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In Berlin at S.O. 36 on 05.12.2008
The hardcore heroes SLAPSHOT from Boston invited to the Kreuzberg cult club S.O. 36 on this Friday evening. Doors opened at 8:00 PM, but hardly anyone was waiting outside. As I was still waiting for someone, I watched in dismay as so few people had found their way to S.O. 36. It was more than sparse outside.
Okay, it was cold, but not that cold. Around 8:45 PM, my companion and I entered the club. A handful of jackets hung at the cloakroom, and even inside, the hall presented a sparse picture. We even found a seat, quite far in front, at the edge, and enjoyed our first beer while sitting. While we chatted and enjoyed the barley juice, ENERGY took the stage. After a short line check, they started around 9:15 PM. The band played in front of maybe 100 people, who were quite scattered in the hall, which has a capacity of about 800 people. What stood out first was that the sound was once again really fat. Especially the drums thumped powerfully.
However, ENERGY could not convince despite the good sound. The singer screamed and roared into the microphone while his bandmates tried to accompany him as best as they could. ENERGY played a kind of emo-hardcore. Although calling it hardcore is already too much; it was more hard rock with some metal influences. The band did not manage to convince the audience. People stood around rather bored, hoping that the band would finish their set soon.
The second band, ALL FOR NOTHING, had already attracted more of the audience.
In front of about 300 people, the band, especially the frontwoman, really went for it. ALL FOR NOTHING offered solid hardcore of the newer school. The powerful and not screechy vocals of the frontwoman gave the music something special. When the singer made announcements, she sounded completely normal, but as soon as the music kicked in, the singer transformed into a roaring lioness. The audience moved here and there. Some atmosphere built up, which was interrupted by a complete idiot who wanted to fight, but after the band briefly stopped playing and security took care of the aggressor, calm returned quickly. The band was definitely enjoyable. They were far better than ENERGY.
As the third band, MAKE IT COUNT from Berlin took the stage. By now, S.O. 36 was unexpectedly well attended with about 500 people. MAKE IT COUNT made it clear from the start where the hammer falls. The sound came out of the speakers viciously. Vicious, melodic, and brutal like a battering ram. The band's songs were captivating at every moment. Singer Hannes jumped, bounced, and ran across the stage as if stung by a tarantula, and like some stage divers, sought a bath in the crowd. For the first time, the atmosphere really picked up. There were several attempts to create a circle pit. Stage divers flew through the air repeatedly. The mood rose rapidly, and MAKE IT COUNT clearly gave their all. Rarely have I seen such good hardcore from Germany. Respect!
As the last band and headliner of the evening, SLAPSHOT delivered hardcore of the American kind, mostly of the old school. The good mood persisted, and although SLAPSHOT were not as active on stage as MAKE IT COUNT, they still managed to convince. For a hardcore band that has been around for 23 years, they did their job very well. The attendees also saw it that way, giving loud applause to every song of the band. There was also plenty of dancing during the performance, and a good circle pit was actually achieved.
All in all, it was a rounded evening with three very good bands.
Frank