G.A.S.

At the last Regionalliga game at the Millerntor at the end of May, the chaos of the G.A.S. revealed itself. With their anarchist performances they spread their humour amongst St.Pauli fans. Their rise to prominence in Pauli circles brought up a subject well known to the club: The Black Market! Since then, the "infamous G.A.S." are on the lips of us all at Übersteiger. We met with two of the lads for a cigarette in Feldstraße.

ÜS: First off, the most important question: What does G.A.S. stand for and why choose this name? What is your aim? Introduce yourselves.

El Fluppe: “G.A.S.” or even “G.A.S. 20359” is the abbreviation for the fan club “GehirnAmputierteSzene St.Pauli” (Brain Amputated Scene St.Pauli). Our aim is to create as much confusion as possible. To help us achieve this we’ve invited Harald Töpfer (the German twin of Harry Potter) to the board.

ÜS: How long has G.A.S. been going and what have you achieved with the club? How has it grown? Explain a little about the structure.

Fernet Branca: The G.A.S. is a coming together of different groups as there are the “Unconcealed Alcohol Scene of Ohlsdorf and Eimsbüttel”, “Frontier Kiel”, the “Oldenburgian Pestilence”, “Großenape’s Friends of Snorkling”, “Neumünsterian Scum”, the “Concealed Drug Scene of Berlin” and “Yellow Teeth 20359”.

El Fluppe: Most of them have been going to the games for years. A couple of years ago we all came together and with the blessing of the Fanladen and club, officially grounded. For the trips to Emden and Osnabrück we took a bus, the famous B.U.S; and filled it with 50 people. Our fanclub is separated into the board and the “lower masses”. We follow the concept of negative hierarchy, whereby the “lower masses” make all the decisions. The person with the largest responsibility has the least influence with the fan club.

ÜS: Most people noticed you in the last Regionliga home game against Dresden because you followed a ticket tout with banners and singing. How did you have the idea and was it successful? How was the reaction in the stadium?

El Fluppe: Before the Düsseldorf game we watched how the ticket touts pumped up their pension by flogging overpriced tickets. We also had some complaints in the G.A.S. HQ about the “Tout Mafia” and decided to protest before the Dresden game. This proved to be successful especially when a tout was followed to the away end and received a round of applause from the Dresden fans. No idea whether his bunk into the away fans was a success but at least he never managed to flog any tickets.

Fernet Branca: Whether we scared the touts away will be revealed at the end of the season.

ÜS: Have you any similar action planned?

El Fluppe: We’ll repeat this for the first games of the new season. Long overdue was the double relegation last season of Holstein Kiel I and II, especially when they were looking forward to seeing top game sin their unbuilt stadium. Their lack of ambition can be shown on their scoreboard that reads “Home” and “Visitor”

Fernet Branca: That’s why 20th April 2008 is a highlight. Our reserves are playing Kiel. The first team aren’t playing that weekend as they have to free up their 19 international players.

ÜS: With your chants, banners and anarchistic performances you must remember a lot of great days at the Millerntor. Is that known to you? I reckon some of your members orientate towards the Ultra movement. Or have I got hold of the wrong end of the stick?

El Fluppe: There are similarities but chanting, banner and anarchist tendencies were around before the Ultras. We don’t particularly copy anything but use the football fan culture as a way of life. That manifests itself with the production of our own t-shirts, patches, flags and badges. We also use the fanzine “Out of Control” and the internet to spread our lunacy.

Because of the musical creativity of the “lower masses” you can look forward to the varying musical pieces in different styles, “Lesklodorska is Malinska” in particular.

ÜS: Ah yeah…can’t really add to that. Defiantly looking forward to it. Thanks for the interview.

Interviewer: Stemmen
Translator: Bexy