Brats (pre-MERCYFUL FATE) - 1981-01-18 - Copenhagen, DK (SBD/FLAC)

(Soundboard FLAC)

Copenhagen, DK 
Sweet Silence Rehearsal Room 
1981-01-18 

source: Vinyl bootleg, tolvis transfer 2014-10-11 
length: 
quality: Ok 

King Diamond (vocals) 
Hank Shermann (guitar) 
Carsten Van Der Volsing (guitar) 
Yenz (bass) 
Lars Monroe (drums) 

01 Some day (single side A) 
02 Death kiss (A1) 
03 Fighting for the knighthood (A2) 
04 Combat zone (B1) 
05 Love criminals (A3) 
06 Nightriders (B2) 
07 Sometimes you're deadly (B3) 
08 You asked for it (single side B) 
09 Powers of darkness (B4) 

This is as true a gem as there ever will be. Some years back someone released a holy grail on a vinyl boot: the Brats in their rehearsal room in Copenhagen on the day they showcased their new material and singer to CBS, and subsequently lost their deal. The vinyl included seven of the nine tracks performed, and the remaining two tracks were released on a 7" single some time after. I have never seen this stuff properly digitized and now I finally got the possibility to do a version myself. This is a straight transfer of it all, no EQ or tampering. There are some minute vinyl scratches even though this is only the second time I played it, but I won't tamper with that myself. It's not at all distracting anyway. 

What follows is a text about this performance from the honorable mr. MHC who was there in the beginning and at one time had a homepage about his days close to the gang. 

"In January of 1981 "Brats" invited a representative for CBS to come down to their rehearsal room in Copenhagen. To listen to the material that was written for the upcoming second album for CBS. They had 9 songs ready, including titles such as "Death Kiss" , "Combat Zone" and "Love Criminals". The new songs were definitely not what CBS had expected them to be. 

The next day King and Hank were asked to come to the labels office. They were solemnly informed that the new material was far too heavy for CBS. If they wanted to cut another album it would have to consist of far softer material and King would have to sing the lyrics in Danish. 

As King and Hank immediately refused this on behalf of the band. They were offered a ridiculously low budget to make a new album on. That became the end of "Brats" relationship with CBS."