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Bomb 1 had exploded, and Bomb 2 was already on the way, a big club tour was to follow. I saw the heroes of my youth live for the first time, and at almost 30, I fondly remember the great times back when I was 15, listening to my first punk albums, which of course included WIZO. The lyrics and the music brought me into punk back then and steered the good Lizal away from the "right" path of Schlager music. I was even more pleased that a new club from our area, the PLUTONIUM in Straßkirchen, managed to score a show with WIZO. So it was also a home game right at my doorstep. Fratz, originally a Bavarian and the band's tour manager, also got me a guest ticket. Thanks for that. The anticipation was therefore immense, along with the expectation of whether WIZO and his guys still had it.
The Plutonium was already sold out, and a huge crowd of many young, new faces and the regular audience of the region gathered in front of the entrance. There were supposed to be 200 evening tickets available spontaneously, but they were gone quickly, leaving some disappointed faces behind. The girls and boys at the Plutonium had their hands full with the influx of visitors, and I was very pleased that things were also lively at the bar, with drinks flowing. After all, the people there do everything DIY and with their own ambition, renovating the club themselves and investing time and money into their project. Therefore, I was even more delighted that they received confirmation from WIZO.
The Plutonium was fuller than ever, and there were 3 different bars set up. I kept encountering faces and people I hadn't seen in years. It's hard to believe who all came out of their homes today. WIZO is simply cult. I took a round and spoke with Fratz, the tour manager, who excitedly told me that he organized the entire tour and that it has been going very well so far. The tension rose, and it was about to get even more interesting; even WIZO, alias Axel, encountered us later in the evening in a relatively relaxed mood as he just jumped out of the backstage area. He introduced himself to me and even asked how my band was doing, which he had also noticed. It's great when Mr. Kurth shows no star attitude and is interested in up-and-coming bands. I felt a bit honored.
Slowly, the soundcheck for KOTZREIZ began as the hall started to fill up. The support show itself was quite short; I think it lasted about 30 minutes. However, the audience didn't make it easy, and somehow, the atmosphere just wouldn't build up. Everyone stood around a bit reserved. After all, everyone was waiting for WIZO, and with such a big act, it's certainly not easy for the support to be the warm-up act. Especially not when you have to give it your all in just 30 minutes while half the audience is still outside. I always find that unfair to the supports.
By the end of the show, the Plutonium was packed, and everyone was just waiting for Axel and WIZO. When it finally started, I was immediately impressed by the light show; everything was perfectly timed and looked fantastic. The lighting matched the songs and the timing perfectly. Technically, Axel and Co. seem to be punk rock perfectionists; they even use Kemper amps on stage to play different sounds and make the songs as varied as possible. Punk and good sound don't have to be mutually exclusive, and this is not only due to the good technology but also to the very distinctive riffs that Mr. Kurth brings to the fore. A truly brilliant musician who still has the same vocal prowess as in his early days. Unmistakable indeed.
Whether old or new songs, everything is at a high level that only a few classic bands in the German punk genre can maintain. The two musicians Axel had with him this time also made a significant impact. A very fit bassist and drummer played a solid set. The stage presence of the gentleman on the 4-string was awesome, and he jumped around the stage like he was stung by a tarantula, harmonizing really well with Axel. The sound was perfect, and it really sounded just like on the record. The crowd went wild when hits like "Raum der Zeit" rang out.
It was a totally epic moment when suddenly "Das goldene Stück Scheisse" played. This is truly one of my favorite songs by WIZO, and the atmosphere in the room was at boiling point as everyone started singing along. For me, lyrically, it's a completely timeless song, and in terms of musical execution, it's fantastic. It's such an incredibly catchy tune. Of course, there were also other hits during the gig like "Diese Welt", "Bleib tapfer", or "Kein Gerede" blasting through the audience. Musically totally awesome and lyrically timeless as ever. A piece of punk rock history indeed. What I really like about WIZO is that they have always managed to be so varied musically, and no song sounds like the other.
They also played hits from the new album like "Ganz klar gegen Nazis", "Königin", and "Unpoliddisch", which some of the audience already seemed to know the lyrics to. Although that's rather unusual for new songs from bands. Well, it's WIZO, everyone knows them. WIZO rocked for a good 2 hours, and everyone was totally exhausted after the gig. The pogo will likely go down in history as a highlight of the Plutonium Club. Our bassist Wastl came out of the pogo totally spent, stating that it had been the hardest pogo in years.
Towards the end of the gig, the "Fertiecaster" also came into play. The "Fert" built as a guitar, what a cool piece. I am a bit envious of that.....
The "letzte Sau" was supposed to signal the end, but I think we will hear a lot more from WIZO in the future. There were of course multiple encores, and the atmosphere in the Plutonium was incredibly great. By the end of the show, no one wanted to go home.. All I can say is: Hopefully, this isn't the last tour from WIZO and that many more will follow. I was completely and positively surprised.