The Mags – Red Light Riot (Official Video)
It was a brilliant show, we rose to the occasion and it felt like a very cool milestone.
The people of Hamburg were amazing, so much fun and huge rock & roll fans. They were a brilliant audience and it was our privilege to perform for them.
It felt like a special moment for everyone who was there, us included.
There were so many people at the gig that we couldn’t see the back of the crowd, but the front 10-15 rows of seats were taken over by a gang of local ultras, who were impressively drunk and overflowing with rowdy enthusiasm (jumping around, headbutting one another and throwing drinks/chairs etc).
They looked like a post-apocalyptic mob from the Mad Max movies! They were dressed in black leather, lots of metal, tattoos and nose-spikes, etc.
They were an uncontrollable, wild bunch, but they absolutely loved the show!
Even though they looked like a pretty dangerous gang, their energy heightened the emotion and atmosphere of the show. (Playing live is exciting, and we were used to that, but that gig and that crowd was a thrilling experience.)
After the gig the local stage manager, Jochen, approached us backstage and somewhat-apologetically said, “There are some people outside… They would like to speak to you”.
I peeped out of the backstage canvas and there, about 20 metres away, on the other side of a security barrier, were the ultras. Dozens of them!
I’m no shrinking violet, but it was intimidating because there were so many of them and they had such a fearsome appearance.
I sheepishly told Jochen I didn’t fancy going out to speak to them, and he said, “Mike, you have to go and see them or there will be… Big trouble.”
So I steeled myself (quickly got the rest of the guys as backup!) and with some trepidation we went out to speak with the ultras.
As we approached them, a young lady who was standing at the front of the mob greeted us in beautiful, clear English:
“We just wanted to say thank you for coming to our city, we are very grateful and honoured that you came here. We love The Mags!! We’d like to invite you to come with us and we will show you around Hamburg.”
That was not what we expected! They were such a scary bunch to look at, but she spoke with such gentle kindness and intelligence.
The rest of the group was standing behind her, they were all smiling and had such a welcoming and warm energy. They were a lovely group of people.
It was not what I had expected at all and left a huge impression on me. I learned not to judge a book by its cover (and I also felt a bit ashamed for ignorantly assuming the worst about them).
So the gig was epic and so was the audience!
That night we went for drinks around town, we roamed all over Hamburg, eager to hit all the Beatles’ hotspots. It was lots of fun.
We ended up in Hamburg’s famous ‘brothel mile’, a sealed street where only men could go (we were told women would be pelted with eggs, which, apparently, the prostitutes throw down from the windows above).
I was surprised at the party atmosphere, some of it was genuinely joyous, and some of it was seedy and felt creepy and exploitative. It was an unusual experience, with highs and lows.
Later that evening we were standing outside a bar when some Dutch people started fighting (the Germans and Dutch don’t get along) and it quickly escalated into a wild street brawl with a large crowd fighting.
The German riot police arrived promptly and began indiscriminately beating everyone who was nearby (regardless of whether they were involved in the wrongdoing or not).
In the middle of all the chaos, the revelry continued, with people still drinking, laughing and dancing right next to the brutality. It was wild.
The Germans have a reputation for being reserved and organised, but they know how to party!
Safe to say… It was a memorable night.
A few days later, we were rehearsing and having a jam and ‘Red Light Riot’, just sort of… Appeared.
The song was born out of a simple bass-plus-guitar riff and is a strongly rhythmic track, with relatively sparse guitar chords compared to other Mags tracks. (It’s driven more by riffs than chords.)
The song structure is also simple and in some ways it’s just a groove, rather than a structured composition with a traditional verse, bridge and chorus.
The track is about that wild night in Hamburg, the energy and riotous atmosphere, the music reflects that vibe quite well and the lyrics came from the mixed feelings I felt while in the red light district that night.
Much love
The Mags x
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