The Event
The
Crowd
Bunker Bar is a new punk stage in town. Basically
the punk hangout Jameson opened a bar in the basement and now they
engage bands. As a concert place it isn´t optimal. But the fine
thing is that the lazy punks in the Jamson bar can´t make up sorry
excuses such as it is too far to the concerts.
The place was
crowded as there was a spectacular 4 band night on. The Fat Four Tour
containing bands from the west coast, east coast and down south of
Sweden.The tour concept (I guess Divan in Headons wants me to credit him for it) is that the bands shall play in every city
the band resides. Last night Stockholm was on the schedule.
The
Bunker bar was, as I told, well crowded, full of both punk scene
regulars as well as new faces. The regulars, however had a tricky
choise because the exellent band Saturday´s Heroes and Faster
Pussycat Kill Kill was playing at the KGB bar at the same time. So
some choosed that event and I guess they didn´t got dissapointed
from what the rumors been telling me.
Headons
First
out was the Halmstad based band Headons. A scruffy rock n roll infested punk rock that mix both English and Swedish as their laguage
of choise. The Swedish lyrics are very angry and upset with our right
wing government. And they dedicated the song Fuck You to the right
wing party and our prime minister as well. Actually this was band
that I came here to see. They got the uneasy task to open up it all.
I don´t know why they were choosen to be the first. Because this was
a 4 headline band night. Headons didn´t spare anything and went into
a wild and frenetic gig with all their hearts and punk attitude. Wow,
they are quite good on record but live they geared up a few gears.
Unfortionately the sound wasn´t matching their effort. Partly it
was a bit numb I think. But that didn´t seem to trouble them too
much. This was punk in it´s essence, good contact with the still
rather stiff and shy crowd. I wouldn´t be the man that would go on
stage after their appearence. I wondered how on earth could the rest
of the bands match this?
Suicide
Syndicate
Next in line was the Scania based Suicide
Syndicate (from Malmö) that had no choise than to go up and play
because they´re ”in it for life”. In studded black jeans jackets
full of band patches they looked like a buch of savage barbarians,
not least because the main singer Bengtsson´s necklace made of
bones. And with their Street Punk they continued where Headons
started. Actually they proved that they could match Headons. Shame on
me, to even think they couldn´t. Slowly the crowd woke up a bit. The
sound was a bit better but still not to good. After some violent
slamdancing infront of the stage a microphone pole went to hell.
That´s punk rock!
And then there was
technical troubles, the PA went dead so there was some times to have
a chat both with the regulars and the band that visit us. And refill
our glasses with more brew.
Smash it up
Smash it up is from
Gothenburg containing both the guitarist from Troublemakers as well
as Roger from Stockholm who sings like his last breath is near
(desperate and shouting in a punk rock way). He was on home turf so
to say, as well as they used a amp with the Troublemakers logo all
over it. Maybe because the two ingrediences they got both the crow
going and the best sound all night. Or was it because their
carismatic singer was all over the place and their catchy old school
punk rock tunes. I realized during their set that despite technical
problems and partly bad sound, I was really in for a good time. Their
excellent tunes in combination with the crowds reactions and the hard
working band on stage was taking this to the hight that I hoped for.
Spotlicks
There was no way out
for the last band and also the band that was the hosts for the event,
Spotlicks. Last time I saw them they broke up the gig halfway through
because of a diabetic incident on stage. That was a total ”no no”
last night, total unthinkable. It was up and defend Stockholm against
the hillbillies that just rocked our brains out. And they did.
Except Bass player
Rikke, as usual, not knowing how all their tunes starts, there was no
mess ups. As the only female singer last night Elin sounded
sparkling. It was refreshing to hear a ranting female voice after all
the ranting males.
Spotlicks got the best song among their set
list. ”Fatta att du duger”, that gives me 1979 vibes in a nice
way. And they closed the party in a way that summed it up real nice.
And so
120
SEK did I pay for four classy punk bands. That was real cheap. The
beer was at decent prices and I really had a good time, my only grief
last night was that I missed Saturday´s Heroes, but you can´t have
it all, can you?
Now they have released two new songs as digital 1 song singles, “Nu kommer dom”
(Now they are coming) and “Det kommer dagar” (There will be days). Two songs that are total different within the
Troublemakers universe, still typical Troublemakers tunes. In a band that been
around for more than 30 years, making records there must be a point when they
realize that they can do anything that comes into their mind. I guess this is a
result of it. The catchy radio friendly car stereo tune “Det kommer dagar” is possible
NOT the most angry punk tune recorded, and it´s far from their best tune. Not
that it is bad in any way, quite opposite. It sticks and it is such tune that
you find yourself humming after a while. I like it even If I liked last year
single “Stockholm” much more.
“Nu kommer dom” is much darker and harder. Here the Troublemakers take a
stranglehold on the illusion of that everything is fine. The lyrics take stance
in bad news. It might be about a conflict in Congo or Syria or a coming conflict
just around the corner. It is very clever written and I can make up my own mind
what the song is about. It is hard and heavy in the harder tradition of
Troublemakers.
