Italian ska-punk veterans return to Kulturrampe, Krefeld for another sold-out night packed with unity, passion - and absolute chaos from start to finish
I’ve written about Los Fastidios many times before and anyone who knows me — or has read my previous reviews — will already be fully aware of just how much I love this band. At this point, it’s hardly a secret anymore.
On paper, this particular evening of 15th May 2026 offered plenty of alternatives. Within a 20-kilometre radius there were seemingly five or six different gigs happening, ranging from Steve Ignorant in Aachen to Eric Clapton in Cologne. Yet, despite all that choice, I still found myself making the last-minute decision to head back to see Los Fastidios once again. Why? After all, I’d only seen them back in February in Bochum.
The answer is actually quite simple. My life is fairly structured: wake up, make coffee, go to work, repeat. At least once a week, I’ll also eat pizza. Why? Because some things are consistently good and never become boring. That’s exactly how I feel about Los Fastidios. I could probably watch this band every single month and still be just as excited every time they step onto a stage.
This time the venue was Kulturrampe, and once again the show had sold out. According to the ticket, doors were supposed to open at 7pm with the concert starting at 8pm, although the evening didn’t quite unfold according to plan. Around 9pm, a support band suddenly appeared on stage despite never having been announced beforehand. Musically, they leaned far more towards hard rock than ska or street punk.
Technically, the musicians were absolutely solid, but stylistically they did very little for me and honestly felt somewhat out of place alongside Los Fastidios.
Thankfully, things changed dramatically at around 10pm when the intro finally kicked in and the Italians burst straight into action. After opening with ‘You Are So Young’, ‘Radio Babylon’ and ‘Back In ’79’, the first Italian-language song of the night, ‘Clandestino’, completely ignited the room.
There’s always something special about hearing a band perform in their native language. In the case of Los Fastidios, it somehow adds even more passion, authenticity and emotion to the performance.
The energy barely dropped afterwards. ‘Where Are You Now’ and ‘Why Don’t You Eat Your Cat’ kept the momentum rolling immediately, with the latter standing out as one of the strongest tracks from the album ‘Lovesteady’. As the title suggests, the song tackles veganism and society’s often contradictory relationship with animals. I’m “only” vegetarian myself, but I completely understand the message behind it. Why is a pig considered food while a cat is treated as part of the family? These are exactly the kinds of themes Los Fastidios have managed to explore for years without ever sounding preachy or self-righteous.
From that point onwards, there was barely a moment to breathe. As soon as ‘Skabillyboogie’ kicked in, the crowd in front of the stage erupted properly for the first time, and from the front row right to the back of the room people were dancing, sweating and shouting every word back at the band. It’s precisely this blend of ska, street punk and Oi! that makes Los Fastidios feel so unique. Tracks like ‘I Don’t Wanna Say To You Goodbye’, ‘Beverley’ and ‘Skankin’ Town’ only pushed the atmosphere even further.
By the time ‘Take A Stand’ arrived, it became clear once again what the band have represented for decades: an unapologetic stance against fascism, racism and exclusion in all forms. Songs such as ‘Ellos Dicen Mierda’, ‘Antifa Hooligans’ and ‘Music For Peace’ are always guaranteed to hit hard live, and this evening was no exception. The entire Kulturrampe sang along, fists filled the air and for a while the tiny venue genuinely felt less like a concert hall and more like a huge family reunion.
That sense of unity is exactly what I love most about Los Fastidios gigs. It doesn’t matter whether you know the people around you or not — for those two hours, everyone feels connected. With ‘Rue Bal Nott & Pogo’, ‘This Is How It Feels’ and ‘Blue Beat Boy’, the energy remained consistently high. One thing that continues to impress me is how varied the band can sound while still remaining unmistakably themselves.
Sometimes the ska influences dominate, sometimes it’s pure street punk, occasionally reggae rhythms creep in — yet somehow it always sounds undeniably like Los Fastidios.
Of course, ‘True Rebel’ couldn’t be left out. It’s one of those songs where literally everybody sings along. The final stretch of the evening then delivered ‘3 Minute Heroes’ followed by an explosive ska medley that provided the perfect ending to an already brilliant night. Total chaos, dancing everywhere and a band that quite clearly seemed to be enjoying themselves every bit as much as the audience.
By the end of the night, it felt exactly like that morning coffee or the weekly pizza: familiar, perhaps slightly predictable — but always satisfying.
And that’s precisely why I’ll almost certainly be there again the next time Los Fastidios come around. Catch them on tour near you this year – celebrating 35 years on the road! More information and tickets HERE
Main Photo Credit /All Photos: FLORIAN REITH
Video: FLORIAN REITH
- INTRO
- YOU’RE SO YOUNG
- RADIO BABYLON
- BACK IN *79
- CLANDESTINO
- WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
- WHY DON’T YOU EAT YOUR CAT?
- SKABILLYBOOGIE
- I DON’T WANNA SAY TO YOU GOODBYE
- BEVERLEY
- SKANKIN’ TOWN
- TAKE A STAND
- ELLOS DICEN MIERDA
- ANTIFA HOOLIGANS
- MUSIC FOR PEACE
- RUE BAL NOT & POOL
- THIS IS HOW IT FEELS
- BLUE BEAT BOY
- TRUE REBEL
- 3 MINUTE HEROES
- SKA MEDLEY
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I’m Florian “Flo” Reith, based in Düsseldorf, Germany. Since 2009, I’ve been living for live music – over 1000 shows, 200+ cities, 30+ countries. The camera was there from the very beginning: I tried to capture every gig I went to. Over time, things became more professional and more structured and somewhere along the way, I discovered writing too. I love supporting new and unknown bands. Whether it’s behind the merch stand, working as a roadie, helping organize shows, or sometimes co-promoting them myself – I’m always down to jump in where I’m needed. But let’s be honest: my favourite place will always be the pit – front row, dust, sweat, and pure mosh pit chaos!
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