Le Strokes, LIVE! @ Maria am Ostbahnof this Monday. Like, in 3 days. I GOT TICKETS! Normally, I am not the type of person to go and queue for hours for music tickets. Music is my life, but im not fanatical like that (oK. had i known in time, i would have done it for Radiohead when they did that small venue tour around the time they released Hail to the Thief.)However, yesterday I popped into the ticket shop and enquired about this secret Strokes gig happening next week. I found out that a) the tickets were going on sale at 9am today b) they would be only available at the shop and c) alot of other people had been asking too. I figured that no Berliners would be camping all night in front of the shop, and lucked out when this morning i got up at 7am and traipsed down to the ticket kiosk on Oranian Straße, where there were only about 30 or 40 people that had shown up by that time. 2 hours later the queue behind me was hundreds full.
When I was deciding whether or not I should go to this gig I was thinking, "Pah. It's only the Strokes." But then i was also thinking that it would be a bit fun to see those shiny NY boys in a small venue for a relatively small price (23€), and that argument won over. I've only seen them once before, the summer before last at a music festival in Ireland, when they put on a really good show and ever since I've wished to see them play somewhere smaller -- where it isn't raining and there is no stink of port-a-loos. They are indeed embarking on a European tour after this string of "secret" dates, but they will be playing massive venues. I have been assured that it will be cosy at the Maria.
So, last night I went to see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The Mudd Club is quite tiny, and was filled up to squish capacity. There was no support band, and by the time the band came onstage it was after 10.30pm (doors had been open at 9) and the crowd seemed pissed. Nobody clapped or said yeah much at first. The band -- or maybe it was just their singer-- seemed blase about this gig (in comparison to the last gig i saw at the Mudd Club, which was Brendan Benson. he had an awesome support band and seemed so happy and excited to be playing that show in Berlin.)I dunno, that was my impression anyway, that this was no big deal. I thought it would have a bad effect on their performance but they played really well, so no it didn't at all.
They played several new songs, which i thought was funny because they haven't yet released their first album, i believe (new release date January 24th). The song which stuck out the most for me from the setlist was one such brand new track, "Satan Said Dance". I'm singing it all the time, it's so catchy, i think this is what the crazy Germans call an "earworm"..it is going on the best-song-to-dance-to-ever list along with "House of Jealous Lovers". I cannot wait to hear it on the dancefloor! hopefully some night soon. Their singer's voice is scratchy and high and strange. He sounds like he couldn't give a shit when he's singing, but the sweat that broke out and trickled down his face sort of gave away the energy he was putting into the performance. Plus the throbbing vein in his temple. At times, their music reminded me of the Pixies, Talking Heads and Devendra Banhard.
Slight digression -- I see from their website that Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is playing a New Year's Eve gig with the National. I actually went to see the National last week or so...it was a strange gig. I'm not sure why exactly..the crowd was totally into them and knew all their lyrics, but none of their songs were familiar to me. Before the gig, I had this notion in my head that they were an Irish band. When i saw the fiddle player onstage, i was even more convinced. But they are totally American, squeaky voices and everything. Sometimes they reminded me of Bell X1...who i love. But I dunno, I just wasn't into this band. Their support that night was Film School, who i did like, quite alot. They hung out in the crowd when the National took to the stage, I wish i had talked to them, they seemed cool and approachable. But i just ogled..So anyway, that is interesting that those bands are gonna play together.
Back to last night's gig: My first bad experience at a show here in Berlin happened to be last night at this Clap Your Hands Say Yeah show. There was this one dude who was creating havoc, all by himself, lurching backwards and forwards with a beer bottle in his hand, pushing and shoving everybody and yelling really loudly, especially when they played "Over and Over Again (Lost and Found)". The crowd was already so tightly packed that his violent behaviour was being inflicted on alot of people. It was a horrible feeling to be pushed around like that, i was holding onto a shelf trying to keep myself from falling over, so frightened that my busted leg would get kicked or something. He wasn't just jumping around having a good time, but was really aggressive and violent. He was totally oblivious to everyone staring angrily at him, this goonish smile never left his face. He nearly caused a big fight to break out among the 4 or 5 guys who were around him but he seemed to disappear after a while and the show was too good to be spoiled by one drunk asshole. Funnily enough, I spotted this guy ahead of me in the queue for the Strokes tickets this morning, beer bottle still embedded in his hand. I wanted to go over and stamp on his foot or something.
I should go and see Stereolab tonight, but that might cut my food budget in half for my last few days in Berlin before going home for Christmas. Tomorrow night is J.R Ewing at Pffefferbank with the Locust. I'm excited, and probably scared a little.
Tonight I am missing a big party in Dublin. Future Kings of Spain are having a big mad party to celebrate the completion of their new album Nervousystem. This is an exclusive opportunity to hear the new album first hand, but it’s not an album launch – it’s a party, they said. The band are gonna be playing the new stuff, and the djs after will include the new stuff in their sets. I was invited, but im sort of in Berlin and not Dublin so...that is sad and terrible. I love this band! I did a good thing though, and passed the tickets on to some appreciative souls. I hope it's a good night. Can't wait to hear their new stuff.
if you look here that is what my right leg looked like when i got run over in September. Like, totally.
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