Somehow I completely missed Turbonegro in their prime. It was only during a six-hour setting with a tattoo artist in London where I heard their music for the first time. I thought, what is this pure rock ‘n’ roll explosion with the insane lyrics and undeniably catchy riffs? It was like a punk rock band had sex with an ’80s hair metal band while listening to Iggy Pop. It had humor, huge hooks, and gigantic riffs, but most importantly, it didn’t take itself too seriously.
While sitting in the chair at the tattoo shop having my arm devastated with multiple needles and black ink, the only saving grace was the loud music. I pulled out my phone and Shazammed the songs, and there were several from Turbonegro, and I was hooked. I would quickly learn that these guys have been on and off for over the past decade, but their most prominent member Hank Von Hell departed from the band back in 2011. Would I ever get to see these guys perform live? Probably not, but as luck would have it while searching through upcoming gigs in London, I saw that the former frontman would be playing a show at The Garage in north London to celebrate the release of his new solo record.
I had to see this show and I was not disappointed. The new record is called Egomania and it’s quickly becoming a late addition to many of the year-end best-of lists, including mine. Hank Von Hell has gone back to the basics. A stripped down glam rock spectacle perfectly balancing the visuals and the songs. A cornucopia of the best of glam and punk from the ’70s glossed over with wit and sonic superiorness. The set focused heavily on the new record and of course, Van Hell didn’t disappoint by leaving out any Turbonegro classics.
Von Hell heads over the to states for the next leg of his Egomania tour. It’s one of the best pure rock ‘n’ roll shows on the scene at the moment, and I highly recommend this one for all music lovers looking for a good night out with an explosive live show. Even if you don’t know the new tunes, you’ll get it right away. Egomania is available on limited edition colored vinyl as well as CD and digital download.
