HARDWARE-BASH 2001

I have to do this from time to time. I am not yet thirty years old, so that is still young, you see (even though it is probably oldet than you can imagine). And as long as I am still young, I can insist on the fact that age is not so important after all. And therefore I can act juvenile or even childish without fearing repercussions of any kind. There is another thing: When you have been doing a fanzine or a website like this here for some time, you gradually change your listening habits and reading habits around. Involuntarily you screen possible material, that you are about to consume, for its review-value, i.e. will it be worth to be written about? That is a doom, you see. Suddenly you are very knowledgeable about the latest trends and fads in a little subcultural scene, but you ain't listening to the older, great masterpieces anymore. I think I am lucky to have shaken that off. I listen to what I want, read what suits my fancy and go to concerts only if I please. (As if that was a big thing? Or if music and books were that important?) And concerts I rarely find a very attractive choice. (Read here for more info.) So I went to the annual Hardware-Bash because I wanted to get my eardrums rocked.

Every year, for the third time now, Didi of Hammerwerk-Records-fame, shows us, that the Hardcore-DIY-spirit is still alive. That there is a working network of underground-bands and kids, and that it is possible to organize a big show (almost) by yourself. Didi is a nice guy. Over thirty years old already, probably hyperactive and without the need of sleeping like the feeble rest of us, but a very nice guy nonetheless. And these Hardware-Bashes are lots of fun. They are something like an Austrian version of the Fiesta-Comes-Alive-Shows, and just as legendary around here and the CEE. 

There was a cool line-up of bands, even though Yacopsae and another band cancelled. I only saw three and a half set of bands, since I had a mountain-bike-tour ahead of me the next morning and wanted some sleep beforehand (which was a good idea, as I realized gladly). There played DRESCHFLEGEL, GRIDE and WILBUR COBB and CONCRETE. I didn't get to see Y, which is a pity, since they seem to be all the rage at the moment. But sound sleeping is a necessity if you want to ride a bicycle up a mountain. Ask Lance Armstrong, he'll tell you.

So, you ask yourself, there was a big show, with lots of bands for a cool entrance-fee of 7,30 €, what is so great about that? You are right, bands playing and good music is nice, but that shouldn't be all, should it? Well, there are some other facts and things to keep in mind. First off, this is Vienna, you see. There ain't so much happening here (even though there are some very active and engaged people, who really are doing cool stuff - check the links-section for their names). Then Didi does his thing very well. He'll organize vegan food, various record- and merchandise-distros with tables, there were cocktails, a flickering comfy fire-place and an overall fine and very relaxed atmosphere. The bands vary in style a lot. Yes, also in technical ability and creativity, but that is obvious. All of the bands belong to the modern harsh and fast-core genre, but some are more emo-screamy, some more trashy, some more metal and so on. It is very much a short, fast & loud thing. And the audience, or better: the people showing up, were very diverse, too. The reason could also be, as I mentioned, that there isn't a lot of other stuff happening in Vienna, so everybody just goes where at least something is happening. But there is always also the alternative of watching TV, isn't there? I saw some old-time-punx (though they might always be there), hardcore-types, emo-kids and regular people like me. 

Antother reason: a fine selection of Eighties-Disco (though Seventies-Disco is way better ;-)) between the sets and even some country-music. Yeh, a good evening, fine shows, nice time, I guess I'll go there again next year. I don't care how old I am.
There was another funny thing, that struck me, that might even be very sad, if you think about it. It concerns the record-distros at hardcore-concerts. Of course, there are always those people with their two boxes of records, CDs and singles, but at the hardware-bash there were at least six of them. Some came with the bands, some were from Vienna or someplace around, which is all good and nice. The strange thing was how much these record-distros resembled the neoliberalist free market(place). Six different sellers and mostly the same offerings at very comparable prices. It's like shopping everything else. The over-the-top-thing was the flyer of a distro, obviously a new one, which stated that this distro was started to make a difference, to form an alternative. Well, I didn't really see the alternative. Stepping two meters to the side I was standing in front of another distro, that was nearly the same as the one in front of me. What is so appealing about record-hustling at that size, that everybody wants to do it? Is it only to be able to buy records at wholesale-prices?

I mean, this is also a problem for the people producing the records. Why should they give small packets of records to various distros when they could be reaching the same amount of people by giving a big packet to just one or two distros (with whom they have been working productively for a few years and whom they trust). There are two obvious solutions that should be considered: Either these new distros are trying to push different products. There was one table offering 1"-buttons - but what alternative is that, really? That could also be a different style of music, or second hand-records, or books (yeah?) or at least something else. Or, these new distros proactively try to reach new people in new places. Otherwise, all these distros with the same records trying to sell to the same people, will cannibalise each other and finally destroy the basis for all of them. Yeah, there is a bit of economics envolved, even if you want to sell "ideas" via records. But that is not much more than common sense.

If you want to make a difference, do something different. (Ralph Nader)