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I must admit that The Outcasts had been off my radar for a long time. Not least because of the film "Good Vibrations," which tells the story of the founding of a record store and the eponymous music label by a certain Terri Hooley in Belfast, I rediscovered old and lesser-known bands like The Outcasts and also bands like Rudi.
Since they were back in the area, I made a pilgrimage to their show in Potsdam.
Support was provided by "Plastic Propaganda" from Hamburg. The guys and the girl present a mix of 77 punk with a bit of New Wave, in my opinion. Unfortunately, the sound wasn't that great, and overall, I found it a bit too dull. I also missed a certain catchiness in the songs. At times, it reminded me of bands that you would hear in many places in the late 70s, experimenting musically. That's not necessarily a bad thing. They did their thing quite well, but it didn't really spark my enthusiasm.
After a changeover break, the legendary Outcasts from Belfast took the stage. For the Germany gigs, a certain exiled Irishman known to many in the scene, Beano, stepped in as drummer. They kicked off with the rather calmer piece "Nowhere left to run" before hitting the gas with "Self Conscious over you" as the second song. The crowd was really getting into the set of the Irish, who, of course, had all their hits on board.
Solid sound and a likable band rounded out the picture. Many of the audience could have been the children or grandchildren of the somewhat older musicians. Frontman Greg Cowan even made a joke towards the audience, saying things like, "Your dad is waiting outside." Surely just jokes and exaggerated, but it still highlighted how long such bands have been around. However, like many other bands from this era, this did not detract from their performance. Many of these bands can still absolutely impress despite their age. And so can the young audience. The Outcasts were no exception. Highlights were clearly songs like "Just another Teenage Rebel," "Cops are coming," and the cover of "The pressure is on" by the band Rudi, where the audience sang along and pogoed enthusiastically. Substitute drummer Beano did his thing absolutely solidly throughout the set, providing the necessary foundation.
It's been 38 solid years since the band was formed in Belfast, and we can still enjoy them live. A great performance by a band that has also made punk history.
For those who are not well acquainted with the history and development of Belfast punk, I recommend the film Good Vibrations. While it's just a film, it conveys the essence of the story quite well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWADHZBb48A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA53g-S5CNU
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