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The Ruby Suns

Flex, 2010

We have been tracing The Ruby Suns for a while, more precisely since their Vienna date together with The Dodos in 2008. Both bands wanted to do something together then, but both bands were too exhausted and sick from a long tour on that day (it was the last date before going home) to actually make it happen. Whereas we caught The Dodos in Berlin last summer, we had to wait until late May this year for another meet-up with the New Zealanders The Ruby Suns, who had just released a truly fantastic album called „Fight Softly“. Singer Ryan is suffering from a cold, so we try to keep things short and go for an after-show session, just a few footsteps away from the Flex venue at the Donaukanal. Two acoustic guitars and a piece of wall for drummer Alistair (still in post-show high spirits and elaborately talking about gallons, litres and the superiority of the metric system), that’s the set-up for their performance of „Closet Astrologer“ and „Remember“. It couldn’t be more different from their stage set-up and sound, but these versions let the songs unfold a special, fragile beauty. A session worth waiting for!

Camera
Michael Luger
Sound Recording
Matthias Leihs
Post production
Simon Brugner

Flex

www.flex.at

With an almost boring regularity the annual readers poll of the German music magazine Spex tells the same story every year: The Flex is the best music club in Austria and is one of the most popular clubs in the German-speaking world. Among subculturally interested people the Flex still maintains its status as a must-visit-spot when coming to Vienna. The club opened its doors in 1990 in the 12th district but less than five years later moved to this days’ location – an abandoned metro tunnel on the bank of the Donaukanal, close to Augartenbrücke and Schottenring underground station. Besides live shows of different musical styles Flex is particularly known for its alternating club evenings all week, with Dub Club (Dub and Jungle music every Monday), Crazy (Techno on Tuesday), London Calling (Indie on Wednesday) and Beat It! (Drum’n’Bass on Thursday) being the most beloved ones and frequently featuring international guest DJ’s. But Flex is not only a place for clubbing. In summer people just hang out at the often modified Flex Café and have some drinks on the waterfront.