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Sorry to you as well for having to wait so long, but here it is now!
http://youtu.be/YQv5UnyCzZI
www.schmeisig.com
Since I always work during Christmas because the whole family circus with 'mom looking nice' in front of the Christmas tree for the camera to 'Instagram' the whole clan doesn't appeal to me at all, I usually have a few days off afterward. This year, I don't have a gig myself, so it's time for a few beers, pack the buddies, and head to the Pott. A few days of vacation with free tickets included, that's something! Thanks to Frank from Ramtatta, who organized the tickets with Herr Schwers and Co.! I was a bit anxious since I had never been to an indoor festival of this size before, and I had heard both positive and negative things about "Punk im Pott". So off I went from the deepest Bavaria, driving 800 km to the Wild West in Oberhausen! Of course, it took longer than expected, especially since the gear shift was acting up in between. But punk is creative, and it has arrived everywhere! After "checking in" at our "hotel" in Oberhausen with dear Daniel from the JUICY DOLLS (thanks for the great sleeping place ;-), we finally arrived at the Turbinenhalle on Friday around 8 PM and could finally order the first well-deserved beer after the long drive!
For me, as a picky Bavarian, the standard beer that was on offer was a disgrace; I can't help it, but it really tasted like dishwater. Luckily, there were a few alternatives I could rely on that weekend! The culinary offerings were okay, but there could be more variety. Bockwurst, currywurst, something with noodles, fries... Well, that was about it! For me as a non-vegetarian, it was acceptable, but there could definitely be more variety for everyone, and there weren't exactly any taste explosions. After greeting a few people and meeting up with buddies, I waited in vain on Friday for any band to come personally in front of my lens, as I wanted to make a festival report and also interview a few bands on the side. You want to do something for a few free tickets! Somehow, it didn't help much to pass on my number; apparently, in these virtual times, people are no longer keen on live interviews, or maybe most were just too drunk for that. They have a point! Life as a punk rocker is tough enough, and the backstage beer runs out quickly, and you have to see where you stand. A good thing was the free ticket to watch bands for free, but a backstage access would have proven useful for me from the fanzine to make it easier to get in touch with the bands. After all, the Turbinenhalle was packed, and I was actually very busy trying to keep track of everything.....
Oh, and picking up my husband off the floor, who had fallen asleep again. Friday actually had a few good bands to offer. I caught a bit of BOSKOPS, DRITTE WAHL put on a good performance as always, and the crowd went wild for TROOPERS. There wasn't a single band that had a bad performance on Friday. The acoustics in the Turbinenhalle were a bit of an adjustment, but I have heard much worse sound at last year's Sprit; there it was more due to the failure of the technical company, and here it was probably just because the whole thing is a huge hall, and you can't change some structural realities. Another highlight of the evening was LOS FASTIDIOS, who are always a very, very great live band! I like them live even more than on record! After that, it was time to head back to the sleeping place, as the drive was a bit exhausting.
So, new day, new attempt; maybe today an interview will work out. After wandering around Oberhausen for half the afternoon because we got lost looking for a snack bar, we finally found something to eat and finally arrived at the Turbinenhalle around 4 PM. Things were already buzzing there, and we could already see the first dead bodies! KNOCHENFABRIK was just playing for the pogo when my phone rang, and I was able to do an interview with SCHMEISIG. Unfortunately, I missed the guys live since they played at noon while we were still wandering through the urban jungle. At least a nice interview took place in one of the band members' RV, see above for the video link!
The music of SCHMEISIG can be described as country-punk, as they cover well-known classics with different lyrics and in a country style. Among them are well-known heavy metal songs by MANOWAR or IRON MAIDEN. The band features former members of WOHLSTANDSKINDER.
Now back to the Turbinenhalle; I wanted to see a few more bands. SCHLIESSMUSKEL was one of the best bands of the evening for me, and at the latest with "Wir saufen uns ins Guinessbuch" I was back in the mood for drinking, followed by a nice performance by the MIMMIS. I was eagerly waiting for the cult band DIE ABSTÜRZENDEN BRIEFTAUBEN. Many must have wondered if doves can perform without Konrad (R.I.P). I also had my thoughts about it, but as an outsider, it's hard for me to judge whether they are doing it for commercial reasons or if their hearts are still in it. I sincerely hope it's the latter. The performance was definitely good, and it was very nice to hear the old punk classics live. Costa from SONDASCHULE also made a guest appearance with the doves and clearly had fun. Then on Saturday, there was EGOTRONIC. Musically, that wasn't really my thing, but I think they have a very good message in their lyrics, and I also appreciate that they don't have a narrow-minded approach and share the stage with "classic" punk rock bands. Some were upset that the band played at Punk im Pott, but I think it's a very good mix, and musically there's something for everyone. Alex Schwers is absolutely right; offering a wide range of musical variety is important. It’s primarily about the socially critical message that the bands at this festival have to convey. Punk music can be anything if the lyrics are right. Perhaps this kind of thinking can help the scene to open up more and stick together. LOIKAMIE and FEINE SAHNE FISCHFILET rounded off Saturday nicely.
Totally exhausted, we headed back to sleep and the next day back to Bavaria! My conclusion for the festival: If you want to see a few good bands over 2 days, Punk im Pott is similarly recommended as comparable festivals in summer, e.g., Resist to Exist, Spirit from the Streets, or Ruhrpott Rodeo. It’s certainly cozier than an open-air festival, and I must say I definitely prefer open-air festivals. It's not as stressful and overcrowded as at an indoor festival. But to each their own, and it's great that the organizer Alex Schwers puts something like this together every year. Personally, I would wish for more newcomer bands, as the lineup of the scene-famous festivals is very similar and thus seems a bit boring. Oh, and for fanzine writers, backstage access would be good, where you can calmly conduct interviews and store expensive valuables like video cameras without having to worry about them being stolen. I found all of this a bit stressful, especially since you also have to make the effort to write a report afterward. Well, at least I had a festival ticket for free!
Unfortunately, I couldn't capture any video material of the bands live on stage, as my digital camcorder unfortunately does not reproduce the acoustic quality! So go there and see for yourself what the festival is like! From me, the overall grade is: 3+