The Astra Stube hadn’t grown since the last time your indomitable Zasph correspondents ventured through the doors of this sweaty broom cupboard nestled under one of Hamburg’s iron railway bridges. This bar, only a few hundred meters away from the trendy shiny-people’s scene that is the Sternschanze, is as gritty and claustrophobic and real as the Sternschanze is not, although the odd morcel of forced laughter and flash of perfect teeth do manage to make an appearance here.

     Despite its size, Astra Stube really puts on some quality acts and this night was no exception.

     For those who’ve never heard of Django 3000, let me paint a picture. This four piece combo from Germany’s deep south combine Klezmer, ska, psychobilly, Russian folk and punk. Then they top off this heady mixture by singing in Bayrisch, the dialect commonly spoken in Bavaria.

     A large bearded man with tattoos and a perky waxed moustache plays the sweetest gypsy violin you’ve ever heard south of Stuttgart, Bavaria’s Stradivarius, if you will. A psychobilly spider monkey keeps rhythm intact with his upright bass, a homeless man in a pair of stolen dark glasses belts out the tunes on a battered acoustic guitar, and the drummer sits to one side behind a minimal kit which would be almost unnoticeable if it were not for the fact that it is lit from within by flourescent coloured neons.

     The crowd was a mix of ages, but down the front were mostly students in their 20s, dancing like sardines would dance if they only could after they had been squeezed into a can. A couple of girls even sported Bavarian-style dirndl dresses, though I’m no expert on these things. They may have been the genuine article or they may have been rented for the evening. The dresses I mean, not the girls. Or, well… I’ll leave it at that. The main thing was everyone appeared to be having fun, and after a brief pause during which the door was opened to allow fresh air in and cigarette smoke out, the band thrashed out three encores, or « Zugabe » in the local parlance.

     These Klezmer Klowns bring catchy rhythms, hummable choruses and unintelligible lyrics to the stage in a mix that makes for pure dance-inducing fun ; and it would be fitting to see them take Germany to the podium at the next Eurovision song contest.

For more videos of Django 3000 and other bands check out the Zasph! YouTube channel

© CCC