Mirko Gläser, the creator of Uncle M, helped manage SideOneDummy Records in Germany for over ten years when he decided to start his company in January 2012. His business is referred to as being a label as well as a publicist, booking agent and management for Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. I just want giving a big, well-deserved shout-out and thank-you to Mirko and the rest of the Uncle M team for organizing such a great evening. This year’s fest celebrated five years of Uncle M, definitely a birthday party for the books. With a stacked lineup consisting of an American, Canadian, and British band, along with two local German bands; the team treated the crowd to talent from all parts of the world. For a punk show like this, there was no venue that could top Skater Palace with its punkish charm thanks to graffiti and half pipes. Besides the band’s merch stands, other great causes were being promoted throughout the night. Sea Shepherds helps promote marine conservation. Storm Before The Calm sells fair and eco-friendly clothing. PETA ZWEI is PETA’s youth campaign in Germany. Kein Bock Auf Nazis help education people on the modern day Nazi movement within Germany and worldwide as well as resisting the AFD, which is Germany’s right-wing political party. Lastly, Skate-aid, whose goal is to bring skateboarding to disadvantaged communities across the world. Before the doors opened, Chris Cresswell of The Flatliners gave an acoustic performance, which was quite a highlight, but also just the start. So again, a big props to the Uncle M team, they did everything right, and their effort did not go unnoticed.
A band whose sound that is just as impressive as their as their name, Abramowicz started off the show, and it would be a lie to say that I was not highly impressed by them. Bluesy vocals cut through the foggy lighting setting the stage for a beautiful and fast set. The punk rock music infused with a keyboard created a fun sound that makes you want to get off your feet. They dedicated a fitting song called “Celebration Day” to Uncle M as their set came to an end. Another show, another band added to my growing list of fantastic German bands.
Considering that The Dirt Nil walked on stage to Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back,” my expectations were pretty high. But as their set continued with the same swagger that they came on with, it was hard not to like them. They kept the fast paced music theme going, and bought a lot of fun to the table. They did their thing on stage, and let loose. Half of the fun was just watching them enjoy themselves, while the other was getting lost in their rhythmic music.
Tell me what you want, but it is impossible to host a punk music festival in a skating venue, without inviting the skateboarding kings, Gnarwolves; who even brought their board on stage. Whether they play a slow jam such as “Community, Stability, Identity,” or something fast tune like “Smoking Kills,” the venue ate up every last bit of their set, getting super into it. Gnarwolves played some tracks off their newest release Outsiders, obtain a lot of love from the crowd.
What is a punk show without an activism band? Loud and proud KMPFSRT took the stage next. Once they got the ball rolling, there was no stopping; playing one banger with another. But, they did take a break from their set to remind everyone in the venue, that there is absolutely no room for racism, homophobia, fascism, xenophobia, etc. within the punk community. Then going on to emphasize the importance of how many people came out and protested against the AFD, Germany’s right wing party, in the last few weeks; especially because elections are coming up soon. Not only did they bring the noise, but also fans as well. Many in the crowd wore their merch, and some even pushed their way to the front so that they could sing the lyrics right back to the band; lots of passion came from their fans. I have a lot of respect for KMPFSRT’s music and message.
After four bands, the crowd was already pretty hyped up, pretty surprised that they could still muster so much energy, but they went nuts for The Flatliners. I mean who could blame them? It was hard to believe that the night could even better. The crowd got rowdier, and the lyrics “count your bruises one by one and laugh it off and stick around down here with us,” was meant for every single person in the crowd to sing along. And of course, everyone stayed with The Flatliners through another great set of the night which included classics like “Monumental” and newbies like “Hang Your Head.”
After such an eventful evening, it was questionable if the crowd could handle any more. But still, they seemed to have the hunger that only the headliners could satisfy. The Menzingers honestly are such a feel good band. It is impossible to stand still through their set, and of course, the crowd knew that, because as soon as their set started, it seemed as if the entire venue put on their dancing shoes. There is something indescribable about their sound that makes them such a fun band to listen to, and I could never get tired of them. They played through hit after hit as crowd surfers greeted them on stage, and people had arms around each other singing the lyrics. After starting off with some fan favorites like “I Don’t Wanna Be an Asshole Anymore” and “Mexican Guitars,” then they threw some of their newest into the mix like my personal favorite “After the Party,” and then “Bad Catholics.” But that doesn’t mean that they left out the classics off of On the Impossible Past.
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