That evening, there was once again a nice '77 punk night at the Kreuzberg Wild at Heart. After Cyanide Pills had already heated up the venue the weekend before, it was time for THE ABOUT BLANKS from Berlin and BUCK BROTHERS from London to continue the momentum.
After a more than generous meal, we arrived early for some digestif drinks at Wild at Heart. Once the digestif was consumed, the first familiar faces slowly started to trickle in. This made the time until the performance pass quickly. The start of the concert was delayed more than usual due to the lack of audience. Around 11:00 PM, THE ABOUT BLANKS took the stage. At that point, there were maybe 60 people present. The previous Friday, there were already 150 people at that time. Why the club wasn't full that evening will probably remain a mystery forever.
However, the Berliners were not deterred and kicked off with a loud and raucous performance. The band, consisting of experienced musicians (including former members of The Bottrops and The Shocks), showed from the very beginning that they knew what they were doing. The noisy, sometimes even chaotic '77 sound quickly convinced the audience and even got them dancing. In my opinion, the sound was a bit too loud, as the high tones drilled harshly into the ear canals, but overall it was a good show with an engaged band that knows how the sound of the past should resonate. The good half hour that the band heated up the audience flew by, and after the last song “She’s a nosebleed,” there were loud calls for an encore. However, the band did not respond to these. They left the stage and made way for the trio from London.
After the changeover break, which gave everyone present enough time to grab a suitable drink so they wouldn't have to enjoy the Londoners' show dry, the three quietly and without much fuss took the stage. However, as soon as they stood on stage, it kicked off loudly and powerfully. BUCK BROTHERS played a cleaner sound than the Berliners before them. The sound was not noisy but clear and precise. Some see the sound as almost bordering on pop-punk. However, I cannot share this view, as a clean and powerful playing style is not pop-punk. Admittedly, the band's melodies are somewhat poppy, but they are not boring but rather captivating. The style of BUCK BROTHERS is clearly '77 punk with fun and enthusiasm. The Wild at Heart was perhaps not even half full for the Londoners' performance, with around 100 attendees. However, those present had a great time with the band. There was dancing and singing along. The catchy lyrics made this easy. Additionally, there were always very funny, ironic, and provocative announcements between the songs, delivered with a wink by the band, which brought smiles to the audience more than once. The perfectly fitting, distinctive vocals and the powerful, precise sound increasingly reminded me of the sadly non-existent Yeti Girls from Cologne as the set progressed. Anyone who was still doubting whether the band was truly entertaining during their performance was won over at the latest after the song “Pop Muzik.” A new text was laid over the melody from the film “Ghostbusters,” which zipped through the club's speakers. Cool stuff!
Equally cool was the cover of “Sheena is a Punkrocker,” which, after the original version by the Ramones, was the best version I have ever heard.
So it was no surprise that the band had to play an encore, which was loudly demanded by the audience with “Come on, Come on” calls. The band took this as a cue to play the legendary “Leader of the Gang” by Gary Glitter. Classy! Spontaneous, funny, and musically convincing. BUCK BROTHERS are the Yeti Girls from the UK!
The following DJ then had a hard time getting the attendees to dance, which was quite different the week before.
Especially BUCK BROTHERS deserved more spectators that evening. A very good, humorous, and quintessentially English punk band that carries the magic of the sounds of '77 in their hearts and in their songs.
Alongside the upcoming concerts in Germany, the current CD “We are merely Filters” is hereby recommended without reservation to everyone.