Die Ci­ga­ret­ten

Rarely does a band cultivate such unwavering self-deprecation and biting sarcasm as Die Cigaretten. The Hamburg trio doesn’t just deliver one spot-on takedown after another of the current state of our bankrupt capitalist culture – that would be too easy. No, beyond that, they blend their delightfully fucked-up punk with pretty much anything the three of them fancy in the rehearsal room. Garage rock, Midwest emo, lo-fi thump, bursts of wave and the odd experiment find their way into various songs in varying doses – “Stabiler Hate Song”, “Danke Mama” or “Teens React” is what the songs are christened. Afterwards, the songs are put to use on stage, honed, polished, worn out, smoked. Only then are they finished. Just like us. There’s no grand concept, no fancy PR, no lucrative ‘deal’ in this game. Instead, a smug grin and the cynical realisation that, in the end, the bank always wins. But ‘It’s all good’ – somehow, life must go on. That’s why the cigarettes burn for their uncompromising music, their independence, and for a small, glowing remnant of resigned revolution.