Just before the turn of the year, there was a concert with BERLINER WEISSE, THEE FLANDERS, and RIOT COMPANY for all punks, skins, and psychobillies in Berlin.
Since there were hardly any other events that day, a large crowd gathered in front of the Lido in Berlin-Kreuzberg shortly after the official opening. It took a few minutes for us to get inside. Despite the cold and a lot of snow outside, the atmosphere was very good. Everyone was already looking forward to a great evening together.
Once we were inside, had checked our clothes, and greeted the guys from BERLINER WEISSE, the first band, RIOT COMPANY from Hildesheim, started promptly at 8:45 PM.
The band had the honor of warming up the arriving crowd that evening. The four guys did quite well. Their music, an explosive brew of street punk, rock, oi, and hardcore, was well received. The very good sound at the Lido contributed to enjoying the band from Hildesheim without getting bored. The band put on a good show and was a great opener for the two other bands that were still to come that evening.
Next up were the undead punkabillys from Potsdam. The guys had collectively disappeared into the backstage area during the first band's set to prepare professionally for their performance, which also meant they transformed from humans into half-chopped zombies, who were now to captivate the audience for the next hour. Singer Norman excelled in the masquerade once again. His left half of the face hung in bloody tatters. THEE FLANDERS played a great set that showcased a good cross-section of their previous work. Very old songs, even from their first demo when they were still called TED FLANDERS & THE HOT WINGS, were played. Just like songs from their new record “The Spirit of 666“. There were also cover versions of SOILENT GRÜN (the predecessor band of Die Ärzte) and DIE ÄRZTE. The attending psychobillies had their fun, just like the present skinheads, and of course, many girls were found at the front, enchanted by the morbid charm of the Potsdam band's songs.
After the horror from Potsdam, the mood relaxed noticeably during the changeover.
This was not only due to the alcohol but also because BERLINER WEISSE was about to play.
The four guys were received enthusiastically by the audience. After the first songs, “Ost-Berlin” was loudly chanted again. Not only the band's hometown but also that of a large part of the audience.
The sound was still brutally loud after the first songs. I hadn't seen the band in a while and was not only surprised by their very good interplay but also by the sound. The guys have become really professional. So professional that the well-known drinking chant between songs now only says “Cheers you bastards - Cheers you bastard.” The band introduced some of their new songs at the beginning, such as the unmistakable song “Keine Toleranz”. There was also an announcement that people with a right-wing mindset who were in the Lido should immediately leave because there was no place for them that evening. It's unfortunate that the band has to make such announcements now, but unfortunately, their music also attracts a lot of rowdy and ambiguous people.
From the middle of the set, the party vibe was cranked up significantly. The audience appreciated this. Songs like “S.S.L.L.H.H.” are also perfect for that.
For the very last song, the stage was stormed by the audience, and it was celebrated very freely, especially by the women present.
It was a great evening, which many attendees already saw as a warm-up New Year's Eve party. The atmosphere was fantastic, and the audience got along very well.
A wonderful evening, a great concert, great bands. A fantastic concert finale for 2009!