Beatsteaks - Garage, London, 2/4/2004

by Daniel Cressey

published: 13 / 4 / 2004

The Beatsteaks are a tight five piece from Germany who have spent four albums filtering and perfecting the US punk-rock format. Amidst a predimonantly adolescent audience, Daniel Cressey watches them play a short, but exciting set at the London Garage

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“This is a huge hit at the moment in Germany,” shouts Arnim Teutoburg, the Beatsteaks’ frontman before launching into ‘Hand in Hand’ from their new album 'Smash Smash'. It is about half way through their short set. The crowd of 14 year olds in hilariously baggy jeans and oversized, turned sideways baseball caps are starting to get excited. The scene at the Garage in North London is a slightly surreal one, a kind of Ann Summers kiddies birthday party, as five men from Berlin entertain a bunch of suggestively dressed children. There are only about 6 people who look like they have ever shaved in this place. Two of them are behind the bar and a third is wheeling a bicycle to the back of the venue for some reason. The Beatsteaks are a very tight five piece from Germany who have spent four albums filtering and perfecting the US punk-rock format. And they have more energy than all the other bands here tonight put together; including official headliners, feisty but uninspiring Californian punk-chicks the Halo Friendlies. With Teutoberg frequently passing his microphone to the small gaggle of older fans at the front, jumping into the crowd, and pulling an audience member up to drum on a Man-O-War cover, the Beatsteaks are determined to impart their energy to the crowd. They do pretty well.