Vorkriegsjugend - Live im Quartier Latin, Berlin, 30.04.1984 LP
I must say I was looking forward getting this record delivered straight outta Berlin from Iffi as for now it's the only VKJ record I own. Long gone are the golden days of punk rock record hunting where I used to have their LP and the New Face version of their Double-EP, but maybe somebody will finally reissue their old catalogue or I will get lucky again and find those records somewhere out there in the wild. Even more shocking though is the fact that this record which only came out about three months ago is already sought after. And here I was thinking I'll write up a little review so the few losers reading this blog can maybe get off of their asses and get a copy. Well, if you can, snap it up as it's a good one. Some people may very well be turned off by Vorkriegsjugend since about ten years ago their singer Klaus Hicker was arrested in Thailand for alleged sexual abuse on underage children, definitely not something anyone wants to be associated with. Nevertheless even such a sad and serious stain in the band's history cannot take anything away from what the band had achieved in the relatively short timespan between 1982 and 1985. Interestingly enough the band that absolutely stood for Squat Hardcore Punk Made in Berlin consisted of members whom all moved to Berlin from the South of Germany, mainly Bavaria. Their Double-7" on Pogar Records from '83 and their '84 LP on Zorro are to this day regarded as milestones in German Hardcore Punk, and rightfully so. It is rarely the case that I even buy live records or actually enjoy them as quite frankly too often live records just don't deliver. Quartier Latin was a well-loved club on Potsdamer Strasse 96 and was known to host a lot of Folk, Blues and Jazz gigs, but in April of 1984 Vorkriegsjugend opened up for the UK82 stalwarts One Way System and English Dogs at said club and a soundboard copy of VKJ's set was circulated amongst friends of the band and I would assume in tape-trading circles. It wasn't until 2022 when it was pressed onto vinyl for the first time and I repeat myself I am glad I snapped up a copy as it's well worth to have capturing the band at the height of their short-lived career with their second line-up including a second guitarist. Songs like "Wir sind die Ratten", "Heute Spass, Morgen Tod" or one of my personal favorites "Die Pest" are just timeless German Hardcore Punk classics. The sound quality on this record is better than I had anticipated and the LP comes with a nice fold out poster. Sehr gut!
Update May 4, 2023: A 2nd pressing of this record has just been released. Get your greedy hands on a copy!
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