I unfortunately missed the first day of this festival, now in its fifth round, because the mighty Kassierer were playing on the same day, but on the second day I was able to come to H.O.F. 23 in Berlin-Weissensee, where the party took place.
I completely missed the first two bands, SPANX and SAINT KOPFSCHUSS, because the early start at 5:00 PM was strictly adhered to, which is fine given the number of bands, but it is still quite early for an indoor festival.
When I entered the club, the first thing that struck me was the really brutal but very good sound. They had set up a really fat sound system and also installed decent lighting, so there was something to see for the eyes as well as something to hear. In the hall itself, some improvements had been made, so that H.O.F. 23 made a better impression than it did years ago when a few punk and Oi concerts were held there. After a break, it seems that the venue is starting to pick up again. In terms of size, it was perfect for the festival.
As I stood there admiring the sound, GROBER KNÜPPEL played, a band I had never heard of before. The band has been around since 2006. Their style is very hardcore-heavy music with a lot of Oi, metal, and some punk influences. The band comes across as quite martial on stage, which is due to the fact that the guys are all quite beasts, tattooed and muscular. They looked quite like brash hardcore. Well, if you like TROOPERS with a bit more brashness, you might be able to handle GROBER KNÜPPEL. Others should probably steer clear. Aside from a few fans who were going wild in front of the stage, the approximately 150 guests present were quite calm and watched the spectacle with interest but not necessarily enthusiasm. At least, GROBER KNÜPPEL delivered a very fat sound to the audience with their setup.
The next band on the lineup was ROTZ & WASSER from Hamburg.
Compared to GROBER KNÜPPEL, the band came across as more melodic, captivating, and relaxed. No one here was trying to show off how tough and great they were. Now there was a band on stage that might not always be at university level but was also not consistently flat. And the announcement “We come from Hamburg and not from Italy. We have the biggest genitals” was something I had not heard before. There has to be something funny too. To my shame, I must admit that the band had passed me by until now. What the band showed was a damn cool melodic Oi-punk mélange. The audience had now grown to 200-250 people and was actually daring to dance a bit. They sang along, and everyone was having fun. It doesn’t happen often that skins, psychobillies, metalheads, and punks peacefully enjoy themselves together. Here it was so, and that lasted all evening.
After that, GLEICHLAUFSCHWANKUNG took the stage. You either love this band or you can’t deal with them at all. Something between punk, schlager, rock, and improvisational theater. The band is always on the edge of bad taste and has little to offer musically except for one really great song (“Kotz in den Schrank - Punks understand no fun”). However, they are definitely worth seeing, so they were at least entertaining for the first half hour. I used the next half hour to catch up on current news from Norman of THEE FLANDERS, who was eagerly waiting for the next band.
The next band was the Austrians BLOODSUCKING ZOMBIES FROM OUTER SPACE. A band dedicated to horrorbilly and actually featuring a drummer who plays standing up, just like Bela B. from Die Ärzte. Additionally, the band is nicely made up, with some nice bloody effects. The band not only looks good but also knows a thing or two about music. They demonstrated this right from the first songs. Fast Billy chased the zombies in the lyrics. Billy that goes into the blood and lets the fans of the undead dance and celebrate. This band also stood out positively with the great sound system. Anyone who likes horrorbilly and enjoys clichés will be well served by this band. The guys are definitely one of the spearheads of the genre.
After that came an absolute stylistic break as PÖBEL & GESOCKS took the stage. The hall, which was filled with maybe 400 people, maybe a few more, eagerly awaited the guys led by singer Willi Wucher. Since alcohol had already flowed quite freely at this late hour, nothing stood in the way of a party. Dancing was difficult, though, as the floor was slick from all the spilled beers. A few brave souls still dared to dance.
Willi Wucher surprisingly came on stage quite sober, or was I just too tipsy to notice? Regardless, the evening began with the first notes, consisting of partying, beer, and singing. The band played a solid set with a few new songs that not only came across well live but also fit perfectly into the set. Now, the band is not necessarily known for extreme creativity, but I can only warmly recommend the new album. Everything is represented between drunkenness and politics, and with “Guido, ich begreif das nicht,” the band may have created one of the best songs regarding the political situation in this country. So there was an hour of partying from and with Pöbel & Gesocks. Those who were there know it was awesome, and those who weren’t should catch one of the next concerts of the guys. Punk rock, party, and good vibes. Ballermann Rock’n’Roll indeed.
As the last band of the evening, OXO86 took the stage. I hadn’t seen the band in a long time, and that evening I didn’t manage to watch them calmly again, but what I caught sounded good. The well-filled hall celebrated the band properly. I then slowly made my way home…
In conclusion, I can only say, great location, great bands, and a super audience. That’s all a festival needs, except maybe for cheaper beer, but the organizers might manage that next year.