SPIRITUAL CRAMP

SPIRITUAL CRAMP
live in Berlin!
Einlass 19 Uhr
Beginn 20 Uhr

Spiritual Cramp is what happens when you treat the English Beat’s “Mirror In The Bathroom” as a guide for living. Spiritual Cramp is what happens when you argue that Mick Jones was the best Clasher, at first just to annoy the older punks, but eventually you realize you meant it all along. Spiritual Cramp is what happens when a band has never read Nietzsche and stares too long at the rude boys. Spiritual Cramp is what happens when Tony Manero and Richard Ashcroft strut into each other on the sidewalk, coming from opposite directions, and both refuse to give way. Eventually they kiss, roughly at first but with increasing tenderness. At the three minute mark, they stop and part as exes, with memories that’ll last a lifetime.
Spiritual Cramp may chafe at the fanciness of the above description. Spiritual Cramp describe themselves as a punk band. If pressed, they’ll describe their sound as “Fast down strokes. Upstrokes. Reggae inspired. Hip hop production. Big loud stage show. Ferocity, but reigned in, and played on small amps.” Which is accurate, as far as that goes, especially when they cite both Tom Tom Club and The Strokes as influences. It at least indicates that Spiritual Cramp—as much as they’re punk or hard mod—is at heart a dance band. Like The Clash, Big Audio Dynamite, Kaiser Chiefs (first two albums only), Turnstile, and the Murder City Devils are all dance bands. Or maybe a dance band like if LL Cool J had kept his live band and taken Mama Said Take You Out on the road as an Oi! band. Point is: whatever Spiritual Cramp may claim to reign in, this remains body music.