To be brutally honest with you, 99% of hip hop I fucking hate. But when it’s not got it’s own head up it’s own arse trying to be tough or revelling in some pathetic stereotype, then I can get into it. The poetry and art from the majority of hip hip was lost to thuggery and cashola, is the biggest problem, but that’s completely not the case with California trio Ugly Duckling, longtime devotees to the classic two-turntables-and-a-microphone method and style. The tracks themselves characteristically come replete with equal measures of both humour and finesse, harking back to old Beastie Boys with a splash of Frank Zappa or Weird Al for completeness. Funky arse hip hop with dumb jokes and solid rhymes, all together in one tasty package.

Supporting are Maxwell Smart and, since it’s their birthday being celebrated on the night, The Truebeatz Crew. All at Bohannon, here in Berlin.

Gig Details

• Artist: Ugly Duckling
• Date: Friday, September 10th 2010
• Time: 10:00pm
• Venue: Bohannon
• Address: Dircksenstraße 40, 10178
• Admission: 12.50+
• Buy tickets
• Notes: CREAM OF BEATS pres. UGLY DUCKLING **LIVE** Support: MAXWELL SMART TRUEBEATZ CREW B-BOY SHOW by the TRUEBEATZ ALLSTARS & FREE B-DAY MIX CD
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UPDATE: CANCELLED.

Tickets to be refunded at point of purchase.

Forming from the ashes of the Sex Pistols, John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd are regarded by some as the world’s first post-rock group. But you knew all that. And they, in their current incarnation, are coming here to Berlin for a one night only gig. Which you probably also knew. You’re smart like that.

Yeah, the reformation might be a shameless cash in, what with many questioning the value of a reformation in the first place, but Lydon has repeatedly insisted that PiL was always his first love. He was in 2009 quoted in an interview as saying

“The Sex Pistols were too rigid. PiL allowed me to express proper emotions. So I really wanted to get out and do [Death Disco] properly live again.”

…which seems fair enough.

There is talk about a new album being produced with the new lineup of original members, Lu Edmonds on guitar  and Bruce Smith on drums, with the addition of new-comer  Scott Firth on bass. The new work relies solely on the success of the European tour and shows last year to raise the cash, that or some level of interest from record companies, but given the speed in which  Lydon is famed for producing his work, how much money can the guy really need? Any which way you look at it, if you’re hoping for new stuff from PiL, then support the gig and you’re a part of it, no matter how indirect.

The hiatus extended for seventeen years, with very sporadic appearances and even vehement opposition to the idea that PiL would ever reform from Lydon himself. That being the case, we should both snap up this opportunity to catch the show, it might be the only time we can, but then again, maybe not.

Recent live review here: http://reviews.wikinut.com/John-Lydon-and-PiL-does-not-leave-this-fan-Disappointed/luw9a8bq/

Gig Details

• Artist: Public Image Ltd. ‘PiL’
• Date: Monday, August 16th 2010
• Time: 8:00pm
• Venue: Huxleys Neue Welt
• Address: Hasenheide 107 – 113 10967
• Admission: 38,50
• Cancelled
• Notes: Google Translate from German: In August 2010, the band comes to frontman John Lydon to Berlin. Since it in December 2009 for seven monumental concerts came back to England, by the way the first shows in 17 years, PiL appear again in 2010 with a series of performances at the Summer Festival in Europe. After being lead singer for the Sex Pistols, John Lydon formed Public Image Ltd. in 1978 with their well known sound of rock, dance, folk, ballet, pop and dub. PiL have clearly influenced by their distinctive music of the punk era and are studied as the most innovative and influential band in music history. The music and visions have evolved constantly as with any other band out to an incredible live experience. With a diverse program of three decades shows Public Image Ltd., their distinctive sound with songs like “Public Image”, “This Is Not A Love Song,” “Rise” and Disappointed “and has even more surprises in stock.
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The Flaming Lips

We’re a bit starved for really awesome festivals here in Berlin, so the likes of you and I are going to have to travel a little bit. Since you’re probably working for €6 an hour in a backpacker hostel or sumfink, money is important to you (although in today’s wintery economice climate, who is that not true for, I ask), so cheap is best.

With one of the strongest lineups of the european festival calendar and held in one of the cheaper of the states local to us, OFF FESTIVAL in Katovice, Poland is perfect for you. I don’t really know you, but I stand behind my wild allegations. €30 for a three day pass is absurdly thrifty, and check out the lineup:

THE FLAMING LIPS (USA)
DINOSAUR JR. (USA)
TINDERSTICKS (UK)
THE FALL (UK)
LENNY VALENTINO (PL)
19 WIOSEN (PL)
A HAWK AND A HACKSAW (USA)
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS (USA)
ANTI-POP CONSORTIUM (USA)
APTEKA (PL)
ARCHIE BRONSON OUTFIT (UK)
ART BRUT (UK)
ATLAS SOUND (USA)
BEAR IN HEAVEN (USA)
CASIOKIDS (NO)
CIEŚLAK I KSIĘŻNICZKI (PL)
DAMON AND NAOMI (USA)
DARKSTAR (UK)
DIGITAL MYSTIKZ (UK)
DUM DUM GIRLS (USA)
EFTERKLANG (DK)
ECSTATIC SUNSHINE (USA)
FENNESZ (AUT)
FM BELFAST (IS)
HAPPY PILLS (PL)
HEY (PL)
INDIGO TREE (PL)
JOKER feat. NOMAD (UK)
KIM NOWAK (PL)
KRYZYS (PL)
KUCZ/KULKA (PL)
LACHOWICZ (PL)
LALI PUNA (DE)
LAO CHE (PL)
MATMOS (USA)
MEMORY TAPES (USA)
MEW (DK)
MITCH AND MITCH WITH THEIR INCREDIBLE COMBO (PL)
MUCHY (PL)
NATHALIE AND THE LONERS (PL)
NIWEA (PL)
NO AGE (USA)
O.S.T.R (PL)
PABLOPAVO I LUDZIKI (PL)
PHILIP JECK (UK)
PINK FREUD feat. JERZY MILIAN (PL)
PLUM (PL)
PRAWATT & MIRNA RAY (PL)
PULLED APART BY HORSES (UK)
PUSTKI (PL)
RADIO DEPT. (SE)
RAEKWON (USA)
SHEARWATER (USA)
SHINING (UK)
SOMETHING LIKE ELVIS (PL)
SZELEST SPADAJĄCYCH PAPIERKÓW (PL)
TAKEN BY TREES (SE)
THE HORRORS (UK)
THE PSYCHIC PARAMOUNT (USA)
THE RAVEONETTES (DK)
THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH (SE)
THE VERY BEST (MW/UK)
THESE ARE POWERS (USA)
TIDES FROM NEBULA (PL)
TORO Y MOI (USA)
TRANS AM (USA)
TUNE-YARDS (USA)
TUNNG (UK)
VOO VOO plays “SNO-POWIĄZAŁKA” (PL)
WILLIAM BASIŃSKI (USA)
ZS (USA)
ZU (ITA)

…I’d pay thirty quid alone to see Trans Am, but headlined by Flaming Lips with The Raveonettes and The Fall, holy shit.

You can grab tickets from the website here: http://2010.off-festival.pl/?dz=13

…with all the infos that you could ever eat here: http://2010.off-festival.pl/?

Down by the River festival is back for another year, featuring yet again a great little lineup of local and international acts.

Word around the campfire is that Bar 25 is soon going to be moving to Treptower Park (the abandoned amusement park, no less!), so if you haven’t checked out Bar25 yet, and you should have since it’s quite nice there, then now is the perfect time.

UPDATE: Here’s the full program:

CIRCUS (big stage)

14:00 – 14:30 Susie Asado
14:45 – 15:15 Sarsaparilla
15:30 – 16:00 Vladimirska
16:15 – 16:45 Martha Rose
17:00 – 17:30 Chuckamuck
17:45 – 18:15 Collapsing Opposites
18:30 – 19:15 Men Diamler
19:30 – 20:00 Freschard
20:15 – 21:00 Coming Soon
21:15 – 22:00 Frànçois & the Atlas Mountains
22:15 – 23:00 Masha Qrella
23:15 – 24:00 Stanley Brinks

FOURTRACK AM FLUSS (small stage)

13:30 – 14:00 Miles Joseph
14:30 – 14:45 Boo Hoo
15:15 – 15:30 Kid Ikarus
16:00 – 16:15 Case van Duzer
16:45 – 17:00 Oriol Stardust
17:30 – 17:45 Reimar
18:15 – 18:30 The Missing Leech
19:15 – 19:30 Past + Future
20:00 – 20:15 Teenagesongs Forever
21:00 – 21:15 Donna Stolz
22:00 – 22:15 MoreEats
23:00 – 23:15 Noel

DJs in the bar from 2pm:

14:00 – 15:00 John Donald (aka human elephant)
15:00 – 16:00 Tine Crunk
16:00 – 17:00 Melody Burn (Schokoladen)
17:00 – 18:00 Emil Delikolder
18:00 – 19:00 Wald & Wiese
19:00 – 21:00 David Hull
21:00 – 22:00 Golden Diskó Ship (LIVE!)
22:00 – 23:00 Krach(derroboter)

…and even more acts in the Antje Øklesund-Wohnzimmer-Box!

Mehr Infos:
http://www.myspace.com/downbytheriverfestival
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=127662807248340&ref=ts
http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/berlin/303634/303635.php
http://www.stadtraumnutzung.de/projekte/wohnzimmer/

Update: Cancelled.

Brooklyn/Michigan 3 piece Awesome Color finally make it to Berlin to show off the new album and summon the gods of garage rock, and after having toured with Sonic Youth and being signed to Thurston Moore’s private label Ecstatic Peace, they undoubtedly have that power.

The gig’s going to be an intimate little thing, Bang Bang Club is cozy and if you’re the kind of music fan who finds some measure of joy in smelling the sweat as it rolls down the brow of a hard working drummer, in this case you’ll be in luck.

Not only summoning gods and goddesses of rock during the show, they’ll be giving you a listen to material from the recently released third album Massa Hypnos, which came out beginning of April. They’ve been touring the new songs for a little while now, so if we’re lucky, they might have gotten to the stage of it all where they’re experimenting with the sound a little bit live, which some bands often do. Especially garage bands. You and I will just have to wait and see.

Supported by [Project] Transmit, who are also completely awesome, headed by Tony Buck of The Necks fame. Loopy, brooding and intense, finally I get to use those three words in a sentence, separated only by commas and the talent of the band. Sounding something like Trans Am, you’ll dig it if you’re the kind of punter who likes to get completely swallowed up by a performance in amongst gulfs of intricacy. Or something.

Vivian Girls at Bang Bang Club, Berlin 15th July, 2010. Photos courtesy Olga Baczynska.

http://www.myspace.com/wavves

So, will they or won’t they is the question. Will the no. 1 hipster band of last year, who famously melted-down on stage at Primavera 2009 finish a tour( well, if you’re gonna melt-down make headlines right? Right, Ed).

I use the word hipster harshly here. Let’s face it, all the hipsters in town are now more concerned with their Tote bags hanging comfortably (yet looking oh so like they don’t care) off their shoulders, than they are with a band who briefly shot to the top of the Pitchfork Arse Kissing List so it looks like this could be a good one folks.

The day before, of course, Vivian Girls will wow you in Bang Bang Club and these guys are friends so I better watch my mouth.

Suffice it to say boys and girls that Wavves are a band you either love or hate. I, on the other hand, only like them. But that’s just me being a doochebag for the sake of it. It’s July kids, which means bugger all gigs and bad ones at that so listen to the myspace and make up your own minds……..I will be going, albeit without my tote bag.

As if this wouldn’t be the greatest show you’d ever seen in your life, fucks sake, it’s SLAYER! It doesn’t matter if you’re not into their music, the crowd would be the show itself. And the venue’s not a stadium either, so you’d have a great time just on that fact.

This date is of course the postponed show that they were supposed to have earlier in the year, here’s the skinny on what the break was all about:

With vocalist/bassist Tom Araya now on the right track to recovery, Slayer announces the rescheduling of its German concert trek.  The first German date will kick off on June 7th at the Docks n Hamburg , with the band playing seven German headline shows.  All tickets for the original shows are valid, and The Haunted will remain as main support on all dates.

The original-scheduled dates had to be put on hold due to Araya’s ongoing treatment for what was diagnosed as a Cervical Radiculopathy, an occupational hazard for the rocker who is known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing.  Originally, Araya opted for a series of minimally-invasive procedures, and while they resulted in some improvement, they didn’t entirely remedy the severe pain, numbness or muscle spasms that Araya continued to experience.  Consequently, Araya made the difficult decision to undergo a surgical procedure, called an Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion, a relatively routine practice with an excellent recovery rate.“I think that his just making the decision to have the surgery has helped improve the way he feels,” said long-time Slayer manager Rick Sales.  “While no one wants to go under the knife, his doctors are very confident about this procedure taking care of the problem once and for all.”

Holy fuck, he had a Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion, that’s completely more rock and roll than biting the head off a live bat, Ozzy couldn’t even spell Anterior Cervickul Dicktomyie….fucken forget. it.

Tickets are sold out of course, but you can always go hang out around the front of the show and check people out and drink beers and do the devil sign a lot, just like you would on any other Saturday night anyway, although this time you won’t be hanging around in front of Kaisers. That would be cool. Some stoner might even drop his ticket somewhere and you might get lucky. Stoners do that kind of thing.

Gig Details

• Artist: Slayer
• Date: Saturday, July 3rd 2010
• Time: 8:00pm
• Venue: Columbiahalle
• Address: Columbiadamm 9 -11 10965
• Admission: €99+
• Sold Out
• Notes: Special re-scheduled show. Supports: The Haunted, DAATH
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Terrific little Berlin band with a new self titled LP ready for you to buy and love, out on three colours of vinyl, red, white or black, from Fin Du Monde.

The sound’s pretty minimal for a five peice, which is  a good thing (stay with me on this one), since there’s two types of good bands in the world, small groups that sound big, and big bands that sound small. If you’re going to have a band with heaps of people doing all sorts of shit, you don’t want it to be an auditory clusterfuck. Which Ray Omega have avoided, thankfully.

That was a compliment, in case you’re wondering, one posed in the very most roundabout way possible, but it’s there.

Musicwise, think Talking Heads or Robocop Kraus, but more airy and melodic than the both of them, a bit soaring and anthemic, if you want to use words like that, I try not to, you shouldn’t either.

Here’s a myspace: §§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Gig Details

• Artist: Ray Omega
• Date: Friday, July 2nd 2010
• Time: 10:00pm
• Venue: White Trash Fast Food
• Address: Schönhauser Allee 6-7, 10119
• Admission: 6
• Notes: live: RAY OMEGA (SWE/GER) at the Diamond Lounge DJ Steve Machine live: RAY OMEGA (SWE/D) The members of RAY OMEGA met all in Berlin. Its not only the international cast, that is making the band somehow special but a background from garage/punk and also electromusic: that creates an interesting cross over. Also The Swedish artist John Andersson cooperates with the band and has made the artwork for the new Ray Omega LP. Releasedate 11th of June on Fin Du Monde Records. Anders was playing in his Swedish duo Monster & Maskiner
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Supergroup formed from members of The Kills, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Greenhornes and of course The White Stripes and Raconteurs, bands like this come and go, so you should get along while you can to see them.

Sounds like tripped out alt-country blues stuff with a bit of funk and soul, the material’s like what you should be hearing late at night in a deep south trucker bar, at least, that’s what I’d want to be hearing if I was late night in a deep south trucker bar, rather than christian rock anthems from an MP3 jukebox, which is probably more the reality. Here’s a track:

The Difference Between Us – The Dead Weather

and a myspace here.

Gig Details

• Artist: The Dead Weather
• Date: Thursday, July 1st 2010
• Time: 9:00pm
• Venue: Huxleys Neue Welt
• Address: Hasenheide 107 – 113 10967
• Admission: 29,90
• Notes: Google Translate from German: Super Group announces new album by Jack White on! Closes the hatch and pulls you to warm: They’re back! After their legendary debut Horehound has now legendary quartet from Nashville WEATHER THE DEAD and the publication of her new album Sea Of Cowards made official. It is on 21 2010 and thus may appear less than a year after the debut.
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