Concerts by the Italian band TALCO have been highlights in Berlin for years. The band has many fans in Berlin, and the excitement is correspondingly high when they take the stage. Last year, the band played twice at S.O. 36, and both concerts were very well attended. The band played two sets, making it worthwhile to go to S.O. 36 twice.
Now it was said that instead of playing twice at S.O. 36, they would perform once at Astra. A larger club, with two additional bands for an extremely fair ticket price.
There wasn't much feeling of spring awakening on this Friday. Continuous frost was also forecast for this day and the entire weekend. Instead of T-shirt weather, it was scarf and hat weather. However, none of the visitors let this dampen their good mood, and the atmosphere in front of Astra was already very good and was set to get even better inside the club.
Entry began promptly at 8:00 PM, and those who entered the heated tent of the club and warmed up were looking forward to a nice concert evening.
BERLINSKIBEAT opened at 8:45 PM. Eight men, five nationalities, Berlin attitude, and a great mixture of everything the world of music has to offer. With two drummers, the band started their gig. The two drummers switched their instruments, just like the other band members. Countless instruments were played, and just as countless were the stylistic influences. Klezmer, Balkanbeat, punk, ska, reggae, street music, folk, medieval rock, dancehall, and many other styles shape the band's sound. The program ranges from old hits in a new guise like “Berliner Pflanze” to complete original compositions. The songs are extremely danceable, and the band puts on a great show on stage, ensuring there’s something for both the legs and the eyes. The band consists of seasoned musicians, such as Steve the Machine (formerly of Terrorgruppe) on drums. The Balkan sound is currently very popular, and the parties in the scene are filling larger and larger clubs. The music that unites people was impressively demonstrated by the fans of BERLINSKIBEAT that evening, as all age groups from 20 to 45 years were represented, young and old, mainstream and subculture, everyone had fun together, and the band seemed to enjoy it too. From the middle of the set, the band played a few songs that reminded one of Seeed, which naturally raises the suspicion that the band wants a piece of the pie that Seeed is sitting on. I don’t want to make a commercial accusation here, but one tries to categorize bands, and the Seeed drawer was all too obvious.
The performance by BERLINSKIBEAT was definitely enjoyable and fun. The audience thought so too. The Astra was reasonably full, and by the time the next band, DISTEMPER from Russia, took the stage, it was nearly three-quarters full.
DISTEMPER from Russia have been shaking up stages across Europe with their fast ska-punk for many years. Their last concerts in Berlin and the surrounding area were on smaller stages, so I was curious to see how the Moscow band would fare on the large stage of Astra. However, I shouldn't have questioned that, as the band has been around long enough to handle larger stages with ease. They impressively demonstrated this and immediately got into it with fast ska-punk numbers. The mascot and constant symbol of the band, the dog, enthusiastically danced on stage after the first songs. The audience followed suit. People were moving energetically in front of the stage, the atmosphere was fantastic, and more and more people pushed forward to get a better view of the band and join the dancing crowd. DISTEMPER played a powerful ska-punk set with some songs I hadn't heard in a long time. The band closed with “Moscow Reggae,” their version of “Sunshine Reggae.” DISTEMPER are unfortunately still considered a hidden gem, even though the band has been drawing attention for years through constant touring and energetic shows. DISTEMPER are slowly reaping the fruits of their labor. I wholeheartedly wish them that.
Now it was time to take a deep breath, grab some fresh drinks, and keep the heart rate under control. The last changeover break of the evening. Everything was prepared for TALCO. When the band took the stage, the crackling tension was almost palpable. The first notes from the band from Marghera/Venice rang out, and Astra turned into a madhouse. At least half the hall jumped, danced, sang along, and enjoyed the band's performance, who were thrilled to be received so enthusiastically at Astra. The band, which has created a unique style with their sound of patchanka, ska, and punk, fascinates me live time and again. Perfect, enthusiastic interplay, combined with a nonchalance that is unmatched. The audience felt the same way. The performance was one big celebration, and the atmosphere among the audience was extremely good and friendly. The band primarily played songs from their last albums “La Cretina Comedia” and “Mazel Tov,” but especially songs from their current album “Gran Gala.”
TALCO is a band that always blows you away, even if you’ve known them for a while. The music automatically gets into your legs, and the band's lyrics, always in Italian in the album booklets but always translated into English, are anti-fascist, socially critical, and especially critical of their own country and the enemy image of Berlusconi. Berlusconi, who with his politics, actions, and influence has brought an entire nation to the brink. The man who has run the country into the ground and has built a system of corruption, nepotism, and media influence so perfectly that another Italy seems hardly possible. All of this is sung by TALCO. You can feel that the band has written every line from the heart and means it just as it is sung.
The concert by TALCO was once again grandiose, overall not quite as good as at S.O. 36, but that was more due to the club than the band.