DeutschEnglish

GRENZENLOS TOUR 2002

Swinging Styria

Nürnberger Nachrichten 24th June 2002 | Text & Photo: Hans von Draminski

Musical rollercoaster ride: Hubert von Goisern's exciting open air concert in Bamberg

Hubert von Goisern and Marlene SchuenYou can yodel in African. Or swing in Styrian. Or both: Hubert von Goisern demonstrates it on his Grenzenlos tour. The open air appearance from the head-on musician at the Bamberg Heumarkt was musical proof.

Goisern is more or less the founder of a crossover style called Schräg Dahoam which once gave birth to a festival of the same name. Mind you, the Goiserer, as his fans call him, is long past the simple pattern of rocky folk music. In recent years he has above all distinguished himself as a producer of world music projects. Hubert von Goisern has even intensively had a look at Tibetan sounds. The new Goisern album should be out in the autumn by the way.

The return to the stage some time ago stands logically against a background of diverse internationality. Which is probably why the Styrian multi-instrumentalist has gathered a new band around him, the Alpinkatzen perhaps finally belong to the past.

With the violinist Marlene Schuen, the guitarist Gerhard Überbacher, keyboarder Burkhard Frauenlob, bass player Antonio Porto, Bernd Bechtloff on the percussion and Bernhard Wimmer behind the drums, von Goisern has a flexible, tremendously smooth and lucidly playing combo at his disposal, who fill his transcontinental kaleidoscope with colour, coolly going along with his wild rollercoaster ride through style and sensitivities. This group make it terrific audible fun to let contrasts collide. It starts with black African township pop à la Paul Simon - but over it social critical lyrics in Styrian dialect are more rapped than sung. A clap-along "double", for which von Goisern exchanges the guitar for the accordion, unexpectedly mutates into a really wild rock 'n' roll number. Power yodels from several voices are treated ironically by psychedelic synthesizer sounds and bulldozer-bass.

And when you think that Hubert von Goisern has completely exhausted his musical gunpowder, he serves a sharp salsa sauce, plays a beautifully strange, quite virtuoso swing trumpet or scans a hymn of the longing sort on the trail of Bob Dylan. He only left his Hiatamadl at home. Because he's flirting with quite different beauties now.

Hubert von Goisern

Süddeutsche Zeitung 25th June 2002 | Text: Bernhard Blöchl

From the foot of the Dachstein to Upper Egyptian Assiut is no (alpine) cat leap. Nevertheless, Hubert von Goisern left the European continent again this spring in order to give a multicultural concert with Mohamed Mounir at the wish of the Goethe Institute.

"I want to sharpen my senses on journeys," says the man of the world (music), who likes to newly orientate himself in Tibet or in Africa. And a long time ago are the times when Hubert Achleitner and his Alpinkatzen musically turned down the weak-legged shepherd girls. The musician and singer from Jörg Haider's hometown of Bad Goisern has blossomed from a folk music to a world music expert, since he pinned country dances and folk tunes onto electric guitar and drums at the end of the 80s.

Now returned from his journey to the black continent, Hubert von Goisern stands on the stage of the jam-packed Tollwood Musik Arena and bravely sings: "Gemma nach Afrika" ("Let's go to Africa"). In the generous two and a half hours, the alpine rocker lets those at home feel what inspired him most of all in the foreign culture.

So the unrestrained style mix of funk, jazz, blues, rock, ballads and folk music was above all influenced by one thing: by the rhythm ecstasies of his young band, the violin combined with the harmonica and bongos and other drum work with the guitar. Like the new single, the hot Poika, the majority of the pieces were still raw material from the new album to be released in the autumn.

Despite his curiosity with foreign music cultures, despite the multicultural crystals in the sound - basically Hubert von Goisern and his music stays true. The audience also thank him for it: always then when the Austrian buckles on his diatonic, works it like Gary Moore does his guitar and when he then yodels to electric guitar riffs and drums, then they cheer from their own platform.

Also a Goiserer cannot change his spots: he is and remains the folk music innovator from the Salzkammergut. Egypt here, Senegal there.

Will the audience go to heaven?

Jazz Fest Wien 25th June 2002 | Text: Thomas Ettl/Andreas Hirsch

Not a simple question at all, whether the audience at Hubert von Goisern and band's concert in the Vienna Konzerthaus will go to heaven or not. The answer namely hangs on not only the list of sins of an individual person - as one might follow this Catholic philosophy - but also with the question whether man or woman has sung along or not, and whether the Nobel prize winner Konrad Lorenz was right or not.

It is now ten years since Hubert von Goisern founded "alpine rock", so to say, for the general public with the CD Aufgeigen stått niederschiassen and with it prematurely prepared the ground for DJ Ötzi and so many others. Also the participants of one or another currently so loved Poetry Slam could be greatly influenced by Hubert von Goisern, who could also be pointed out to them as the master of this discipline. Ten years and many journeys into the distant areas and musical worlds later, he is here again still effortlessly formulating the "alpine rock" genre - if you like - "alpine jazz", "alpine funk" and "alpine rap" too. It all collects together in an organised manner to something like "world music", for the musical journey has never forgotten the Styrian homeland, but is always enriched with new experiences.

The multi-instrumentalist surrounds himself with a good homogeneously operating band, consisting of Burkhard Frauenlob (keyboards), Antonio Porto (bass), Gerhard Überbacher (guitar), Bernd Bechtloff (percussion), Bernhard Wimmer (drums) and Marlene Schuen (violin).

And what about heaven? Hubert von Goisern quoted Konrad Lorenz with the remark that whoever sings along to music is given an inch and takes a mile. He leaves the decision up to the audience, whether they want to go to heaven or not ... or perhaps follows the assumption that the Nobel prize winner could have been mistaken in this question.

And the audience at the opening evening of the Vienna Jazz Festival absolutely seemed to be floating in seventh heaven and concerned themselves rather less with the Catholic perspective of heaven and hell, you took the enthusiastic applause and the great mood in the Konzerthaus as a gauge.

Hubert von Goisern: vocal acrobat not just with yodelling

Aachener Zeitung 23rd June 2002 | Text: Hans-Peter Leisten | Photo: © Wolfgang Sevenich
Hubert von Goisern and Gerhard Überbacher

The man with the Styrian accordion wants to remember this place. The hope for a reunion with Hubert von Goisern at Burg Wilhelmstein does not seem unfounded. And with it the prospect of a musical experience that hardly lets itself be put into musical clichés.

The man from the Salzkammergut, born in 1952 as Hubert Achleitner is now one of the most remarkable phenomena on the market. The Goiserer has a home game in the German west which does not only make clear the fact that his fans are completely assembled half an hour before the official start.

And so the six member band simply begin earlier. A short "Grüaß Euch" ("Hello") suffices as presentation for the first three quarters of an hour, in which the people from the Aachen region became the second test partner of a daring experiment - in succession to the audience in Upper Egyptian Assiut anyway.

The band started there brilliantly with the current tour programme Grenzenlos 2002 and punished all those responsible in the field of lies who have called it a great mistake to present a new record live before its release (in September). The first part of the concert is almost completely made up of new pieces, which prove that Hubert von Goisern plays in a different musical league today from years ago with his cult Alpinkatzen.

The quintet (drums, guitar, bass, percussion, violin) translates the unconventionality of their frontman with an unbelievably winning mixture of unassuming perfection and enthusiasm. And the Goiserer himself runs free with his music, this mixture of alpine folk music combined with blues and jazz elements.

Full instrumental parts are combined with oriental themes, strong rhythms flow unexpectedly into soft, tender samba tapestries. And yet the musicians never distance themselves from their real roots which lie in the tradition of the mountains. Achleitner and his accordion turn into an emotional experience.

But the broad musicality in which countless ethno influences have left their mark in the course of many world journeys becomes quite clear when von Goisern incorporates the black Stratocaster just as masterfully as his flute or trumpet from which he elicits unbelievably delicate sounds. He is an impressive and at the same time enormously pleasant stage phenomenon, effective but completely unaffected, a vocal acrobat not just with yodelling.

The concert is an emotional experience anyway. After the musical new land the Austrian proffered familiar pieces from the Fön and Trad records, after two and a half hours the two fantastically beautiful ballads Spät and Heast as nit.

The enthused audience rose in thunderous applause and bowed before one of the most remarkable musicians of our day. Hubert von Goisern is a world musician, something like the Peter Gabriel of folk music. And he supplies the proof that musical geniuses can be born in Austrian villages.

"Let's go to Africa" with Hubert von Goisern

Bad Reichenhaller Tageblatt 15th May 2002

The musician wanders between music worlds in the Sternenzelt

Bad Reichenhall - The fan community crowded into the sold-out Sternenzelt and stared expectantly at the stage. After an 8 year break Hubert von Goisern again made a stop in the spa town and started his new tour, which bears the title - rich in associations - Grenzenlos, with this appearance. A young band around the musician kept time and as the Goiserer soon strapped on the diatonic accordion the first waves of enthusiasm moved through the tent. The programme is strong, Hubert von Goisern expresses his rocky side. And yet he has not forgotten where he came from, because he takes up his homeland and transforms cultural elements into rousing numbers, with which the rhythm forms the foreground, unfortunately the lyrics sung are difficult to understand.

Elements from rock, pop, soul, funk and jazz are incorporated. The audience is nevertheless enthused and identify themselves with sounds of the alpine rocker. He has brought new inspirations with him from his Africa tour which give the tonal works completely different characteristics. The soft confession "I will di" ("I want you") is almost affectionately backed with bongo sounds, while Hubert lets his diverse talents play. Here he whistles cleverly into the microphone, having previously proved his ability on the flute, accordion and guitar and further shows that he can provide for musical surprises at any time with the flugelhorn and harmonica. An Innviertler country dance is newly packaged and the beginning sounds from the harmonica accompanied by professional "doublets" grow to a rock number which sets a further tuneful high point in the lively concert.

The Goiserer seems adaptable. "Schau, schau wias regna tuat, schau schau wias giaßt..." he sings cleverly, drumming rain on the roof of the tent typically pounds a resounding rhythm, the gentle melody is undertaken by violinist Marlene and is taken up under the dome-shaped roof, while the fans almost breathlessly listen to the sensitive melody. Immediately after that comes the invitation "let's go to Africa" and now there is seething unrest in the tent, one feels the pulse of the "black continent". Hubert von Goisern does not speak very much during the concert, he puts his main emphasis on the music which, like he says, everyone understands. With this he has backed the right horse because the audience follows him devotedly through his melodic variety and meets his contributions with lots of applause.

He also does not owe anything, yodels with speed, changes instruments to constantly produce a new picture of sound, while exotic rhythms resound with it and shows a new musical dimension with a youthful band. The elements of foreign cultures mix interestingly with the alpine sounds and convey pure joy for life.

With his programme, Hubert von Goisern has by no means done a "backwards somersault", much more he seems innovative and pulsating and shows the courage to go other ways. Perhaps many in the tent missed the melodic soft sounds because the main focus was laid on rhythm and temperament. A wave of enthusiasm carries him to an encore with which the audience are not satisfied. Without his musicians he comes on to the stage again, plucks the guitar strings almost lovingly and expresses his thanks for coming with a courteous "thank you very much".

Hubert von Goisern: Live in Bad Reichenhall - 11th May 2002

2002 | Photos: © Mentalworks.com

Real, like on TV

Salzburger Nachrichten 13th May 2002 | Text: Bernhard Flieher

... Hubert von Goisern was also on TV on this day. He received the Amadeus Award for his album Trad. Mind you, his critical words about the event and the Austrian broadcasting were not on TV. Television is simply cut to shape if it is not live.

At a geographical home match like the Goiserer completed in Bad Reichenhall on Saturday, it also looked different on stage. He was already a celebrated guest in 1993 and 1994. As if eight years had not passed, as if there has not been any new nuances, the audience also celebrated this time. Goisern is always Goisern one may think - and really be quite wrong.

Goisern and his band, who since two Africa tours have been working on a new album for about three weeks and are preparing for the summer tour which begins at the end of June, are in search of a new alpine world sound. The Sternenzelt did not necessarily come along at the right time. The first since the March trip to Egypt in this arrangement of the troupe is still in intensive training and has to cheat a little with many entries and final chords. Apart from that Marlene Schuen was the new violinist on stage, who was admittedly still missing the relaxed state and confidence with her colleagues with her first appearance.

Goisern and band in training for summer tour

The discoveries on Goisern's journey through his very real music world between the Dachstein and Burkina Faso nevertheless come together in many songs to a tight, powerful whole of contrasts, which also reflect somewhat as regards to content with Afrika. Other songs, above all those - like Spåt and Fön from the Fön album - which musically build on celestial sound collages, quickly come apart at the seams, letting the concentration of the audience sink and losing those orientated forwards from the strength from the feeling and the stomach which the Goiserer above all displays live. This energy is above all achieved with the arrangements of traditional songs (Stadltür, Über d'Alma, Rote Wand) and with new, indeed enriched with worldwide rhythms, but pieces from the floor of the alpine homeland like Er lebt, Besser werd'n, 6/8 or Polka.

There's funk, rock, jazz, blues, groove and country dance

OÖN 13th May 2002

Hubert von Goisern brought along a rucksack of new songs, which will first see the artistic light of the record company in autumn, with his witty remoulded band for the Grenzenlos tour: the funky yodel jazz Er lebt; the Afro-groove with a glimmer of hope Besser werd'n; the Volx Jam which brings the electric strings to bursting point; dynamic Gstanzl; Afrika which animates people to singing, dancing and tolerance; the energetic I bin an funk.

With it the repertoire from the previous Fön concert tour, from the gut-stimulating, loin-pulling accordion in Katholisch, the drifting guitar of the deep, affectionate ballad Da Diab to the percussive cheerful high points of Akipenda.

A boundless style world, uniting, enthralling, liberating - simply Hubert!