"Sold out" and that for weeks.... Maybe they should have moved from the "Werk1" hall (formerly the old "X", the "Atomix") to the much larger "Werkhalle" of the new KulturWerk!??! I think it was the right decision to have 250-300 ZSK fans partying in the smaller hall instead of moving to the much larger venue....
But starting at 7:30 PM is really early on a Friday, yet Werk1 was already quite full when I arrived a few minutes later and the first band ASTRO PUNKS was already playing. As young as the three punk kids were, they must have jumped in the car right after school and sped from Meck-Pomm (at least that’s what one of them told me) to Herford. Their parents were then stationed at their merchandise stand. ;-)
Musically, it was quite okay, 1-2 mistakes were heard, but who cares, this is punk rock in very young years. According to Jürgen, the little drummer was only 11 years old, but he really smashed his kit, wow, really good!!!! And according to Aldi, both the guitarist and the bassist are 14 years old!!! Respect, and I take my hat off to them!!!
So keep an eye on this band, they could become something really big.
After a pretty quick changeover, SPLITTERFASER took the stage in Werk1. Also a trio, but not quite as young as the ASTRO PUNKS. ???? And their journey wasn’t too far either, from Osnabrück, if I figured that out correctly. The three also took turns with the vocals, but there was already the first problem, the drummer's microphone didn’t work at times. I also found that the guitar was a bit weakly mixed for both bands. Otherwise, SPLITTERFASER was completely convincing, and I’m sure I haven’t seen them for the first and last time. Good punk rock is always worth watching more than once.
And I don’t really need to say much about ZSK, hopefully everyone knows the band. They must, otherwise the gig wouldn’t have sold out so quickly. As usual, Joshi got the audience pumped up, and the band heated up the crowd, which was gratefully received. However, it was unfortunate that some pogo idiots deliberately targeted people and, among other things, aimed their elbows at faces, at least that’s what Eugen, who was right in the middle, told me. After his collarbone fracture during pogo at the last NEUROTIC ARSEHOLES concert ever in Mindener FKK…. I’m not in the pit as often anymore, I leave that to the "half as old" mid-20s.... Otherwise, it was a great party where even the youngest audience members (from 10 ??!?!?) were considered, including the announcement that there will be a small kids' tour in 2025. I think that’s great. :-)
Speaking of tours, ZSK have played here several times before, but this is their second time in Herford. The first time was in 2001 (!), according to Joshi, at the old FlaFla, also known as "Spunk". With a cinema, pub, and a lovely courtyard in summer. Until it closed in the mid-2000s. I don’t remember why, but there were some good concerts there and hot disco nights :-) However, I didn’t see ZSK back then, but ?!!?? I don’t remember anymore, I just know that the TROOPERS didn’t show up.... :-(
Back to the "Kick", uh, "X", no, it’s called "KulturWerk" now, (although my first concert there was BAD RELIGION and the place was called "Rock Heaven"), so now into the Atomix club, or rather "Werk1" as it’s called now, and as is well known, the dice hang very low from the ceiling, but that didn’t stop some from crowd surfing. Unfortunately, at one point the two security guys weren’t paying attention, so a surfer almost fell on Joshi, who reacted quite angrily, not at the surfer but at the two staff members. It also went the other way once, one of the 8 crew members from ZSK was sent on a journey with a beer from the stage to the birthday boy at the mixing desk. His beer also narrowly missed the dice, but it eventually arrived well-filled at the mixer. After exactly 90 minutes, there was the first and only break. I’m just wondering, were the two cover songs of IGGY POP’s "The Passenger" and WIZO’s "Raum der Zeit" played before or after the break!???! In any case, the awesome gig ended quite quickly afterward. Even though all the hits from ZSK were played by then, it could have (as always) gone a bit longer after the break…
All in all, everyone was happy afterward, especially since all the musicians were also available at the merch stand....
