New month, new party! First of all, Eyehategod and Dopelord will play two separate shows in Riga at the same time. Last time something like this happened was in 2017 when Mayhem performed at Melnā Piektdiena while Dying Fetus was live at One One. Sloppy promoters not talking to each other, especially when they work at a professional level (I heard they actually talked to each other later when Dopelord organizers were looking for a new venue after the previously planned Vagonu Hall got closed. But it was too late. Tickets were already selling for both shows separately). Anyway, either you’re team american alcoholics or team polish potheads, there’s an afterparty for both of them, on May 17th (Friday) super originally dubbed as “EHG / DOPELORD AFTERPARTY”.
The cool thing about the afterparty show is the location. Most of Diskultur (this is Diskultur – the promoter who’s blog you’re reading) shows happens at Ādmiņu 4 nowadays. Humanicide, Filthy Hangout, Turboballe… All of them start to get mixed up so to spice things up, the afterparty will be held at a new spot, called “CULT”, a raver / beer pong playhouse right above a pool bar “BAMS” on Cēsu 18 in Riga.
To enter you have to walk through the pool house, pass the bartender, enter the backdoor stairs, climb to the 3rd floor and there you go, a punk show! Hidden and confusing, I know. Because it’s not a house project / squat / regular punk venue, there’ll be some rules!
(Oh no! Not the rules!)
Just for this time, to understand the limits of our new hosts;
1. No age restriction but you’ll have to show your ID so the bartender knows if they can legally sell you alcohol.
2. No BYOB sadly, yeah, I know. So get hammered beforehand or support the venue by buying a beer from the bar. P.S. they’ll check the bags! Don’t try to smuggle or smuggle smart!
3. 8 euro donation for touring bands. Regular damage, nothing new.
4. “Zobens un Lemess” bar is around the corner. The last time there was a punk show nearby, youngsters went to the infamous pagan bar and pissed on the tavern’s floor. The bartender took the young punk’s jacket and forced him to clean up his mess with it. Full blown punk experience.
Your time table for May 17th:
13:00 wake up with a horrible hangover after the great Thursday party.
15:05 force yourself to go out for a beer. Maybe it will help. Or breakfast, or coffee.
16:20 get nostalgic about the show.
16:50 realize there’s an afterparty today.
16:53 start to google where the fuck is Cēsu 18.
19:00 doors open. Weird location. Need time to find the right place.
20:00 Skala Bünte starts. Cool hardcore with metal. Bunch of kids in the crowd.
21:00 Degra introduces themselves. Weird looking pals. Probably Lithuanians.
22:00 Alkomulaator tries to speak in Latvian. Gives up. Привет! Мы краст из Риги.
23:00 Night Lives goes into the vibe. Grownups. Nice atmodoom. People trip balls.
00:00 fuck. You end up at Zobens and Lemess. Why is your jacket smelly and wet?
Ok, jokes aside, here’s about all the bands:
SKALA BÜNTE – psych metal / rock, Riga
https://youtu.be/IVUox-4Ewg8?si=rait4AUtG8DcL93D
I’ve written about S.B. before. They still collect the biggest crowd, still play energetic, look young and attractive. Kind of the same phenomenon that happened with Pauls Raimonds, the previous local cult band. There’s a lot of similarities. Skala Bünte are looking for their own sound, copying basic hardcore and metal riffs, while adding their own flavor that is yet to be found. Same with Pauls Raimonds. Skala Bünte drummer mentioned Pauls Raimonds dummer as his inspiration. So there goes the generation influenced by the previous one. Perfect. “Punk” works again.
Bands like this never last. They experiment together as a band but always split up to go separate directions, when the sought is found. Same with Tavas Māsas Nāsis, Pidari, Pauls Raimonds and other local short term stars. Will see what the future holds for Skala Bünte. Hopefully they will choose a different pattern.
I booked Skala Bünte as the opening band just because most of the attendees arrive early.
DEGRA – blackened emo d-beat, Vilnius
https://degradbeat.bandcamp.com/album/vidinis-konfliktas
Degra is an emotional post-metal type of band. Over the years they have changed a lot. From black metal to d-beat crust to queer-themed punk band to emo. I first booked them in 2019 for the 2nd Humanicide festival. And they were on fire. 2 girls in the band, shrieks, double bass pedal. Then I booked them in 2023 for Disbaltics split album presentation and later for Queer Punk fest in Warsaw. I think the lyrical and visual transformation in the band happened after they got the new bassists who suggested the stockings, nail polish and girly clothes for the band’s outfit as a joke. But after Kaunas Pride march and the vocalist’s family member coming out as trans, the band bravely adopted the provoking outfit and still wears it today.
I booked Degra because the band is coming to Riga for Eyehategod anyway so why not throw them a party!
ALKOMULAATOR – crust / raw punk, Riga
https://alkomulaator1.bandcamp.com/album/hemp-inspired
Alkomulaator is the Смерть-inspired russian crust machine based in Riga. Honestly, one of my favorite bands in Latvia right now. They have adapted the d-beat song writing and added their own filthy slow parts that opposite of Смерть sounds more hardcore than doom. The missing element might be the lack of energy from the band. The drummer wants to destroy drums and that is noticeable on any show they play but the vocalist comes from the post-punk scene and keeps his act passive, more emotional and hopeless than angry. But that’s ok – their style! The dude is traveling to other Baltic cities for punk shows and gets to know the sound aboard. So the lack of energy might be a choice instead of ignorance. Anyway, the music is great! And noone plays crust in Latvia besides Alkomulaator (and well, Смерть).
NIGHT LIVES – post metal / dark hardcore
https://nightlivesband.bandcamp.com/album/until-there-is-light
I can’t say much about these gents. They come from Joensuu in the south east part of Finland with (as far as I know) no local venue. But the scene there is not dead, gladly! I know at least one other Joensuu crust band (with a long ass Finnish name that I can’t remember). Night Lives play a mixture between post-metal and hardcore that they themselves call dark hardcore but sounds more like neocrust to my ear. A great finisher for a stoner afterparty! For fans of Neurosis & Tesa.
All 4 bands on May 17th are a little emotional but definitely powerful sounding.
See ya in CULT!
Friday, 17.05.24. | Cēsu 18 | 8eur | 19:00!!!