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Catch As Catch Can live - dangerous rock'n'roll
Intensiver Energieaustausch im Komet; Bild: Hannes Bothfeld
On December 9, 2022, the Kiezkneipe Komet invited to the debauched indulgence of handmade rock'n'roll. Headlining the evening was Kassel-based garage rock band Catch As Catch Can, which draws its influences from the entire history of rock music. Also in the hand luggage were Don/t, which is partly made up of music makers from Kassel. A kind of rocking family reunion, so to speak.
The ambience of the Komet Club is 100 percent geared to dirty rock'n'roll. The upstairs area is a cozy, gritty smokers' bar where music is played live. If you enter through a side door, a spiral staircase railing leads to the basement. It is precisely in this musty cellar that the spirit of rock'n'roll seems to have taken root. Its essence is literally omnipresent. The basic moods of both floors could not be more different! The stage is kept small and hardly generates a noticeable distance between the artists and the audience.
Table of Contents
- Don/t - short and painful
- Rock family reunion
- Energy exchange in its purest form
- No rules!
- Catch As Catch Can - Anything but crap
- mukken.com - Portal to higher music knowledge
Don/t - short and painful
The quite young formation called Don/t consisting of Johann, Nadia, Jakob and Nils comes from Hamburg. They stand for sweaty hardcore punk of the first hour. Spontaneously they took the slot as opening act for Catch As Catch Can, which also marked their very first live performance. Right from the first notes it becomes clear: Don/t take no prisoners. The tempo is permanently in the fast lane and there is no time for announcements.
Only a self-titled demo tape bring the four maniacs, which was released just on 04.12.2022. The material was consistently given live to the best, and that in no less than about twelve minutes! The running length felt only half as long due to the sheer force and frenzy of Don/t's music. On the drums, Johan from "Melting Palms" gave his all, shining brighter here than he ever could in his main band. He constantly plays snotty skank beats and hammers his kit like a man possessed, so that sweat runs out of all his pores within seconds. By his own admission, he sweats more during a twelve-minute Don/t set than during an hour-long Melting Palms concert.
Rock family reunion
After watching both bands this statement can only be confirmed. The string fraction consists of members of the Kassel punk band "Suck" whose drummer also plays drums for Catch As Catch Can. As already mentioned, the concert is a family atmosphere in which the musicians push and support each other. This is very much in the spirit of the initial DIY mentality, where people produce their own handmade music away from external interference.
Don/t are in no way inferior to this attitude and unleash all six songs of their catalog briefly and painfully into the immediate crowd. In addition, there is a constant echo effect on Nadia's voice, which reverberates somberly in the small basement. The effect was only used in the live setting—on the recorded material it cannot be heard at all. Raging aggression and driving beats know how to harmonize and make you greedy for more from this fresh, unique troupe. Do listen to Don/t!
Energy exchange in its purest form
The virtual lack of distance between audience and bands provides a deeper immersion that cannot be established at most other concerts. It is precisely this fact that sets small, intimate concerts apart from the masses and gives them that certain something. Such an exchange of energy is only possible in a live setting and delivers pure joy. With great joy Catch As Catch Can then enter the stage. At first, due to the sheer appearance of the band, the kind of frenetic and playful old rock'n'roll is not expected, as they seem like a troupe of students.
Instead of neat art rock sponsored by the art academy, Catch As Catch Can transform the basement of the Komet Club into a hellish inferno in the name of rock'n'roll. They invite you on a trip in a musical time capsule. All directions of the spectrum of rock music are filtered through a wide-ranging musical catalog and presented up close. The sweat beads of the musicians mix with those of the audience - this is exactly how live, handmade rock'n'roll should feel. This is pure authenticity!
No rules!
Before getting into the nitty gritty, a little context should be established regarding the meaning of the band's name. In Germany, it was common several decades ago to use "catchen" as the guiding umbrella term for the sport of wrestling. This has nothing to do with the fact that many Germans have poor English skills. No, "catching" is actually an antiquated English term for wrestling. The accurate term would be catch wrestling. Catch-As-Catch-Can in this case is a form of the sport in which the fighters are allowed to play dirty.
An example of this would be the leg stance, which in regularly executed fights would result in an immediate disqualification. The quartet from Kassel could not have found a more fitting name. Because with the first notes played, they impressively demonstrate that rules don't bother them in the slightest! The band, which has existed since 2014, abruptly wipes away any doubts based on outward appearance and transforms the basement of the Komet Club into a furnace. Garage rock at its finest is on full display here!
Catch As Catch Can - Anything but crap
Catch As Catch Can are raw and playful, yet also completely tight when it comes to playing together. All four band members share the vocal duties with occasional gang shouts that get the audience's blood pumping. At the same time, they manage to keep their music exciting and constantly sprinkle unexpected twists into the musical construct. These maximize fun and entertainment, with what feels like the entire history of rock filtered through Catch As Catch Can's sound, while at the same time being snotty and charming. From the first note to the last, the rousing set captivates and the crowd is whipped into a collective frenzy.
For live settings, this kind of music, as represented by Catch As Catch Can, is predestined. Why? Because the band's inherent irrepressibility makes for a tremendous exchange of energy. On record, the band sounds excellent, but to fully grasp their impact, they should be witnessed live at all costs. One can be curious to see how the upcoming album "Rational Anthems" will continue the previous formula. Catch As Catch Can as well as Don/t are pure energy and therefore also an easy recommendation! Destroyed stage equipment included!
mukken.com - Portal to higher music knowledge
Did you enjoy this live report from our author Hannes? There are some more waiting where this report comes from! For example the concert of Melting Palms and Zahn mentioned in the article. Furthermore, you can expect a whole section about features here on the mukken blog. Plus, of course, feel free to subscribe to us on our social media channels. One of the latest additions is the mukken podcast, which can be found on Spotify. Come on board and let's grow together. Because music has been connecting people since the beginning of time. Because music brings people together—that's what we stand for here at mukken.com.
Originally published on January 30, 2023, updated on February 3, 2023
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