On a cool spring evening on 10.04.2010, the festive skinheads and punks gathered at the old Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk site in Berlin-Friedrichshain for the last sunshine to have fun in the halls of Cassiopeia.
Starting at 8:00 PM, people began to enter, and even well before that, the first ones were sitting in front of the club. Since it was quite chilly, I went inside to have the first beer of the evening at the bar. From the bar area, which was above the hall where the concert was to take place, I met the guys from BERLINER WEISSE and learned about the impressions the band had taken from their tour. They had good concerts, and it was apparently always a lively time.
Slowly, the bar area noticeably filled up, and the first people went down to the hall. Around 9:15 PM, the EASTSIDE BOYS started.
The sound was quite decent. Gradually, more and more people trickled in front of the stage, so that within 20 minutes the room was well filled.
EASTSIDE BOYS gave it their all with their street rock/street punk. However, some of the band's lyrics are rather flat and sound a bit like a teenage/emo band. I wasn't completely convinced by the performance. The rest of the audience stood interested but quite calmly in the hall. Although some were already dancing in front, overall it was a quiet start to the evening.
This was to be quite different with BERLINER WEISSE.
The room was now full, and as soon as the band took the stage, they were greeted enthusiastically. When the first notes sounded, proper pogo dancing started in front. Not a children's pogo, not a brawl, but proper men's pogo, while the women and girls present stood at the side singing loudly or swaying their hips. The band was welcomed in Berlin, their hometown, as it should be. Loudly and enthusiastically!
The band, which had seemed tired before the concert, was suddenly wide awake. Singer Toifel put in a lot of effort and captivated the audience with his charismatic presence. Occasionally, the band missed their cues, but that didn't matter at all. After half a dozen songs, a huge lively party was underway where everyone was having fun. BERLINER WEISSE played a colorful mix of party and critical songs like “Thor Steinar” or “Haltet die Welt an.” It was getting warmer in the hall, and soon the first skinheads were seen without shirts.
The mood barometer was also rising more and more. Of course, this performance also included excursions into the realm of Schlager, as “Alt wie ein Baum” by the Phudys was intoned just like “Das ist Wahnsinn” by Wolle Petry.
After 90 minutes, the band wanted to leave the stage, but that was not possible with the festive crowd at home. So there were two encores, and around midnight, the lights came back on.
It was a great party, as all gigs by BERLINER WEISSE simply are a big party. BERLINER WEISSE has now become a staple in the Oi scene. Unlike many other bands in this area, the guys are also engaged against the right, so the well-known “Thorten Schneida” shirts were sold that evening. A commitment that is missed by many Oi bands.