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01.26.01
Gilman Crowd Conquered
Reported by: Klaus Gräbme
It
was a cold and rainy
night as I drove my Westfalia around the streets of Berekely, CA
searching for the hollowed grounds of 924 Gilman St. where the American
debut of ArnoCorps would take place. Clouds of tear gas and armed
riot police chasing black clad ArnoFans, telltale
signs that ArnoCorps were in the vicinity, were
nowhere to be found. Was I too late? Was the club shut down by the
Fascists?
After I finally found the rather nondescript looking club and started
heading for the door I heard the distant rumbling of a helicopter.
Having a flashback of previous ArnoCorps shows I screamed, "Polizei!
Polizei!" and ran into the club with the swiftness of a gebirgs
löwe. After I gave the doorman a few marks to secure my admittance
I proceeded to go further inside, and what I found was quite shocking,
yet strangely familiar. I found a club packed to the brim with people,
some of whom had thick Germanic accents and were boisterously shouting
slogans of freedom and solidarity, and others who had the strained
look of anticipation on their faces. The crowd was contained by
worn walls that were adorned with colorful anti-fascist sentiments
reminding me of the Berlin Wall back home before it came toppling
down. As I made my way towards the stage through a thick shroud
of smoke the sound of whirling chopper blades became increasingly
loud and I wondered if these walls would soon come down as well.
Suddenly, the chopper sound subsided and the smoke near the stage
parted revealing a tall menacing figure who commenced to scream "Are you ready for ArnoCorps?!" "Holy strudelhosen!
It's Holzfeuer!", I yelled as the band proceeded to tear into
the epic, "Predator".
It quickly became clear to me that this new American incarnation
of ArnoCorps was even more devastating than their European predecessors.
Thunderous rhythms generated by the battery of Nagelbett and Toten
Adler caused the floor to undulate while shards of bent guitar squaller
from Halstucha and Inzo pierced my skull. Then there were Holzfeuer's
vocals, vocals delivered with such passion and conviction thus leaving
no doubt that he is a true believer of the ways of Arno. Songs such
as "Predator", "Running Man", "Raw Deal",
"True Lies", and "Terminator" and others were
played in such punishing fashion as to give the crowd no choice
but to go into a frenzy.
After the show I asked Holzfeuer how he thought their U.S. debut
went over with the Americans. He replied with, "We are very
pleased with tonight's proceedings. Our mission was to conquer and
inform. To conquer their hearts with music and to inform their minds
with the ways of Arno. We believe tonight's mission was a success
and we are excited about bringing our message to even more people
in this great land."
And bring their message to the people they will as they have just
been ordered to assault Burnt Ramen in Richmond, CA and the Veteran's
Hall in Brentwood, CA. Consider your attendance required.
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