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LINZ EUROPE TOUR 2007-2009

GOISERN GOES EAST & GOISERN GOES WEST

Hubert von GoisernIn 2007 Hubert von Goisern began his biggest and boldest project to date: the Linz Europe Tour 2007-2009. On a converted stage ship he and his band and crew travelled downstream along the Danube from Linz to the Black Sea and back again with a tug boat and barracks ship. On his way eastwards Hubert von Goisern set anchor and gave concerts on board with locally renowned artists - free concerts for the enthusiastic spectators on the river banks.

In 2008 the journey continued: the ship took its musical cargo westwards to the North Sea. Numerous concerts and meeting made the waterways and rivers of Europe between Linz and Rotterdam ring with music: Danube, Main, Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, Rhine and Neckar.

The TV documentary Goisern goes East, shot during the first journey, premiered in the summer of 2008 and in 2009 three further episodes followed, documenting Hubert von Goisern's second ship journey: Goisern goes West. The two series from Markus Wogrolly, Robert Lakatos and Harald Aue are now available on DVD, offering you the opportunity to join the musical river adventure on board. Extended highlights of the Linz Europe Harbour Festival are also available on the Goisern goes West DVD.

Goisern goes East & Goisern goes West on DVD

Goisern goes East

GOISERN GOES EAST

22nd August 2008 on DVD
Lawine / Sony BMG
Order no.: 88697346549

GOISERN GOES WEST &
LINZ EUROPA HAFENFEST *

21st May 2010 on DVD
Lawine / Sony BMG
Order no.: 88697673149

* Including 5 previously unreleased songs from HvG & band: Neuer Tag, Haut & Haar, Die Liab, Regen and Juchitzer.

Goisern goes West

GOISERN GOES EAST - Synopses

Resetarits & GoisernPart 1: The dragon of fortune, the storm fairy and the good companions

Theodor Storm once said "wanderlust is watching the ships from the beach". So it's only understandable that that the exceptional artist Hubert von Goisern would rather be on one of these ships than mourning after them. Over five episodes he portrays his experiences on his concert tour along the Danube from Vienna to the Black Sea.

The Donauinselfest 2007 in Vienna represents the start of the ten week odyssey and mercilessly shows the crew the dangers of this undertaking.

Higher powers like freak weather episodes were constant companions along the way, as were musical colleagues, who helped carry Goisern's concept of music to unite people and traditions.

In the first part this is Willi Resetarits, the Austrian songwriter with Croatian roots, whose person and music represent a virtuoso supplement to the variety of the Goisern way of making music. After he had retired his alter ego 'Ostbahn Kurti' Resetarits turned towards other projects such as Stubnblues, setting to music folk songs in German and Croatian. Part one is rounded off with impressions of the preparations for the trip and the expectations held by those taking part in the project, inevitable when taking part in such a tour.

Loredana & HubertPart 2: King Decebal and the two women from the east

The real adventure can begin. In the second part of his "boat movie" narrator Hubert von Goisern leaves his homeland behind him and carries the viewer off into eastern Europe - oft feared, because unknown. The river leads the way through the neighbouring countries of the Slovakian Republic and Hungary to the Croatian capital Osijek, where the first highpoint awaits the protagonist and his crew. The tension and anticipation can be seen in the members of the project.

Tamara Obrovac, a charismatic singer from Pula in Croatia, comes on board the concert ship with her band and entrances all those on board with her love and sensitivity for music. Croatian folk music with all the facets between passion and melancholy is on the programme and is paired without a problem with the folk elements of the Upper Austrian's instrumentation.

After the joint concert the route leads the adventurer with his musical message through the Croatian coastal landscape towards Romania, where another artist is waiting for a joint show. In the port town of Orsova Goisern faces his next challenge and meets the famous Romanian singer Loredana Groza - justly given the title "Madonna of the Balkans".

The music with Tamara Obrovac was an excursion into Croatian folk music with elements of jazz and rock and the collaboration with Groza was a completely different experience, but no less musically impressive. Romanian folk finds itself in a tonal symbiosis with pop music and oriental elements; Madonna couldn't do it any better herself. With Goisern's assistance the musical mix becomes an unusual, but harmonious entity.

And the journey continues.

KarandilaPart 3: Karandila and the war against the wicked

In the third part of the TV series Hubert von Goisern continues to live the dream many have of unbounded freedom. The journey leads on through the barren landscape of Romania in high summer, looking towards Bulgaria. On the journey the team becomes acquainted with the vitality of land and people: individuals who were not blessed with riches, but instead with a good amount of heart and feeling for music.

The fifteen member band Karandila from Bulgaria are the real kick in this episode, national icons of "gypsy music" and masters of improvisation. Something Hubert von Goisern's band need to know all about to keep up with the eastern European group. Along with the band a good friend of the Goiserer has also come on board, the Bulgarian gadulka player Darinka Tsekova, with whom the Austrian artist has already presented some joint concerts. Together they create a style that does not fit into any of the usual schemata, gypsy music is furnished with jazz and funk elements, without any consideration of musical boundaries - fun is what goes. The members of Karandila seem meld with the crew not just musically - the ease of their being on board the ship is writ large and lived by all, despite some adversities, which which can occur during such an unusual concert project.

Yet even in the critical moments Hubert von Goisern keeps track of things and in the face of tolerance and openness remains true to himself and his principles.

Schwarze MeerPart 4: Red hot chili peppers and Europe grows

Part four of Hubert von Goisern's Linz Europe Tour East leads ever further into what is for central Europe mostly mystically classified as eastern Europe. Darinka Tsekova, on board since the third episode becomes part of the team with her harmony for music and the great way she gets on with everyone else.

The Danube as a border area between Bulgaria and Romania and down to the mouth at the Black Sea proves to be a test in terms of the weather - with a palette reaching from continual downpours to tropical heatwaves.

It can also be established however that this area is in no way inferior to the more well-known and more often frequented coastal and sea landscapes in terms of beauty and breadth.

The guest band Zdob Si Zdub from Moldova bring a new musical aspect to the project. On the journey folk settles in a border area between ethno, punk and rock - and is audibly happy there. Now in the Ukraine the local band Haydamaky come on board too and meet their Moldovan neighbours eye to eye in terms of energy and creativity. Where the three bands on board meet develops a hitherto unknown and thus all the more compelling new style of crossover.

As exhausted as he is happy Hubert von Goisern reaches his destination, the Black Sea and with a heavy heart preparations are made for the return journey.

The journey ends and starts afresh.

HvGPart 5: Mister Extravaganza and the happy ending

Freedom and breadth are newly defined by Hubert von Goisern on the Linz Europe Tour East. Solitude is welcome as the new travelling companion for the ship's team after the stress of the previous weeks. The journey upstream back to the beginning is characterised by peace and tranquillity as the landscape all around conveys again and again.

This peace ends however as they reach Serbian waters. The nationally beloved rough and ready artist Rambo Amadeus gives us the honour and is the musical highpoint in the fifth and final part of the project. With his extroverted and open style he time and again gives the band a little fire after the tranquil part of their journey home.

As a political voice for tolerance and an opposer to the regime of ex-president Slobodan Milosevic Rambo Amadeus is accustomed to being seen as a musician with rough edges, who consequently goes his own way. The rhythmic sounds of his music seems to combine all styles with which the band were confronted on their journey and is - thus seen - the perfect finale to the guest musicians.

The Danube has been their only constant companion and brings the ship's crew home again after twelve weeks. Hubert von Goisern's résumé is split into two, but in a positive way. In the foreground there is happiness with a successful project and on the other hand melancholy is also coursing through the team. The journey lasted a small eternity and yet it has come to an end far too quickly.

GOISERN GOES WEST - Synopses

Wecker & Goisern

Part 1: Towards the sea, or Freedom is paradise

This time the wind is blowing westwards for Hubert von Goisern, ambassador for uniting different musical cultures.

Still shaped by the impressions that the countries and people of the Linz Europe Tour East 2007 left on the band, the songwriter and his musicians begin the second Danube odyssey with concerts in the Austrian homeland, before their journey takes them upstream to the northern neighbour of Germany.

After initial problems with the authorities and weather conditions there, finally they get to the musical point in the Bavarian town of Deggendorf. As on the first journey that led the group to the Black Sea, guests are wished for and welcome, guests who share the courage with Hubert von Goisern for artistic crossovers.

The first visitor is Konstantin Wecker, Bavarian doyen of the acoustic art and a brother in musical spirit. Together despite fresh discrepancies with officials and weather gods. On stage Wecker and Goisern bring their internalised creativity and melancholy together to make a unique whole.

Naidoo & HvGPart 2: Influenza and the helpful sons of Mannheim

The second part of the Linz Europe Tour West 2008 takes the whole crew to the northwest of Germany. The initially small obstacles that fate stood in the way of this project have become large and more numerous. Frontman Hubert von Goisern is in ill health and misses much of the visit from the new visitor on board, Mannheim's most famous son, the musical universal genius Xavier Naidoo, who joins the ship's guest list as a another highpoint.

Soul, funk and folk assemble themselves, refined by Naidoo's incomparable singing. The Goiserer's band are faced with hitherto their greatest challenge, but take the new man at the microphone into their midst without a hitch. Once more the group shows their flexibility within the gateways of different musical styles.

The collaboration leads to a joint concert, with the bandleader who has joined the crew again, in front of thousands of enthusiastic spectators. But when it becomes clear that this daring deed has taken the last of Goisern's strength, Naidoo agrees to take on the next concert alone with the band. A balancing act in front of initially sceptical fans of the Upper Austrian, which leads to a happy ending thanks to the class and professionalism of the man from Mannheim.

Marie Daulne & HvGPart 3: The black goddess and the three holy kings

Part three of the Linz Europe Tour West 2008 and the Black Forest is approaching ever faster. Back again after finally overcome illness and the departure of Xavier Naidoo, the crew continue to new shores. These are next to be found in Heilbronn, where the top-class saxophonist Klaus Doldinger, admired greatly by not just Hubert von Goisern, collaborates for a concert.

New shores mean new waters too and thus the route leads via the Lower Rhine towards the Netherlands. In Amsterdam Marie Daulne, the Afro-Belgian singer from the group Zap Mama, comes on board the ship and enchants the band with her expressive and sensitive charisma. The programme is funk in conclusion with African joie de vivre, full of desire and passion for life and music. Another challenge that the band around Hubert von Goisern eagerly accept and master with ease on the shores of Amsterdam.

The onward course leads via Belgium back to Germany, to Wolfgang Niedecken, to be exact - the singer in the Cologne band BAP. Soul and funk are taken over by honest, direct rock poetry offered up with heart and soul. At the home game for Niedecken in Cologne, his Kölsch in its own way becomes a unified whole with Goisern's dialect, from which it is impossible to escape.