi pop songs that you can only like. We went away with a 7" in tow and happy faces. 

Because we arrived late and just squeezed in, we didn't take any pictures. Please forgive us!

Review: Forgetters + Witches

Yes, you may have noticed: I am running awefully late with things. Jetlag has given me a hard time adjusting my body to my Berlin life and getting myself organised in my usual manner. So a matinée show suited me very well, thank you.

With the beautiful weather and the special atmosphere at Schokoladen, I almost didn't care about the bands when I arrived at the venue. It was simply a beautiful afternoon spent with friends. A few people were attending this show that I would usually not meet at gigs these days. That's because Jawbreaker holds a special place in many music lovers' hearts and many of us got excited when the news broke that Blake Schwarzenbach was going to play in town with his new band. I personally also loved Jets To Brazil and therefore had high hopes that this was going to be another strike of genius from Mr Schwarzenbach. I was not going to be disappointed.

When searching Witches (Band) on Google you get 5,180,000 results referring to bands of all genres across the globe. However, this Witches is neither a death metal band nor some Irish folk. The band plays fuzzy indie pop that pleases. It's not exactly my cup of tea but well done nonetheless.

I admit that I was simply attending this gig for Forgetters and that was just fine. And needless to say: if you were a fan of Jawbreaker or Jets To Brazil then you will like Forgetters. All three bands share a very similar sound, that familiar voice and the wonderful lyrics of Mr. S, possibly one of my favourite lyricists of all time. From the word go the audience was dancing and jigging and the band went along with it. They joked with the crowd. And with the sunshine peering in through the large front windows at Schokoladen the atmosphere was second to none.

I left happy and content in knowing that some people just don't lose it. This was some Sunday afternoon!


Wednesday, 18 May 2011

Monday, 16 May 2011

Preview: the week ahead (16th-22nd May)

Looking at the calendar, the upcoming week is another busy one. But we are not too excited about a lot that's going on. Here are our top picks this week. Meet you at West Germany, ja?

Wednesay
Japanther at West-Germany: Japanther return to West-Germany again. This is going to be packed, hot and most probably very good. If you haven't seen Japanther live, do it! If you've already seen them live you'll probably go there anyway. Check out our review from last time, too.

Thursday
Evening Hymns , Mimas and Vessels and at Levee: I don't really know Mimas and Vessels but would consider going here to watch Evening Hymns. If you are into some smooth Indie Folk stuff you might like them. Mimas play more poppy Indie music and Vessel sound like experimental postrock.
Ty Segall at West Germany: Another night at West Germany, another act we watched here not too long ago. Ty Segall surprised us last time and we are excited to party to this again. Highly recommended.



Friday
Trophy Wife, Ex Best Friends and Rat Rat Rats at bei Roy: Trophy Wife is a duo from Philadelphia. They play heavy and fast noise rock and are touring Europe for the first time now. Supports are Ex Best Friends and Rat Rat Rats, both from Berlin.

Saturday
Gang Gang Dance at HAU: 4AD is one of those labels that get it right a lot of the time and Gang Gang Dance is another fine example. This group from New York manages to combine post rock and wavey dance music better than a lot of their peers. This may sound wild but at times (e.g. their song First Communion) they remind me of a mix between Pttrns, Sleater Kinney and Battles. Know what I'm sayin'.
See a great video of a Gang Gang Dance performance when you click this link.

Saturday, 14 May 2011

Review: The Fall

When I found out just about a week or so ago that The Fall are playing Berlin, I was pretty excited. I never saw them before, so the decision between at least three other concerts I'd also wanted to see that day wasn't that hard to make. Turned out this was more like The Fail for me…
We arrived at Maria about ten and after a look at the time table, saying that The Fall are supposed to play not until after midnight, we decided to hang out at the nearby Köpi for a while. This turned out to be a seriously great idea. We stumbled in a so called "Freak Show", which was some sort of one man comedy stunt show. It was really fun to watch the guy poke nails in his nose, "swallow" a huge balloon and just being a great entertainer.
Shortly before midnight we returned to Maria. We gladly missed all the support acts I didn't want to see anyway and came in time for some nice visuals and cut and paste bastard noise pop DJ-stuff. I sort of liked it but a lot of people were already boo-ing and shouting for The Fall to play, which was really annoying. I'm not going to describe what music they play and just suppose you know what I'm talking about here. Otherwise shame on you.


The Fall came on stage and began to play what was to me for most parts a boring rock show. If there hasn't been Mark E. Smith, whom I actually found great on stage, this could have been just any rock band. The sound was ridiculously "fat" and I thought it didn't fit most of their songs. My highlight was when Mark E. Smith turned the guitarist's amp down, resulting in a song nearly completely without guitar and the guitar player looking nervous and uncomfortable and seemingly not knowing what was going on. And I liked the songs from their latest record, from which they didn't play that many. In the end they played a bit over an hour and I wasn't mad when they finally stopped.
Maybe my expectations where too high for this, but unfortunately I left disappointed and regretting not to have decided to see one of the numerous other shows I had liked to see this evening.

Wednesday, 11 May 2011

Stanley Brinks and Feschard this Sunday

For some reason, please don't ask as I don't know the answer to this, we have missed this Sunday's Stanley Brinks and The Kaniks + Freschard gig in the calendar. Well it's on and this girl is excited. But the gruelling question must be: Austin Lucas or Stanley Brinks?? You'll find out from my review on Monday. Here are a couple of links to help you decide:



Monday, 9 May 2011

Preview: the week ahead (9th-15th May)

Oh brother! Where to go, what to do? There is too much choice in this bloody town.

Monday
Handsome Furs and Basketball at West Germany: Handsome Furs are a Canadian two-piece who play wavey pop you may have listened to in the 80s. It's not new but good actually and I'm looking forward to it.

Tuesday
Golden Diskó Ship and Qa'a at bei Roy: Golden Diskó Ship plays singer songwriter music in the broadest sense. She uses guitar, voice, found objects, toy instruments and computer beats to create an interesting mix between experimental music and conventional song structures. Qa'a from Barcelona play rhythmic and psychedelic free folk stuff. They sound good!

Wednesday
Akron Family and Kurt Vile at Festsaal Kreuzberg: Experimental music that's darn hard to describe but basically, it's a bit of anything goes in a dream landscape setting to which you will dance. Sounds wild? Well, yes. Also, Kurt Vile will melt your hearts with his 60s style psychedelic songwriter tunes. Meet the craze girl at Festsaal.

Thursday
Dead Western and SchnAAk at Raum 20: This is going to be the release show for SchnAAk's first full length record. They play experimental guitar noise rock and they're really fun to watch! Also Dead Western is playing Berlin again. He does singer songwriter music with just guitar and his really unique deep and somewhat creepy voice. Go see him, he's amazing live!


The Fall at Maria am Ostbahnhof: Maria is closing down and The Fall are playing. Not much more to say about that I guess.

Fettkakao Label Night at Schokoladen (feat.: Sex Jams, A Thousand Fuegos, Plaided, Stefanie Sourial): Fettkakao is a totally loveable record label from Vienna and they're having a Fettkakao Label Night on this busy Thursday. I'm sure this is going to be nice! But this won't make the decision where to go on that evening any easier.

Times New Viking at Marie-Antoinette: Fuzzy guitars the way the craze girl appreciates them. They've visited Berlin before and have made people smile and if you haven't gone to on of their gigs before I do recommend this to you.

Friday
Witches and Sissters at bei Roy: If you missed Witches when they played with Forgetters you may want to give bei Roy a visit this Friday. Oh and Sissters are playing, too!

Saturday
Za! and Hai Noon and Krapoola at Raum 20: Another record release at Raum 20, this time Za! from Barcelona are celebrating the release of their latest album. They play crazy weird rhythmic and groovy noise rock. Hai Noon from Berlin will support them that night. They play more harsh noise rock, think of a mixture between Lighting Bolt and noisy Health. Definitely worth a visit!

Sunday
Austin Lucas and Digger Barnes at Lovelite: Singer-songwriter fiesta of the highest order. Austin Lucas mesmerises with his folk inspired songs and distinctive voice. He is being supported by the talented Mr. Barnes.
Thank You and Skeletons at West Germany: Another fun night at West Germany this week. Keep 'em coming.

Monday, 2 May 2011