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BRENNA TUATS TOUR 2012

Exhilarating: Hubert von Goisern at the Stadthalle

Kurier 27th October 2012 | Text: Werner Rosenberger

Review: With yodelling and blues, social criticism and wit:
Hubert von Goisern exhilarates his fans in the Vienna Stadthalle.

People are very grateful to him: he's not Gabalier. Meaning: instead of acting like an eroticised alpine man with lasciviously gyrating hips in lederhosen, with Hubert von Goisern higher regions are addressed.

On Thursday in the well-attended Vienna Stadthalle there was house music with folk, blues and lots of rock with the alpine rocker from Upper Austria on his Brenna tuats guat tour. Hubsi went to the rainbow.

Provocative

The stage is decorated with red standing lamps. As an intro a melancholy melody moans from the accordion into the soul. Then a sturdy sound with the young band (drums, bass and guitar): it booms forcefully as if Karavankas were staggering.

"Afoch nua schen" ("Simply wonderful") is the verbalised fan enthusiasm. "Hello! Servus Vienna!", says Hubert von Goisern, plays the Jews' harp and avows to the brisk beat of Suach da an Andern: "I steh sowas von daneben ..." (I'm standing outside myself).

Do you understand it all? The question from the stage is promptly answered: you can drop out. In terms of the lyrics. And fill in the holes with fantasy. The earthy blues I versteh di nit (I don't understand you) addresses the misunderstanding, the mind barriers. And the singer jokes: "Anyone who doesn't understand has understood."

You hear what it's about. You see. You feel. When you feel it.

After the song with cow bells about "denaturised indians", emotional ballads and Heidi hålt mi spiced with yodels and juchitzers Goisern switches from rock to traditional folk music, before the journey continues into Ausseerland, "where an unbelievably decelerated folk lives", as Goisern knows.

Then the squeezebox and electric guitar snuggle up close to each other again. And in the thick of it Janis Joplin is to be heard differently: "Lord, give me a Mercedes Benz ..." For the finale: Brenna tuats guat (from the current CD Entwederundoder). The electrified polka rock hit is considered to be an anti-capitalism anthem, but came about not due to the financial crisis, but because food is being processed into fuel while many children across the world are starving. It's inconceivable to put petrol for engines above people. It filled him with anger. And should disgust everybody.

KURIER assessment: 4/5

Yodelling for the saints and polite people

Kleine Zeitung 26th October 2012 | Text: Helmut Christian | Photo: © KLZ/Susanne Hassler
Hubert von Goisern

Socio-critical, sophisticated, funky: Hubert von Goisern thrilled the Stadthalle Villach with his band,
new songs and old hits. And he sang a Carinthian song with the audience.

When there's someone on stage who isn't just able to sing, whistle and play wonderfully, but also knows how to yodel superbly, they can only be Hubert von Goisern. The yodel, a kind of primal scream, is well known as the source of his success and a central element in many songs. Between Bolzano, Stuttgart and Vienna, the exceptional Upper Austrian musician made a stop in the not acoustically ideal Villach Stadthalle and delighted his Carinthian fans on his extensive tour. For although he will - one can hardly believe it - turn 60 in mid-November and has been on stage for more than 30 years, he has lost none of his verve, his youthfulness and individuality, his charisma and in particular his musicality.

Alpine rock

Hubert Achleitner from Bad Goisern and his powerful and funky band sparked the trademark sound mixture that made him famous: the alpine rock that he created. Blues, jazz, rock and reggae are mixed with alpine sounds and world music borrowings. In this conglomeration no instrument was safe from him. Jews; harp, guitars, harmonica and various accordions (which are all incidentally made in Carinthia), electric piano and even cow bells were worked by the multi-faceted artist. Wonderful lyrical ballads, accompanied mostly by him just on the acoustic guitar, invite one to think. He puts his voice smoothly and nuanced to all his songs. And time and again there it is: the yodel. His songs and lyrics are sophisticated, socio-critical and tell of love and loss, joy and suffering.

Storyteller

And he is a storyteller, philosopher and humorous compére who always introduces his songs and ruminates on the perfect day, saints and indians and special people, who are everywhere among us in different forms. He also made reference to the current situation in Carinthia, saying: "You Carinthians are all too well-behaved, that's why you all put up with so much."

With new songs like the super hit Brenna tuats guat (from the current album EntwederUndOder) and old hits (Hiatamadl, Heast as nit) he thrilled his audience, who swung in time, thronged to the stage and only let him depart after many encores. As farewell he then sang the Carinthian song Wann du durchgehst durchs Tal together with the fans.

Sublime von Goisern at the Dortmund FZW

Musik im Westen 15th October 2012

Hubert von GoisernHe is a storyteller and poet, curmudgeon and linguistically gifted entertainer, thoroughbred musician and multi-instrumentalist. He rocks out, yodels, whistles, sings, screams and prays to various saints on stage too: Hubert von Goisern, who with his band left his calling card at the Dortmund FZW on Sunday.

It took no more than two of his more than twenty songs performed on this evening to break the ice with the Westphalian fans, for not just the introduction to the song Indianer, who "are to be found everywhere and in all forms, as they are simply special people", as as part of their integration they also sometimes have bald heads now and walk around quite normally, but the whole song provided swinging entertainment.

One or two language barriers open up for the many people in the not quite sold out FZW, although von Goisern, born as Hubert Achleitner, is speaking "just German". Accordingly the protagonist performed the musical I vasteh di nit (I don't understand you). Ample strong dialect, but the singer-songwriter has a solution. "There are Austrians here too, if you don't understand something, just ask them", he suggests. But only the songs required attentive listening, the stories were understandable for everyone and so he entertained with all kinds of knowledge. For example, he tells the people of Dortmund that their patron saint is Saint Reinoldus, patron saint of stonecutters and not, as a heckler says, the BVB Dortmund football club.

So developed an extremely relaxed, varied, harmonious evening, in which the musician, aside from his many humorous messages and stories with their comedic and entertaining elements, also presented his instrumental spectrum. Whether electric piano, various guitars, Jews' harp, harmonica, his trademark accordion or cow bells, barely any instrument is safe from him. Between joyful yodels, pure rock music, melancholy and blues, the band jumped about like dervishes, their enthusiasm never waning.

Whether one wished for a Mercedes, intoned the homage to his hometown of Goisern, said Lebwohl (farewell) early, or described Leben (life), the gracious listener could not help but see: Brenna tuats (It burns). In many ways. Then it came, if it had indeed ever been the case, that von Goisern was Neama bang (never uneasy) and after a few encores he left behind a thrilled audience.

Hubert von Goisern yodels in the FZW living room

Der Westen 15th October 2012 | Text: Katrin Figge
Severin Trogbacher and Hubert von Goisern

Dortmund. When there's yodelling on stage and an accordion is cuddling up to an electric guitar and the German word for songs, "Lieder", becomes "Liadl" - then it's Hubert von Goisern at work. On Sunday the alpine rocker from Upper Austria rigged up his musical living room in the FZW, with cosy standing lamps, nice conversations and a little house music. Loud house music, mind you, with echoes of the Balkans, blue and brass music.

But just a moment ... - 60? The man is going to be 60 in November? And has been on stage for more than 30 years? It's scarcely to be believed. The alpine rocker and his three (much younger) musicians are so fresh, so unspent, so unrigid. Still having so such fun on stage after so long as a professional musician shows real passion. There's always a mischievous grin on the lips and sparkling irony in the eyes. And Hubert von Goisern doesn't just love the microphone, but his audience too: time and again he reacts to calls from the crowd. In particular he speaks more than once to his compatriots, a number of whom had made the pilgrimage to the FZW from the little Austrian enclave in the Ruhr region.

German-Austrian language barriers

If only you could understand what he sings! For as is right for a proper Austrian, understanding the language doesn't always work out here. It should be fine with a bit of goodwill, he says. It's just German. Yeah, yeah, sort of. But it is exactly that which makes the attraction: anyone who isn't one of the confirmed longtime fans and doesn't understand the lyrics straightaway still knows what they're about. Listen. See. Simply feel.

And even without music it could have been a decidedly entertaining evening. In his chat between the songs, Hubert von Goisern showed an incomparable double talent: a talent for music and cabaret in equal measure. While with other musicians one might be wanting the nonsensical flood of words to end soon, one could have listened to von Goisern for hours in his explanations of modern Indians, strange Bavarians and St. Reinoldus, patron saint of stonecutters. "Yeah? Do you know your saints?" He taught the people of Dortmund a little something.

Alpine sounds and rock

So there's rock, yodels and Jews' harp for two and a half hours. For two and a half hours the four musicians chased the "village idiot" and frontline assistant Hannes across the stage. For two and a half hours traditional alpine sounds duelled with sturdy rock. And in the middle, the Styrian version of Janis Joplin: "Oh Lord, give me a Mercedes Benz"...

As the last encore the musicians gave everything once more - a cappella mind you. Proving that in Upper Austria even the drummers can sing flawlessly. Or, as I said before: A Woansinn - amazing.

Hubert von Goisern in Hallstatt

Salzkammergut Rundblick 10th September 2012 | Text & Photo: Franz Frühauf
Hubert von Goisern

Wild applause for the star from Bad Goisern!

Hubert von Goisern gave the final open air concert of the Brenna tuats guat Tour 2012 in Hallstatt on Sunday 9th September 2012.

The concert had sold out in the shortest time and more than 1600 people came the centre of the world heritage town.

The ambience at the wharf between the two churches and of course the music, stage and light effects, as well as the musician's warm and witty contact with his fans thrilled the audience. Alongside the brand new hits Hiatamadl was a must too.

BAP and friends at Loreley - 1st September 2012

4th September 2012 | Photo: © Thomas Könich
Hubert von Goisern, Stoppok, Clueos and BAP

Hubert von Goisern, Stoppok, Thorsten Wingenfeld, Clueso and Wolfgang Niedecken / BAP at Loreley

Hubert von Goisern brings the Kulturzelt to boiling point

Wolfenbütteler Zeitung 30th August 2012 | Text: Michael Völkel | Photo: Hübner

The edgy alpine rocker played a strong concert in Braunschweig.
At first his standing room requirement caused annoyance, later euphoria reigned.

Hubert von Goisern & BandBraunschweig. He used to be miffed when the audience sang along: "Just because you've paid for a ticket, don't think that it's going to be a singing lesson." Someone bothered him one time, he left the stage. Today Hubert von Goisern is completely relaxed. He answered many heckles at "Kultur im Zelt" on Wednesday - and now with backliner Hannes even has an animator who encourages the clapping along and shouting. The concert was a triumph.

There was a little annoyance before the start. Many didn't want to accept that half the audience would be standing. Folding chairs were brought in from outside; some returned their tickets for a refund. "The split was a compromise. I wanted everyone to stand. I understand when someone wants to sit, I just don't accept it," von Goisern later commented laconically.

Standing was actually a good choice. The first half of the concert was a fierce rock concert: Suach da an andern with howling electric guitar and driving Jews' harp rhythm; I versteh di nit drawling blues rock with lap steel guitar; Indianer an original mix of 60s western flair and a solo with cow bells big and small.

The almost 60-year-old works his accordion so energetically that he is dripping with sweat after just ten minutes. His eyes are mostly closed as he plays, his facial expression as if contorted with pain. The instrument given to him by his grandfather in 1986 was the epitome of the eternal past. Drunk on schnapps he wanted to rip it apart - and in so doing discovered a new way of playing.

Since then he has experimented, played music intuitively, mixing styles. And often writes simple, but not simplistic accompanying lyrics. His current album Entwederundoder, which he performs in its entirety, tells the stories of the end of a relationship and of going out into the world, of melancholy memories, life that passes uneventfully by and of difficult people. Wistfulness, anger and joie de vivre. The audience honours each song with great applause - and celebrates hits such as Goisern and Heast as nit.

At the end the Austrian number 1 hit Brenna tuats gut is stretched to a lively ten minutes. The atmosphere is so euphoric that the almost two hour concert is followed by a half hour encore. After an a cappella yodel together with his excellent band, Hubert von Goisern puts his hand on his heart. "That was wonderful", he says. And you have the feeling that he doesn't say that at every concert.

110 minutes of Goisern: how the time flies

Passauer Neue Presse 21st August 2012 | Text: Uli Kaiser | Photo: Thomas Viebig
Hubert von Goisern und Helmut Schartlmüller

Concert between alpenglow and rock

Burghausen. The Austrian alpine rocker Hubert von Goisern put in a compelling performance for the 2700 people at his concert at the Waffenplatz at Burghausen's fortress. The organisers had made it standing room only and so many fans saw little of their musical idol. But the engineering was set up very well and Goisern's mixture of alpenglow and good rock flooded ears in the most pleasant way.

Together with his highly professional band the experienced player took people on a journey through his new CD. The concert was a mix of rock and ballad numbers and this refreshing combination of different styles lets time fly very quickly. The Upper Austrian sang a homage to his hometown of Bad Goisern, "Goisern, oh Goisern" ringing through the ancient walls. This old melody was wrapped up in the artist's new songs and the enthusiastic fans wandered between music to make you think and sounds that make your blood boil. Mind you, Goisern's lyrics almost do this on their own. When he sings "I want to live", he's speaking the mind of most people. Living and enjoying according to one's own plans, free of constraints and free in thought.

Just like the Goisern ballad, which is a cover of the standard Georgia on mind, the musician combined the unforgotten Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz with Austrian sounds. The pieces that most people were waiting for rounded off the concert. Brenna tuats guad - his current big success - marked the official end point and Heast es net kidnapped the listeners now almost completely lost in thought as the last piece of sweetness. The time flies fast. Not just the 110 minutes with Hubert von Goisern.

Hubert von Goisern: Live in Burghausen - 19th August 2012

23rd August 2012 | Photos: © Elli Christl

A good 3000 listeners at Lieder am See

Weißenburger Tagblatt 21st August 2012 | Text & Photo: Rainer Heubeck

Hubert von GoisernENDERNDORF - "Lieder am See" has become the benchmark for perfect open airs in the region: at the second event in Enderndorf everything that could make the festival attendee's heart beat faster was on offer: great music, beautiful summer weather without a cloud in the sky, refreshing opportunities to swim, a huge beer garden and numerous food stands with international specialities.

Around 3000 people enjoyed the musical marathon with four bands in the best conditions. The beginning and end of the day lay in alpine hands. The trio Ganes from South Tyrol opened "Lieder am See" with quiet sounds and beats, Hubert von Goisern from the Salzkammergut made the festival grounds shake into the night with his grooving alpine rock.

[...] As headliner of the festival at Lake Brombach, Hubert von Goisern demonstrated most impressively what incredible power modern rock music can take from traditional folk music: the songs from his new successful album Entwederundoder like Brenna tuats guat or Indianer seem almost furious, stirring up, decrying, wanting to be far more than alpine shallow pop from TV shows.

The instrumentation is concentrated on guitar, bass, drums and Goisern's ever-present accordion. In addition he gives new room to the Jews' harp or cow bells - as well as the once spurned Hirtamadl. This hit once started the "Goiserer's" enormous wave of success, on which, after periods of calm, he is now swimming again - with a more impressive and intense stage presence though. "It's good that he has found his way back to his alpine rock," one festival attendee says happily. 

Hubert von Goisern live at the Burg

Wochenblatt 20th August 2012 | Photo: Robert Piffer

Even without "Hiatamadl" von Goisern was a hit at the Burghausen Kultursommer

Fans of Hubert von Goisern stood closely packed long before the start of the concert at Burghausen fortress. 3000 had come and made the Goisern show the best-attended event of the Burghausen concert summer.

Differently from previous years, when von Goisern usually stood on stage with a large group of musicians, this time the 59-year-old was accompanied by only a trio in the classic rock lineup of Alex Pohn (drums), Helmut Schartlmüller (bass) and Severin Trogbacher (guitar). The first part of the evening was accordingly rock-oriented, thrilling the younger people in the audience in particular. Von Goisern kitted out Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz with Austrian lyrics and the quartet transformed the jazz standard Georgia into a declaration of love for Hubert's hometown of Goisern.

Due to the small lineup of the band, von Goisern was able to use his diverse instrumental arts. He played not just his trademark Styrian accordion, but acoustic and electric guitars too, slide guitar, piano, cow bells and Jews' harp. Since von Goisern doesn't just include top class musicians in his band, but has also made sure that they are all good singers when bringing them together, there was often extra applause for the multi-voiced vocal passages.

Though Hiatamadl was not included, boiling point was approached in the second half, when the songs based on folk music were unpacked. The Austrian said goodbye to his audience for the first time with Brenna tuats, Goisern's biggest hit of recent years. The 3000 fans loudly demanded encores and von Goisern did it in style, adding more than another half hour. Heast as net and Ganz weit weg sounded out over the fortress, strengthened by the many thousands of voices. But even that wasn't enough. The quartet had to return to the stage again. Von Goisern thanked the fans for coming, singing along and dancing, before the band finally said goodbye with an a cappella piece.

Hubert von Goisern

Hubert von Goisern in Kassel

Newsmexx 18th August 2012 | Photo: Heldmann
Hubert von Goisern

More photos at www.newsmexx.com

"Then it's fine"

Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine 17th August 2012 | Text: Juliane Sattler | Photo: Koch

Alpine rocker Hubert von Goisern and band thrill in the Kassel Kulturzelt

Hubert von GoisernKassel. The way he shouts it, the way he sings it. "I will leben" (I want to live), becomes his anthem and his audience in the sold out Kassel Kulturzelt joins in: commitment to a undreamt-of awareness of life. Not always just limiting themselves, taking a back seat. On this evening, on which the mountains and alpenglow are so close, the idea was there for a moment. Hubert von Goisern, alpine jack of all trades, lays the scent for it with loud, hearty rock and seductive melancholy.

Accordion, harmonica, guitar and keyboard, this Hubert Achleitner from the Austrian town of Goisern, which he has honoured with his stage name, changes instruments like he does styles: he casually mixes together what apparently doesn't go together and then it's fine. A mélange of rock and alpine pop, folk and emotive ballads. With his band, Alex Pohn (drums), Helmut Schartlmüller (bass) and Severin Trogbacher (guitar), the magician of sound kidnaps you into a world that is far from the people of North Hesse and yet in these two and a half hours is very close. If you don't understand the words, he explains to his audience with much charm and wit, then just fill in with your fantasies, what you want. It's simple with the Austrian.

Entwederundoder is the name of Hubert von Goisern's new album, which he presents alongside other highlights from his repertoire: the lanky 59-year-old with the nature boy image, whose cheeky moderation is almost cabaret-like, sings and cries to driving and tenderly dreamy sounds into the hearts of his enthusiastic audience. With his current hit Brenna tuat's guat he offers the ultimate song on the contemporary subject of money, yodels into Goisern country to smooth accordion sounds, crashes into his Indianer song with hard rock rap, or with his adaptation of Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz finds a completely new interpretation of the classic.

After the earthily solid material with yodelling, cow bell sounds and hearty "hey, hey" singing he spreads goosebumps with his ballads Weit, weit weg and Lebwohl. Goisern can be soft too. "Just don't descend into depression," says von Goisern, leading slickly into the dramaturgical change. Then two instruments circle each other, the guitar and accordion, threatening, two musicians in a duel, performed challengingly, escalating - captivating. Energy and joy in playing that is transmitted and continues to have an effect. Euphoric applause and two encores. That's the way it is.

Everyone sings along to "Hiatamadl"

Allgäuer Zeitung 14th August 2012 | Text: Celia Schramm | Photo: Erika Bachmann

Hubert von Goisern makes 4000 listeners happy at the Altusried open air stage

Hubert von GoisernAlpine yodelling and accordion dabbling in competition with hard rock: Hubert von Goisern made 4000 listeners happy at the jammed full open air stage in Altusried. He is accompanied on his Brenna Tuats tour by a young three-member band of drums, bass and guitar. In earthy Austrian dialect, the alpine rocker from the Salzkammergut primarily presents the songs of his current album Entweder und Oder - a driving mix of alpine rock, rap, blues and jazz.

The reflections on his musical past went down especially well on the clear summer night. The audience euphorically sang the lyrics to songs such as Hiatamadl. Many missed the vocal counterpart of former Alpinkatze Sabine Kapfinger in the tenderly dreamy Weit weit weg. Twenty years ago she had prompted Hubert von Goisern to establish yodelling as a stylistic device with the Alpinkatzen. He now takes her part himself: "Du warst wia der Sommerwind, der einifoahrt in meine Hoar, als wia a warmer Regen auf der Haut ... i spür no deine Händ im G'sicht und wia du mir ganz tiaf in d' Augen schaust ..."

The audience enthusiastically applauded current chart stormer Brenna tuat's guat: "A jeder woaß, dass des Geld nit auf da Wiesen wächst und essen ka ma's nit, aber brenna tuat's guat ..." In the lyrics Hubert von Goisern processes his thoughts on greed and money in general and criticises the events around the financial crisis.

In summary: The singer with the Styrian button accordion, who once helped revolutionise alpine folk music, still suits the taste of his audience. In Altusried in any case he hit the bull's eye.

"But as long as the music plays ..."

Tagblatt Online 12th August 2012 | Text & Photo: Michael Hug
Hubert von Goisern

Where there's an accordion, it's mostly folk music that will be played. There were a few accordions in use at the weekend and were mostly used to play folk music. But you had to pay close attention to make it out.

Hubert uses it when he wants to be emotional. Florian straps it on when he wants to put on a show. You can't imagine the Amsterdam Klezmer Band without it. Willi puts it on his lap when he wants to perform a good country dance. And for Marius and Yannik it's just part of the Zydeco. The hand organ, the accordion, the "Örgeli" was an oft seen instrument on the stages of the Jazz Days. It was only jazz that nobody played on it, although that would work too. The ziehharmonika was used traditionally, unable to deny its close connection to folk music.

Breaking with tradition

Hubert von Goisern play folk music in his early days too. Not for long, because with his compulsion for the new he soon fell out with the established guild of his hometown of Bad Goisern in the Austrian Salzkammergut. His first involvement with the accordion was fateful. He hated it as a young man, a gift from his grandfather, of course with the expectation that the grandson would think to play it. But the young Hubert Achleitner wasn't interested in learning, a love-hate relationship developed with this musical instrument, which gathered dust silently and admonishingly on top of the wardrobe. Until one day, "completely intoxicated" as he reveals, he ripped it from the cupboard and wanted to destroy it. But it didn't work, because the bellows were too tough. Relief went through the young Hubert and in two hours he mastered the accordion. Today a still growing international fan community is happy that the instrument withstood its owner's fit of rage.

But rage is the emotion that still occupies the musician Hubert von Goisern. Over the years he has learned to channel his anger: "Everyone knows that money doesn't grow on trees and you can't eat it either, but it burns well. But we stoke up the wheat, the turnips and maize and if we keep on stoking, it'll all go to hell." When "HvG" sings about life, expressions from Upper Austrian farm economy become biting socio-criticisms: "Push and pull, pray or lie, drink, eat, forget loads. But as long as the music plays and the jug is filled with beer, but as long as the music plays and the jug is filled with blood, sit a while and let out a juchitzer." In thrilling style von Goisern celebrates his songs, the concert should be a party and the locals perhaps don't understand a lot anyway, the Austrian speculates: "Guuglz es muan!" - One should google it the next day and he grins mischievously, because he knows that not every Upper Austrian idiom has made its way into the global network.

It's better that way

Perhaps it's better that way. "The Goiserer" once had problems in his homeland with his no-nonsense talking, today he is a star in the German-speaking region. He was once a determined autodidact, he is now a multi-instrumentalist, tirelessly assembling music styles like the folk music from his valley with waltzes, rock, two step and blues. He was once an angry young man, this year the matured musician will turn 60. His anger still grows through his songs.

But he has turned it for the good, it has become an emotional, thrilling and thoughtful statement on a broken world: "Lord, buy me a Mercedes Benz, oh Lord, a Daimler and then I'd be happy!"