Saturday Clubs

 

Since the end of World War II, more and more US soldiers have been stationed around Stuttgart. In recent years, their numbers have decreased significantly, but to this day, Kelly Barracks in a suburb is home to AFRICOM, the headquarters of the US military for operations in Africa. In the early 1980's, we often visited the barracks for the annual German-American Friendship Day. To be honest, it was mainly to buy cheap cigarettes. When we talked to the soldiers, they often complained that there was no country club like the ones they knew from home.

The Longhorn Country & Western Saloon opened in March 1984, catering to the need of US military personnel stationed in Stuttgart for an American-style bar. We became aware of this club at the end of 1984 because it was the venue for the nationwide public male striptease. At that time, the strippers were US soldiers; men were not allowed in. Other events such as mud wrestling and wet T-shirt contests are also unthinkable today. When we visited the club for the first time, we were presented with a strange competition.

From 1987 onward, local concert promoters became aware of the club because they had the opportunity to organize concerts for up to 1,000 spectators. Since then I became a regular visitor of the club and was lucky enough to The Pixies, The Levellers, The Fall, Steele Pulse, The Woodentops and George Clinton among many others. 

I particularly remember The Gun Club concert in 1987. At that time, there was still a public bar and a pool table on the first floor in front of the artists' dressing rooms. We arrived quite early and passed the time playing a few games until the opening act, Dinosaur Jr., came on stage. After that, we sat down at the bar and ordered a beer. Then a young Japanese woman sat down next to me and we had a nice chat until a long-haired punk with red eyes and an open mouth came up to me, grabbed me by the collar, and told me to leave his girlfriend alone. Several security guards immediately separated us and asked me to leave the floor. How could I have known that I was talking to Romi Mori, the bassist and then-girlfriend of Jeffrey Lee Pierce? Happy that nothing more happened, I was able to enjoy the concert.

Atomic Dog

 

In December 1996, some friends and I ventured into a musical genre that we only knew to a limited extent. We only really knew funk and soul from James Brown and were excited to see what the godfather of funk had to offer. All we knew was that George Clinton was going to take us on a journey into the depths of funk. Out of nothing but funk, he creates a party for himself and his audience, two and a half hours long, not a second of it boring, an eternal return of the same and yet endlessly entertaining. Bootsy Collins, without the master of the powerfully strummed electric bass guitar, sets the mood for the long evening. After what felt like an eternity, the master took to the stage. Golden suit, huge golden top hat, psychedelic glasses on his nose, the coolest grin in the universe just below and the journey began. Many songs, often stretched to the limit, but always with a rhythm that never let go.  I've been to many concerts, but a concert where funk dominated and inspired in such a way was unique. It is time to remember this music. Great stuff.

George Clinton - Atomic Dog

Them Changes

It's summer and more and more exhilarated songs were released. One of those I found by visiting the homepage of Austrian radio. It's by Stephen Bruner aka Thundercat an American bass player and producer. With his brother he played in former times with Suicidal Tendencies before he started to work as a session musician. He has a close friendship to Flying Lotus and was the producer of Kendrick Lamar's last album. It's a little gem with a steady slow soul, references to Prince and George Clinton in slow-motion.