IceTunes: What's rocking the rinks this week?

This is fast becoming traditional in my one-man campaign for real music at British rinks...which many of you will doubtless skip over...But once again, a few tunes which should be on everyone's playlist (now with links if I can find them on youtube...:))

Before we get to the songs themselves, though, there has been an interesting debate going on over at The Hockey Forum over the past week or so, questioning whether the traditional atmosphere at rinks in the UK is being diluted as owners go for the mass market. Regular readers of this space will already know my views on the subject, but it appears they are shared by others, with comments such as (about the rink in Nottingham) "The NIC is so PC and family orientated now its become a cheese fest, we hardly play any music...the music is poor and is about as far away from hockey music as you can get...Its sometimes feels like sod the true hockey fans lets get Mr Smith his wife and his 2 kids in tonight and make it feel like a kids christmas show!!" or "My own point of view is that the game has become a financial event rather than a GAME to be enjoyed"

Interestingly, my "other" team, Cologne Sharks, can be said to be very much more commercially oriented-there are far more sponsors and commercial activities going on on matchnights at the Koelnarena, and the entertainment is often little more than a barrage of adverts in the period-breaks. However, the difference between them and UK teams is that the emphasis is definitely on a "traditional" hockey atmosphere rather than attracting people-the arena is always rocking (try standing in the terraced areas behind the goal if you ever go there), the music is LOUD and nothing but rock, and there is genuine pride in the "otherness" of hockey. And does this "niche" strategy turn fans and families off? Does it hell...the Sharks have one of the highest attendances in Europe. And I refuse to accept the whole "but hockey is more popular in Germany" argument. Like the UK, football is the German national sport, closely followed by skiing, cycling and other winter sports...I would think it occupies a similar position in terms of relative popularity.

Anyway-enough ranting...on to the songs (be warned, some of these might have a rude word or two in them)...

Kittie: Brackish: Yes, it's a girl singing...and yes, it might scare little kids if they get a burst of it with no warning. But come on...can you not see that as a fight song? It's one of the ones I listen to before playing hockey, anyway.
And they're Canadian, so even if some of the crowd haven't heard of 'em, the imports will have done. :)

Linkin Park: Don't Stay: But you need this version for the introduction alone...play it when the lights go black, time the kicking-in for the opposition coming onto the ice, and enjoy...

Wolfmother: Woman: Led Zeppelin's spiritual heirs...This song is an energy song par excellence. Although it always seems to leave me with a sore neck, or borderline whiplash. You can't help nodding your head to it...

Only a few today...but you do get the bonus of this to make you smile-I can't work out whether the funniest part is Sydney Crosby over-acting or Joe Thornton nicking food. Or Marty Turco with a creamed face...:)

Keep keeping your eye on the puck...