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New York City, summer 2009: Four young Beatles and Hamburg aficionados from New York form a band, naming themselves after the first lodgings of The Beatles during their first string of Hamburg shows, the Bambi Kino in Paul-Roosen-Straße in St. Pauli. Their plan: to play the Indra on the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' premiere. Hamburg, August 2010: In cooperation with their label Tapete Records, who are also based in Hamburg, Bambi Kino play a four-day residency at the Indra (August 17-20, 2010). Bambi Kino are: Ira Elliot, drums (Nada Surf), Erik Paparazzi, bass (Cat Power), Mark Rozzo, guitar and vocals (Maplewood) and Doug Gillard, guitar (Guided By Voices). The band revive the sound and spirit of those August days in 1960, playing the exact set the Beatles played for the Indra crowd 50 years ago. Sleep was not an issue on those hot and humid August days and nights in Hamburg as Bambi Kino played three sets, averaging around five hours of show time every night. Rehearsals in the afternoon further extended their repertoire of rock'n'roll classics, obscure R&B tracks, standards and even some country songs to play at the shows. This album was also recorded during afternoon sessions at the historic venue. Out of over 12 hours of material, the band selected these 12 songs. And a treasure trove it is: a long-forgotten episode of musical history, the sounds and songs of the Hamburg Beatles are finally given the respect they deserve, and Bambi Kino are nothing like a conventional cover band. Knowledgeable, passionate and highly original, the band makes these early masterpieces accessible to the general public once again. The tough, driving beat, rough and soulful harmony vocals and the rockin' guitars take the listener back to the dark alleyways and side streets of London, Liverpool and, naturally, Hamburg where in 1960, thin young men in black leather jackets re-interpreted American rock'n'roll, giving it a whole new lease on life.
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