So the time will soon pass when our beloved weekly worship of Boris’s tritone devil’s chord, synchronised with Andy’s dirty, dirty bass and Siro’s pumping drums into a loud cymatic pitch of `Fuck you!` will come to an end.
Where else in Zürich can you jump on stage and scream `arschloch` or `fuck you I wont do what they tell me`? Normally, in our daily jobs, if spoken, we would be fired, or, up until the 1980s, possibly incarcerated with electrodes.
Our weekly addiction of profanity, buffoonery and fun, has been guided by Martin Ain Stricker casting a dark celtic frost across the stage `wenn die Dunkleheit kommt`. Now, as the band embarks on a black sabbatical, with no betrothal of future communion, the darkness comes.
On February 18th, 2014, will be the ten year anniversary of Karaoke from Hell, and the last show. Since 2004 there have been 450 shows, 2.5 hours each with 250 visitors and 25 singers in the average yield 112500 spectators, performers and 1125 hours of Rock’n’Roll!
Nice boys, and nice girls, don’t play rock n roll. Since 2009, when I first arrived in Zürich, I often participated in this teuflisch worship. The true insight came when I noticed the 666th member on the Karaoke From Hell facebook page joined the same day as my birthday……. it was a sign, die netten motherfuckers von Mascotte had me converted!
I was not so often on the stage, and even after all this time a requisite of alcoholic courage was essential for me to sing. Nonetheless, some renditions of `a whole lotta love`,` ring of fire`, `basketcase`, `Blondie`, `paint it black` and `kids in America` I managed to perform. But many other singers, Silly, Maggot, Bubble, Low Rider, and all the other nom de plume, were there every week.
The spell cast over our congregation of rock monsters will soon be lifted. But, as you know already, at Karaoke from Hell…….`hell`, in German, means light, people…...look to the light………
reference:
Final shows for Karaoke from Hell here
May the devil be with you! here
History of the Devils chord here
Karaoke From Hell book launch here
BBC news article about Switzerland`s ‘morality detention’ here
Hell, Helvete or Helvetia? here
Swiss TV doco here
alpitecture 