Schuhfabrik bleibt! (2025)
Julia Bassenger
Novel
Just a stone’s throw from Gürtel, a true bar gem is situated: The Damenspitz scores with its welcoming charm, routed by the owners Kathi and Marlies, like the Brauhund, Unders or Exil. And they like to throw special events, often hosted by friends like Pubquizes, concerts by likes of Chris Magerl or their legendary birthdays.
Tonight, they invite to a special reading with Julia Bassenger presenting her debut novel „Schuhfabrik bleibt!“ It is the third book on Glitzer & Grind after „Rokko’s Adventures“, „Als der Vorhang fiel“ and before „Conan City Hardcore“. The author’s biography lists several domiciles and music projects like Terra Toma, Sir Tralala und die Sorgen, Phal:Angst and currently Temporäre Objekte and Carosellis.
With „Schuhfabrik bleibt!“, The Bassenger tours from Arena Beisl with Glut and Sux Sux Sux to Buchhandlung Analog, Café Carina, the Reading Rock Gala by Andi Appel, and soon at Annemarie beim Sportclubplatz, FAKTory and 1bm. The ‚Schuhfabrik‘ is a fictional cultural center, inspired by the EKH, Pankahyttn, Arena and similar venues. The title refers to the Punk credo to stand in for those like ‚Graf Hugo bleibt!‘ or ‚Venster99 bleibt!‘.
In short chapters, the book talks about this scene, the importance of those locations and various, sometimes heavy topics like sexual assaults or drug abuse, and alternative lifestyles like Punks living at a farm typically shaped as square. Julia starts the reading with the first chapter, a shocking suicide of a brutal thug, which opens the book with a bang and includes a Quentin Tarantino quote.
Then she continues with more funny excerpts about the ‚Hendlpunx‘, the ‚Wagenpunx‘ and introduces the rat Lenin from the cover by Stay Gold Grafix. She knows her characters, as real people, families, experiences and stories are the basis, like when she removed a broken ear protection with a sewing needle or describes a person as tall bassist with blue hair.
Hearing the plot loud, this intimate reading at Damenspitz gets oneself even closer to the Schuhfabrik, its inhabitants and environment. „Schuhfabrik bleibt!“ is no light reading, but very entertaining. Signing the books, Julia draws her logo: a teapot.