by RAF KATIGBAK

For those of you who couldn't make it out to the Kraftwerk extravaganza last Saturday, I hate to tell ya, you missed something special - over two hours of updated classic electro hits, triple encores (with costume changes!), four fully articulated robots, light-up LED neckties, glowing vector-graph jumpsuits, mindblowing visuals and crystal-clear, thumping sound. The pioneering German electro quartet were so elaborately futuristic, I felt like I was at an off-Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tron: the Musical. When the eye/eargasm was over, the capacity crowd was bombarded with various Kraft-erparty flyers and I found myself at the cozy new lounge Green Room (check it out, St-Laurent below St-Viateur) where there was much dancing, laughing and hooting, and much, much, much too much Jägermeister and ginger ale flowing.

Which brings me to my next point. As a nightlife columnist, one of my subsequent hobbies has been searching for the perfect hangover remedy. My friend swears that "pullin' yer pud" is the best cure for a post-binge brain hurt, and while a morning spent greasing the peanut may work for some, I believe more sports-oriented activity may be the best way to sweat out the bad stuff.

But which sport? Well, last Sunday I think I may have found the perfect one. I hereby declare soccer baseball the greatest hangover sport known to man! It's the simplicity of soccer baseball (aka kickball) that makes for perfect post-party activity. For the uninitiated, it's like regular baseball except instead of a baseball you have a soccer ball, instead of a bat you have your leg, and instead of athletes you have a bunch of puffy-eyed, binge-drinking twenty-somethings who give their teams names like the Serious Six (later changed to the Cheaters) and Devastation: a Soccer Baseball Team. Just like in real baseball, it's a lot more fun to play than it is to watch and anyone can do it (you just sort of stand around and cheer most of the time). Anyone interested in joining the HOSBLM (Hung Over Soccer Baseball League of Montreal) mailing list should drop me an e-mail for deets on the next meet.

No shortage of reasons to be hung over on Saturday as Friday night offers a profusion of parties, people and places to check out. First off, over at the new show space Café Silencio, the launch of Montreal's newest alternative food zine The Gravy promises "no cover and secret surprise special guests that will blow some serious domes." Over at O Patro Vys, five bucks gets you into another Soirée Risquée with special guests Vincent Lemieux, Mike Shannon and Mossa. Take it afterhours at the Energyze party with some hard trance, electro, tech-trance and drum & bass courtesy of DJs Nick Rowland vs. Juniah, Mad vs. Deep Space and Antheriel vs. Fucktop. Yowza! Call 330-9841 for details. On the harder tip, Hellfish, Belladonakilz, Iznogood, Cybervamp, Psyko le Punk and a host of others will be dropping wax at Diztorted Vizion. Call 440-5143 for info.

Triple play, my ass! Diskoakimbo@sympatico.ca

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