Killed By 9V Batteries
MuseumsQuartier, Spittelberg, 2008
Killed By 9V Batteries are noisy. So noisy, that we weren’t sure if they would actually participate in a TSM-session, as there are lots of bands – especially the “loud” ones – who are not really interested in reducing their volume in any way. But the four guys from Weiz, Styria turned out to be the complete opposite, leaving their stage appearance – heavily distorted guitars, screamed vocals and almost destroyed instruments – behind, not caring about any mistakes and growing more and more enthusiastic about what we do, which resulted in four instead of the standard two videos. Killed By 9V Batteries started to write songs in 2002, quit the band in 2005, revived the band in 2005 and finally released their self-titled, critically acclaimed debut album in 2007. Instead of the classic garage the declared instrumental non-professionals practise in a chicken house in their hometown Weiz.
- Photography
- Simon Brugner
- Artist
- Killed By 9V Batteries
MuseumsQuartier
MuseumsQuartier (MQ) is with 60.000 m² the eight-largest cultural complex worldwide and has already gained the third spot on Vienna’s most-visited list (after Schönbrunn and Kunsthistorisches Museum) since the opening in 2001. The complex was installed on the former imperial stables with some buff historic structure enclosing a vast court with several modern museum buildings inside like Architekturzentrum Wien (documents international architectural developments), Kunsthalle (shows local and international contemporary art), Leopold Museum (presents 19-century and modernist Austrian artworks and the worlds biggest collection of Egon Schiele paintings) or MUMOK (focuses on 20th-century-art as pop art, fluxus, nouveau realism, expressionism, cubism, minimal art and Viennese Actionism). Between the light and limestoned Leopold Museum and the dark MUMOK with its basalt rock murals stretches a wide courtyard with people sunbathing in summer or curling in winter. Apart from the manifold cultural programme people also come for the little shops, restaurants or cafés. Café Leopold with nightly DJ-programme is most popular.
Spittelberg
Spittelberg is just a stone’s throw away from MuseumsQuartier (MQ) in Vienna’s 7th district Neubau. Narrow cobbled alleys trail uphill from Burggasse bordered by small-sized Biedermeier houses (at the corner of Burg- and Breitegasse you can find the officially declared ‘smallest house of Vienna’). Leaving the busy shopping mall Mariahilfer Straße, MQ and the grand boulevards behind and strolling up these pedestrian lanes, it feels like stepping from modern or imperial city life into a dozily historic village. But it never was. From its early beginnings in 18th century Spittelberg served as a notorious housing for the poor. Jugglers, acrobats, comedians and daughters of joy were prowling through the dark back alleys along its sleazy taverns and brothels. Spittelberg’s buildings deteriorated gradually and the quarter became more and more dilapidated till its overall refurbishment in the 1970s. Todays several pubs, various arts and crafts shops, an alternative cinema and theatre testify to the successful revitalisation of this area with a popular Christmas market in winter. It goes without saying that all of them work on the maxim ,small is beautiful’.