after listening to “Goin Up the Country” played by dj friends of mine half a year ago i got my hands on the lp myself a lil later. and i really loved it!

then i got the news by the promoters of the Swing Royal nights that Kitty, Daisy and Lewis would be playin their first concert in Germany on december the 13th right at that event.i figured out that the last two month at least every dj who s more or less into 50ties music played songs from the lp. and at the same time i saw that people would discuss on the internet about the young trio and write how astonished they are and how much they like it.

i was really looking forward to that night and obviously a lot of other people too. a lot of swing people, rockabilly people, whatever 50ties lovers and normal people. the 1920th theatre Admiralspalast, which is the venue of the Swing Royal events, was sold out when i arrived there last saturday. 2000 people wanted to see Kitty, Daisy and Lewis. a crowd about 4times bigger than what the three siblings are used to perform for over in the UK! 

and that s where for some the problem began. it was crowded. and it was packed. and there were a lot of people who didn t know that it s a event to dance or at least move. not to stand around on one spot and watch what will happen – like goin to a plain concert. ok those people were there for the first time. but by there number the killed parts of the athmosphere that was around the last events of Swing Royal. but the problem about it was more that they piss off the people who wanted to dance and the dancers pissed them off by moving and possibly nudge them. and then a lot of people didn t get the event idea in the Swing Royal. they thought they come for a concert, watch the concert and leave in 2 hours time. they were then pissed off because they had to wait and watch Burlesk dancers (!). now stop- this is the time where i have to ask: people, why don t you inform yourself when you buy your ticket? then you would have known before that it s an event not a concert and that it s a theatre hall with a capacity of 2000 people and not a basement club where just the scene meets.

OK. whatever. i had fun and met a lot of friends, talked and had a drink. i watched the great Andrej Hermlin Swing Dance Orchester which i like pretty much. but as they play un-amplified the talking of that many people in the audience was a lil too loud to really enjoy it. i then visited the friends of Redcat7 and Kaiserschnitt at their stands. later i watched the burlesk performance by Eden which was once again very nice.

and a lil later it was time for Kitty, Daisy and Lewis! the three siblings plus their parents appear on stage while the persons that really have stage presence are the kids themselves. their parents seem to be just there as the backstructure playin upright bass and rhythm guitar while the kids rock it. how cool can you be by the age of 16?? god damn it! Kitty rocks the harmonica really great plus singing and playin guitar,mandoline (or banjo?) and drums. Daisy beats (yes: beats) the drums, sings, plays guitar and clavinet, a sort of organ, and even does the human beat box as a break in one song! and Lewis, looking as great as the other two in their 40ties- 50ties inspired gear, plays the guitar, banjo, drums and piano. wow. and listen- they do not only swap their instruments from one song to the next one but also while playin one song! to add another spice to the soup (attention: denglish) the trumpet player of the great Skatalites joined in for some ska or offbeat songs.

I loved the mix of styles while the center stayed their late 40ties orientated rhythm n blues. this interpretation and way to present it does make it vital and stirring for me!you could tell that they were a lil excited to play in front of such a big audience but they made a really good concert out of it. some small mistakes or what you wanna call it are definately owed to the excitement and for me made the whole thing even more lively.it was a very nice and infective gig. and i can tell by the applause and yellin in between and the massive applause and stamping at the end that the audience really loved the show! and i did too!  

as the concert and the encore was over a lot of people left and it concentrated more on the scene people. Arnold dj Reb Mokum and Lobotomy did what they do best- make the people dance with a great selection of tunes from swing over rhythm n blues to rockabilly even up to a few ska hits. and it was cool to see that the three and their parents were comin to party, dance and drink too.but not enough yet.

two nights later, monday night, I met Kitty, Daisy and Lewis again after I already had the pleasure to talk to them sunday night too. they are really nice and sympathic people and not snotty or sth at all. they agreed to do a interview for the book next time while I ll be in London next time which I m really lookin forward to do!

and then a lil later ( the .357 String Band, which were actually playin broke their equipment in the second set of a cool punky bluegrass show) Kitty, Daisy and Lewis went up on stage. a little hesitant but resolute -you could tell that they want to play- they went up the stage and borrowed a guitar from the guys of the band. these welcomed them as they felt a lil bad not bein able to finish the show. while the girls get ready, Lewis climbs over the boxes and stuff to the last corner of the stage were the piano is stored. and then they spontaneously play. and it s real and direct and great. you can tell that they love it and the audience is taken by storm. I would say they played up to 8 songs, partly improvised.simply very very nice.

here are some photos of the two appeareances of Kitty, Daisy and Lewis first half is taken at the Swing Royal, second at White Trash Fast Food Berlin 

click on the photo for more