Messed!Up
If we start with the old argument about getting value for money; Italian Talco popped by Hamburg for double sold-out shows on their 20th Anniversary Tour and pulled off a 30+ song set at Martkhalle in Hamburg over an almost two-hour long show. That’s impressive!
My first experience of Talco is in fact quite a recent one. They played at the Reeperbahn Festival during the pandemic in front of 500 seated people, a gig that ended in chaos when they played – for obvious reasons – the local favorite song “St. Pauli” (for non-Hamburgians, St Pauli is our party hoods in Hamburg) and people started to jump up from their chairs while security was running mad to push people back in their seats as the pandemic laws in Germany were quite tough at the time. Well, it was enough to get them a new fan.
Talco took the stage just before 9 pm, and within minutes, the place transformed into a sweaty, beer-soaked war zone. From the first chord of “Il Tempo” to the final cymbal crash “Un’idea”, it was pure, unfiltered chaos – just the way a punk show should be. Sure, I don’t like to get beers in my head (and would never think of throwing an expensive beer) but last night I didn’t care, it just added to the amazing atmosphere at Markthalle. Their blend of punk rock, ska, and folk influences, even a bit of gypsy-punk flair, and dominated by trumpets and saxophones, often referred to as ‘patchanka’, add a vibrant and danceable vibe. In fact, if you don’t move to their music you should probably do a health check.
As expected, the crowd erupted during fan favorites like “La Torre” and “Danza dell’autunno rosa”, with a mosh pit forming almost instantly. But we all came for one specific song; the anthemic “St. Pauli” turned Markthalle into a massive singalong sea, as fists pumped in the air and people bounced around shouting ‘Danzano sulla gloria di giorni conquistati […] Figli della memoria, banditi a St. Pauli’. Sure, no one knows what they’re singing save for the few Italians onsite but it doesn’t matter – we’re here for the vibe, the beer and the singalong.
Frontman Tomaso ‘Tomi’ De Mattia, the band’s frontman, led the charge with his raspy and nasal yet melodic vocals; the horn section – always a key player in their sound – was particularly impressive, adding to the vibe with high kicks and fists in the air in between. The chemistry between saxman Enrico ‘Chioro’ Marchioro and trumpeter Andrea ‘Turborizia’ Barin is amazing, and it was clear they were having just as much fun as the audience, high-five:ing each other after some solo parts. Whether it was the chaotic pogoing or the synchronized skanking in the slower ska moments, there was never a dull moment from where we were standing five meters from front of house. Even those unfamiliar with the band’s lyrics found themselves caught up in the energy, clapping and chanting along.
Talco once again proved why they are one of the most exciting acts in the European punk-ska scene. It’s this combination of raw punk energy and danceable ska grooves that makes Talco’s live shows feel like a rebellious street party (well, with a focus on anti-fascism, social justice, and leftist politics it would be strange otherwise). They have so many good songs and create such an amazing atmosphere at their shows but however we turn and twist it, nothing is as good as in the moment they play “St. Pauli”.
Trust me, you don’t have to be an avid listener of their albums. Just come out for a great night of dancing the next time they hit your town. Thanks, lads. See you at the 25th Anniversary Tour (or at a festival soon).
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Photographer: Martin Wilson
