Recently there has been a lot of argument about the silent holidays, i.e. why you are not allowed to dance on Good Friday, for example. It wasn’t about May 1st. Because it’s a bit contradictory in itself, because as “Labor Day” it’s a day off, but of course it’s not silent. On the contrary, May 1st is the day of the bargain: from the customary maypole erecting to trade union demonstrations to pop concerts, this holiday is really there to celebrate and cheer.
It is not for nothing that the traditional festival of the DGB youth on Munich’s Marienplatz is called “loud.strong” (from 4.30 p.m. to 10 p.m., free entry). The musicians who have chosen the celebration work are usually rebellious, indomitable, rebellious. Above all this time “Mal Elevé”, who has already made “badly brought up” his battle name. With his music, as on the debut album “Restistance mondial”, he “doesn’t hesitate” but wants to “go to the barricades”. His concerts, he says, are a “declaration of war against fascism, capitalism and sexism” – and thus of course entirely in the interests of the organizers. The musical mix of reggae, dancehall, ska, rap and punk by the former frontman of the Ire revoltswith which he played at the biggest festivals and demonstrations until 2017, but above all they are fun and “make the audience go crazy”.
The other artists of “laut.stark”: the always well made-up winners of the “Springboard” and “Running for the Best” competitions plume from Munich, who – after their role models The Cure and Deftones – combine rock, electro and pop with metalcore and darkwave and are as edgy as they are queer. Gender issues are also of central importance for Theresa Bittermann, as Bimän the Munich electro producer makes “postfemale crossover” – bass-heavy, technoid, melodic dance music. A visitor from Hamburg is very extravagant: Mariybu describes herself as a “boss babe”, “sometimes sweet like lollipop, sometimes hot and evil”, so widdewiddehow she likes it: Her wonderfully over the top hyperpop – such as “Datenight” about the seduction of a police officer – swing the wrecking ball.
The “Cultural Festival on Marienplatz” is a little more family-friendly. After the workers’ demonstration march from the union building on Schwanthalerstrasse arrived (starting at 10 a.m.) and the speeches on the topic “unbroken solidarity” were held (until 12 p.m.), three bands will play Bavarian folk, bluegrass and soul-funk, there will be information stands and a program of games for children in the courtyard of the town hall.
Three festivals take the traditional motto “Dance into May” literally and celebrate from Sunday, April 30th, into May 1st. That is, whether the – of course, even after the end of the Biermösl Blosn still rebellious – Well-Boam in the historic ballroom of the Hofbräuhaus is questionable. After all, they start their folk dance concert at 7 p.m. But at Club Pacha, “10 Years Edmoses & Pretty Girls like Rap” will surely get you through (starting at 10 p.m., Rosenheimer Straße 5).
And it will definitely be at the “Freinacht!” in substance later, or rather early: there are workers’ struggle carnations, and intimate DJ Cpt. Schneider (aka Hias Schaschko, one of a kind in the scene) and Christos Davidopoulos, chief consultant at Optimal’s record store, put on “international music for the lowly needs”. This is exquisite dance music through the decades from the fifties to today, from soul to funk to hip-hop, and all night long. At midnight, Davidopoulos promises, they “really want to celebrate May Day.” That is, for half an hour the two play the Internationale in different versions (like a Cuban one) and related ones like “Revolution” from the white album of the beatles.
loud.strong, Monday, May 1st, Munich, Marienplatz, 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m