The Berlin streetcore band TOXPACK invited everyone to the official record release party for their new album "Epidemie" that evening. To ensure that the party was enjoyable not only in front of the stage but also behind it with many friends, the band invited three friend bands.
It was an extremely cold evening with temperatures of -10 degrees and more, so even the mulled wine that could have been enjoyed in front of the Kesselhaus barely warmed us. Thus, we quickly went into the hall. We thought that 9:00 PM would be a good time, but for some inexplicable reason, the entry was moved to 7:00 PM at short notice, causing us to miss the first band, BONKERS. After checking out the band on MySpace, I wasn't too upset about that.
However, I was sad that I only caught the last three songs of SO FUCKING WHAT. SO FUCKING WHAT plays cool country rock, with an emphasis on country. The songs were primarily carried by the deep and raspy voice, but also by the melancholic melodies. It sounded quite decent, although the setting was a bit too large. The band would fit better in a small club like Wild at Heart in Kreuzberg, but they were good nonetheless.
After SO FUCKING WHAT, there was a longer changeover, during which we could chat in peace and observe the audience. Many skinheads were present, of course. A few punks, a few psychobillies, and a few rockers. The audience mainly consisted of skins, some of whom could certainly be unpleasant characters in other places. Particularly the skins with jackets, sweaters, and shirts of BFC Dynamo Berlin should be approached with caution, as this club has many fans from the hooligan and especially the right-wing scene. However, that evening was about having fun together. Although the Kesselhaus was very full, and one could only move forward in some corners with strong squeezes, the atmosphere remained very good throughout the evening.
When the Dutch band DISCIPLINE took the stage, every one of the approximately 800 visitors in the hall was excited. After all, the guys don't perform that often. When the first notes sounded, a pretty intense pogo started at the front, but it didn't catch the whole hall. People stood quite statically, sang along, clapped, and shouted, but real movement didn't happen in the hall. DISCIPLINE made a great impression on stage. The sound was very powerful, just as it should be. Songs like "Everywhere we go" or "Road to Freedom" were impressive. Stadium rock meets hooligan attitude and working class. After an hour, the really good performance by the Dutch from Eindhoven was over. Everyone in the hall was satisfied. DISCIPLINE gave an hour of courage and provided everyone in the Kesselhaus with a good time.
During the changeover, the hall emptied, so there were some gaps in the audience for TOXPACK.
The Berliners from TOXPACK were looking forward to their performance and started just as powerfully as DISCIPLINE had ended. The band played many older songs but also some tracks from the new album "Epidemie". The sound was brutal and hit hard in the gut. Songs about the street, love, and the feeling of being there for oneself and for friends and fighting for them resonated with the audience. TOXPACK made an even better impression on me here than at Huxley’s, where the band played as part of their label's "People like You" festival tour.
At 12:20 AM, the evening at Kesselhaus came to an end. Three great bands gave their all that night and provided the audience of punks, skins, hooligans, rockers, and regular folks with a truly fantastic time.