You know, I admit, I only know Nerf Herder from the Buffy Theme. I've heard they had a new album, „American Cheese", out, but I didn't even pondered buying it. Until I found out Nerf Herder are currently touring Europe. So I found myself searching out the Wild at Heart in Berlin/Germany to see Nerf Herder live.

But first things first. After meeting up with some friends in front of the Wild at Heart we went inside to get some of the few seats. This was when the waiting started. Anyway, it wouldn't be cool if a gig would start on time;-)

Some hour later a band entered the stage that looked like the local schoolband. But just like you should never judge a book by its cover you should never judge a band by its appearance. Singer Kelly Kemp introduced the band as No Comply from England and started a set of ska/punk that got the people off their seats. Kemp has a pretty good voice and she is backed up by the usual guitar, bass, drums - but also a trombone and trumpet. Everyone on stage was so furiously banging, jumping and playing their respective instruments that I was wondering how nobody knocked his neighbour out (I was especially anxious for Kelly Kemp who sang off stage, the trombone always dangerously hanging over her head). Even if No Comply don't play the kind of music I would normally listen to, I was neither bored or annoyed. Trombones and trumpets were a new experience for me and they gave the music of No Comply an interesting sound. Definitely a band you should keep in mind, and that's not just my opinion.

Around 10pm Nerf Herder came onstage. Singer Parry Gripp sported a white shirt, a tie and a red cardigan. Not the kind of outfit you would expect from a punk band. It was obvious that the four guys of Nerf Herder had fun playing their songs - after ten minutes Gripp was sweating so hard he stripped of his cardigan (don't fear - he didn't get naked during the show). They were playing old and new songs - they even played the Buffy Theme twice - until then I didn't know it was a song to mosh to! Parry Gripp has a strange sense of humour - he showed off his German vocabulary and gave an impromptu variation on „I have a small member ... so small, so small" (in German, as I said). The crowd in front of the stage formed an impressing moshpit and brave Parry Gripp dared to jump into the audience.

The music of Nerf Herder is made to be played live. It might sound good on an album, but having a crowd in a little club jumping frantically to and fro while the band jams away - that's just better. Therefore we didn't regret spending money on a ticket and waiting in a dark and hot club in the middle of summer.

Nerf Herder will go on playing until the end of July. For everyone who's interested, here are the other tourdates:

7.7.2003 Wien, Arena
10.7.2003 Leoben, Cafe Spektakel
11.7.2003 Ebersberg, AJZ
12.7.2003 Dusseldorf, Benrather Hof
13.7.2003 Sjock Festival
14.7.2003 Peet, Het Pourt Huis
15.7.2003 Cambridge, Boat House
16.7.2003 Bradford, Rio
17.7.2003 Manchester, Roadhouse
18.7.2003 Sheffield, Corporation
19.7.2003 Middlesbrough, Empire
20.7.2003 Cardiff, Barfly