Late summer reviews: Otto von Schirach + DAT Politics, King Khan & BBQ, Berlin Festival

Church of Phonk @ Berlin Festival

Summer came and went at the blink of an eye. And we were busy. C* and Gary got hitched in Vegas (no kiddin'), J. and C* got stuck into their new jobs, the weather was so great that most afternoons were spent by one of Berlin's beautiful lakes. When autumn came with full force last month, I really started fretting. Would I be able to handle another Berlin winter after the last one snowed its way into April? Now that relatives are calling about Christmas plans and the buttons need to be fastened again on my winter coats, the prospect of the impending cold does not seem quite as scary anymore. But it does let me dwell on great a summer we have had.

MBV @ Berlin Festival

This leads me to admit that most of summer I slacked terribly with my reviews. On one of our tea afternoons the other day, J. and I wondered whether it was still worth doing those old reviews and came to the conclusion that it was probably too late and it was best to leave it be. Who wants to live in the past, right? The future is now!

As a mark of respect to the many great performers I saw over the summer and to make sure I have links for my Top of the Year list next month, I am giving three past events a quick mention here, with a couple of photos to lighten the autumn blues. A hommage to summer.

PS: Also watch out for my Destruction Unit review and my second LA report later this week. And some point, there will also be an account of what happened when Iceage played West Germany.

Review: King Khan & BBQ Show + BIKES

King Khan manages to positively surprise me time and again. When I think of the man, I somehow always think of in-your-face antics and insanity. He somehow conveys that idea and image. In reality though, he appears to be an unexpectedly mellow fellow with a good sense of rhythm and an unusual dress sense. When paired with Mark Sultan, aka BBQ, only magic can ensue.

A couple of years back, King Khan and Mark Sultan announced the discontinuation of their project. Having managed to sustain it across continents for a while, it seemed logical that this was not going to work like a regular band. Therefore, the announcement of their Festsaal gig was greeted with surprise and cheer. On the night, you could feel the excitement people felt over this performance taking place.

You know the weather is changing when there are actually people inside Festsaal inbetween bands.  And wow, they were so up for a jig, dancing their socks off to the most fantastic set by DJ Lobotomy. A relaxed and dance-hungry crowd is certainly my kind of crowd and was a nice change from the night before. 

This played into the hands of support band BIKES, who played nice traditional garage rock but did not have to try too hard to get folks moving. They were willing to dance and this is what they did. BIKES merely supplied the soundtrack with their solid long set and their Kinks looks.

By the time, the stage set-up of Egyptian looking statues was revealed, the lights dimmed and the costumes put on, the crowd was mad for action. The headline act hit the first note and wild dancing instantly set in, on and off stage. My, King Khan is swell dancer, Mark Sultan a great performer (reminding me of Matt Lucas' drumming baby in Shooting Stars), and their audience appreciative. Dancing and smiling, on the floor and on the balcony. A party.


Musically, the duo play garage rock, no doubt, but their unusual set-up (Mark Sultan plays a self-built drum set only with his feet while playing guitar with his hands), their crazy costumes (for this show ancient Egyptian themed) and their apparent fun while playing takes their music beyond just garage rock and into the realms of performance art. Yet, their songs are fun, easy to sing along to, and incredibly dancable.


I doubt that anyone left disappointed that night. We all had way too much fun and I wish I could do it all over tonight, or maybe tomorrow, or how about once a week?