Words by: Kayceman

Reeperbahn Festival :: 09.24 – 09.26 :: Hamburg, Germany

Spielbudenplatz :: Reeperbahn 2009 by Zimmermann

When the big German dude wrapped his bear arms around me, his beer trickling down my back, I knew I had made the right decision. Hamburg had just defeated Munich in the biggest soccer match of the year and all 60,000 of the faithful were freaking out. The game was right in the middle of the Reeperbahn Festival, the reason I was in Hamburg, and not only was I missing music while bouncing up and down at the pristine HSH Nordbank Arena but the two nights previous were long and glorious full of indie rock (Swedish, German, Irish and American), distorted pop, psychedelic punk, dirty soul, deep blues, a string section, a couple DJs, one really bad English band, a whole lot of pilsner, and well, I was beat.

I almost didn’t go to the match. But when my guide, on loan from the city of Hamburg and one hell of a great local to hang with who had also been out drinking and rocking all weekend, gave me that look – you know, the one your boys give you when they aren’t particularly impressed – I knew I had to man up and go. And then it hit me! This is what the Reeperbahn Fest is all about. Sure, it’s centered around the music but you’re in one of the coolest cities in Europe and you have to go with the flow – of which there are many currents.

Hamburg vs. Munich by Kayceman

Like drinking till morning with new pals at the bar and a taking a boat trip through the canals that line the city, going to the soccer match was definitely the right choice. Firing off high-fives with locals covered in team jerseys, hats and scarves, the soccer game was a quintessential German moment and proved every bit as crucial to my Reeperbahn experience as the smoking Dinosaur Jr. set, Beatles tour, and discovery of new favorite band, Friska Viljor.

160 bands from 20 countries on 20 stages brought more than 18,000 music fans from around the world to Hamburg. Reeperbahn Festival, now in its fourth year, is named after and located in the heart of Hamburg’s nightlife hot spot, the Reeperbahn. Actually the name of the street that runs through the area, the Reeperbahn contains one of the most famous red-light districts in the world and prostitution is still legal, loud, and proud.

Hamburg is a port city built around beautiful waterways and charming architecture. Years ago it would take cargo boats days to unload and re-load, so sailors would flood the nearby Reeperbahn, which lays just steps from the docks. Seeking women and booze they found plenty of both and this is the seed from which the Reeperbahn has blossomed.

Reeperbahn by Kummer

Nowadays it takes boats a few hours to deal with cargo, and because of this you will no longer find any sailors up on the Reeperbahn. You will, however, still find a plethora of bars and women selling their wares, as well as windows offering a mind-blowing array of possibilities, including, but in no way limited to: “Real Texas BBQ,” ancient cell phones, paraphernalia of all sorts, karaoke, some really nice guitars, guns and swords, sausage, shawarma, giant dildos, designer handbags, real live women (don’t make eye contact unless you’re ready), trendy t-shirts, and naked wrestling.

The Reeperbahn has pulled off a rather incredible transformation. Retaining the right remnants of her seedy past and still very much a red-light district, the Reeperbahn is now one of the most happening streets in Europe. There are brothels, trannies, drug dealers and street girls, but they don’t run the place anymore. Right next to the blocked off Herbertstraße, the restricted street (men 18+ only) with half naked chicks for sale in the windows, is one of the city’s most popular restaurants, several four and five star hotels, and down the block is the city’s biggest police station. There are high-brow socialite bars, fancy eateries, really good falafel stands, street musicians, painters, frat boys (they were probably here when it was only hookers, too), dance clubs, rock rooms, sex shops, art galleries, strip shows, museums, and an endless parade of people from all walks of life looking for everything life has to offer. And because everyone is there it never feels dirty (well, never gross) or out-of-bounds, just exciting and definitely different. It’s because of this intoxicating mix that the Reeperbahn is so totally unique. Somehow all of these elements mix and while it feels a bit like Bourbon Street (what with the public drinking, debauchery, noise and neon), there’s a striking sense of freedom set to an electric pulse that borders on addictive.

Modeled after Austin’s South by Southwest, the Reeperbahn Festival utilizes about 15 clubs and bars in the area and two large outdoor stages in the center square know as the Spielbudenplatz. Patrons receive wristbands, which only cost 55 euros (roughly 82 dollars) for a three-day pass, which also includes public transportation (sweet bonus), and like SXSW the wristband gets you into any of the participating clubs (assuming they weren’t at capacity, which was rare). Unlike SXSW, where every nook and cranny of Austin is taken over by the festival, only a fraction of the storefronts at Reeperbahn are part of the event. This allows fans to still fully experience Hamburg, not just the fest. You’re not standing in a nameless field or packed in with thousands of industry folks drowning out whatever culture might exist. Walk out from a festival set and you’re rubbing shoulders with families eating dinner, locals out drinking, the upper crust crowd hitting the theater, streetwalkers looking for a “date,” and lots of tourists staring at the lights. It’s a sensory overload smorgasbord, and if you’re looking for something you can probably find it along the Reeperbahn.

Deichkind :: Reeperbahn 2009 by Evers

The festival permeates the area with daily panels, a Flatstock exhibit, and central campus lounge, but it’s not about schmoozing and boozing. It’s the complete package with music all night and days full of whatever suits your fancy. With boat trips, the newly opened Beatlemania museum (the city is going to great lengths to accurately document the Beatles’ foundational, speed-fueled days in Hamburg), various hip shopping districts, flea markets, coffee joints, gastronomic delights, historic bars with historic beers, beautiful public parks and heaps more, there’s plenty to see and do.

It would be easy to get swept up in Hamburg, maybe take a short trip to Munich or Berlin, or perhaps a five hour train ride to Amsterdam, or even head out to Prague or Italy, but that would have to come before or after Reeperbahn Festival, because for music fans, at the end of September there’s nowhere else you wanna be.

The Reeperbahn Festival’s motto is “New International Music,” and for the fourth year in a row they held true to form. From Thursday through Saturday music ran from around 8:00 p.m. till 1:30 a.m. And with late night parties and bars that never close, there was always something going down. Staring at the schedule, even the most seasoned music fan would be hard pressed to recognize half the acts other than notable headliners like Dino Jr., Jazzanova, Jose Gonzalez, Iceland’s Emiliana Torrini, and Editors. The lineup leaned heavily on European bands as it always has and, one assumes, always will. Following another season of U.S. festivals boasting strikingly similar lineups, this was incredibly refreshing. What follows are a few highlights from the rowdy nights at Reeperbahn.

Continue reading for highlights from Reeperbahn Festival…

THURSDAY, 09.24.09

King Khan & The Shrines :: 8:30-9:45 p.m. :: D-Club

King Khan & The Shrines :: Reeperbahn 2009 by Malzkorn

Based in Berlin (by way of Canada), the eight-piece soul revival, psychedelic garage rock freakers are led by eccentric singer King Khan. Equal parts James Brown and George Clinton with a splash of Sun Ra, Khan uses his stellar band to move from sexy Motown to dirty, grinding punk. While not the most energetic set by the infamous frontman, he did return for the encore with a gold cape and feather crown to sing about being inside a vagina. Considering the propositions one found just feet from the venue, it seemed like the right way to welcome us to Reeperbahn.

Girls :: 9:50-10:30 p.m. :: Molotow

One of the sweatiest, most humid venues I’ve ever set foot in, Molotow is a real rock & roll bar. Low ceiling, cheep beer, loud amps and people raging, it took a while for San Francisco’s hippie-rock, indie-popsters Girls to get underway. Having just left the interesting Irish quartet Grand Pocket Orchestra and having forgone J. Tillman (of Fleet Foxes fame), the slow start and sweating-just-by-breathing atmosphere had me second guessing my choice. Then came the distortion. Building off the foundation laid by California folk rock legends like The Byrds and the surf pop of Brian Wilson, Girls shoot their heroes full of heavy of drugs for a dizzying spell of filthy rhythms and melodic swells. By the end of their set they were melting paint (though that could have been the humidity) with a giant, slow building wave of psych-punk guitars and wailing harmonica.

Dinosaur Jr. :: 12:00-1:00 a.m. :: D-Club

Dinosaur Jr. :: Reeperbahn 2009 by Malzkorn

While tempted to check out Au Revoir Simone or maybe The New Mastersounds, the legendary Dinosaur Jr. did not disappoint. Having seen Mascis, Barlow and Murph a few times since they reunited, this was by far the most impressive showing and wound up being easily one of the best sets of the weekend. Loud but not painful (as past experiences have been), the slight tweak in volume really allowed fans to appreciate the subtle melodic shifts taking form under the sheets of rumbling bass and larger-than-life walls of guitar. Mascis is a guitar god, and as he manhandled his whammy bar, laid on his pedals, stretched his strings and put his STACKS of Marshall amps through the test, there was no denying his place amongst the pantheon of great guitar slinger. Perhaps most impressive of all was the way the three-piece held it all together. Often dangling from a thread, as it did on standout “Feel The Pain,” it often appeared that the whole thing would crumble under the distortion, but then a familiar melody would poke its head out and bring the crowd back under their spell.

FRIDAY, 09.25.09

Times New Viking :: 9:30-10:15 p.m. :: Kaiserkeller

Dedicating songs to Henry Rollins and Lux Interior, lo-fi indie-punk trio Times New Viking wear their influences on their sleeve, but use it as a patch of inspiration rather than conformity. Hailing from Columbus, OH and signed to Matador Records, the buzz has been gaining speed and with singer/keyboardist Beth Murphy making the boys go gaga, the future is bright for these young hellions.

Local Bar with Our Host Johannes

Fliegende Bauten :: Reeperbahn 2009

It was a scene outside of Deichkind, one of the hottest local acts described by a fan as “the German MGMT on crack” (their MySpace claims “Ghettotech/Freestyle/Hip Hip”). We tried to get in but it was a shit-show, tons of kids painted in Day-Glo, 30 or 40 cops, and a line around the block. It was the one set all weekend we weren’t able to walk right into. Instead of trying to pull strings, our host Johannes led us down an alley and back in time as we entered a local bar packed wall-to-wall with smiling old German faces drinking giant steins while soft porn played on old TVs in the background (no shit). Interesting note: this bar holds boxing matches in the day, and the walls are adorned with pics of local legends. There wasn’t a single Reeperbahn bracelet in the joint and one wonders if these folks even knew there was a music festival going on outside. We sat with some German football (that’s soccer to you) moms and laughed as we tried to communicate. It was awesome.

Seasick Steve :: 12:15-1:00 a.m. :: Imperial Theater

A couple hundred serious Seasick Steve fans sat comfortably in velvet chairs while the grizzly blues veteran tore through deeply sincere stories that felt like confessions. In his late sixties, Steve is the real deal; he looks the part and one gets the impression he’s lived every word he sings. Backed by an aging drummer of similar disposition, Steve used homemade guitars like the Three-String Trance Wonder, one-string Diddley Bow, a cigar box guitar, and a wooden stomp box he called the Mississippi Drum Machine to bring his tales to life. He plays with a sense of rhythm and soul that’s hard to deny, and underneath the rough exterior are soft eyes, a warm heart, and a man who’s grateful for the late in life recognition he’s receiving.

SATURDAY, 09.26.09

Die! Die! Die! :: 9:10-9:50 p.m. :: Molotow

Editors :: Reeperbahn 2009 by Malzkorn

“Great fucking city, we’re coming back,” quipped Die! Die! Die!’s frontman Andrew Wilson. It’s a long way from their New Zealand home, but based upon the crowd’s crazed response this indie-punk three-piece will be welcomed back with open arms. The heavy rhythms and catchy guitar lines were the hook, but Wilson’s keen sense of melody was the sinker. This is no one trick pony. Color me impressed.

Friska Viljor :: 10:15-11:30 p.m. :: D-Club

Best find of the weekend without question, Swedish indie-pop sensation Friska Viljor might just be the find of the year. Hip-swaying rhythms, infectious melodies, and beautifully crafted sing-along choruses (sung in English) are sewn together with mandolin, ukulele, accordion, and more traditional rock instruments to give the entire thing a rootsy, warm vibe. On record there are more horns and at times a twist of DeVotchKa, but they jump genres with ease and it’s really about the relationship between Joakim Sveningsson (lead vocals, mandolin) and Daniel Johansson (guitar, vocals). They’ve been friends for over 15 years and turned broken hearts into some of the sweetest songs of Reeperbahn.

Editors :: 12:00-1:00 a.m. :: D-Club

With two platinum selling albums and a bunch of top 10 singles, Editors are clearly one of the biggest indie rock bands in the world, not just their U.K. home. For their festival closing slot at the best rock club in town, most of the 2,000-plus fans knew every word, even the songs that were just coming out on the band’s third full-length, In This Light And On This Evening (released October 12 on Sony). Sounding very British (duh) and working the darker, moodier side of the spectrum with heavy synthesizers and catchy, raw guitars riffs, there’s a grandness to their vision, maybe one that could approach U2‘s scope should they ever get the ego and funding. At this point it doesn’t really matter that they’re still suckling from the Joy Division teat, Editors do it better than their contemporaries and Tom Smith (lead vocals, guitar, piano) is a captivating frontman who knows how to slay a crowd. It can be a bit predictable, but they clearly believe in the cause and they bring the noise onstage.

Reep The Rewards

Reeperbahn Festival is not Glastonbury, Roskilde, or even SXSW (yet), and for a penny pinching American on a harsh Euro conversion the lineup probably won’t pull you over the Atlantic. But, for those adventurous souls who crave travel and the excitement of the great unknown as a mixer with their music, Reeperbahn Festival should be a stop on their journey. Head to Hamburg for the fest and ship off to Munich the following weekend for Oktoberfest (it’s usually the weekend after Reeperbahn). Grab a rail pass and do some country hopping. Get ripped in Amsterdam, find love in Paris, and dig the beaches in Spain. If you’re lucky enough to be able to afford any of this, who wants to spend all their time at a festival anyway? Make Reeperbahn part of your European experience and you might just find a new favorite band and maybe a new favorite city.

Continue reading for more pics of Reeperbahn 2009…

JamBase | Germany

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