TOUR 2015
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah MarchantConcert in Salzburg: a home game for Hubert von Goisern
On Sunday evening Hubert von Goisern once more had a home game in the shadow of the cathedral, a show that was met with mighty jubilation right from the start.
The songs of the new album, Federn, that formed the focus of the concert, encircle the myths and traditions of the American southern states. Along the way it's proved that the alpine sound gets along just fine with pedal steel guitar, dirty southern rock and articulate protest - almost furious on the most intense song of the evening, Snowdown. Once more Goisern successfully fuses apparently distant worlds. They're all very close, if only you want to experience it. Incidentally, Hubert von Goisern is donating a percentage of the profits to the Salzburg organisation EcoHimal. The money will go towards support for the victims of the earthquake in Nepal.
Read more: Hubert's appeal
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah Marchant
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Suzy Crowle
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Salzburg - 28th June 2015
Photo: © Sarah MarchantA bit scary ...
Hubert von Goisern. That says a lot, but not everything.
Since Sunday the people of Salzburg have been southern state fans.
"Hello Salzburg. A concert at home like this is always a bit scary. But wonderful." Hubert von Goisern made an acclaimed return to the Old Town on Sunday evening with his concert on Kapitelplatz - evidently a bit nervous though. For the new sounds that the Goiserer is adopting are new and yet so familiar. The man from the Salzkammergut with the accordion found the blues and country music in Nashville, Louisiana and New Orleans. thus the 3500 fans at the foot of the fortress felt as though one moment they were in a road movie – yodelling included – and then deeply heartsick the next, in the blues.
Alpine rock and southern state music
There's no denying that alpine rock and the music of the southern states go together. "The slower number reminded me in a way of the Viennese song. We Austrians are damned good at being grumpy, even when we're fine," laughed Petra Bauer, a fellow countrywoman of the musician, that is, from Upper Austria.
Hubert von Goisern gave the band a "born in the USA" boost with Bob Bernstein aus Los Angeles. "We wanted to show [his predecessor Steve Fishell] where we're from, what makes us who we are - and did so on Krampus day in the Salzkammergut", Goisern told the fans. The day ended with a schnapps tasting at a friend's place in Abersee - then they went into the studio. The result: damned bluesy, but that's understandable after such a night.
Hubert von Goisern: Jack of all trades with a squeezebox
Concert at the Königsplatz
Munich - Goisern goes west: The musical world journeys with Hubert von Goisern are in particular so much fun because he loves Tibetan and African sounds without forgetting his roots in Central Europe: alpine music.
Jack of all trades Goisern's most recent passion is the music of the southern state, which he shared with us Munich residents on Friday evening at his dream open air concert at the Königsplatz.
When the now 62-year-old guy from the Salzkammergut gets the blues, it sounds contemporary and Cajun is given waltz time. This world music Made in Austria in front of the dream backdrop of the sculpture gallery and Propylaeum, in "cool weather" (to quote Goisern) - that fits! And how it fits!
The Austrian's newly-discovered love for America is definitely not completely unclouded though. Rather quite the opposite. "My prejudices were multiplied," he told the crowd of almost 10,000 at the Königsplatz. "Fools are distributed evenly around the globe. But there are simply more Americans than Austrians..." But in the swamps of Louisiana, that's where I'm at home."
And you can hear it too! The wonderful version of Amazing Grace as So a segn touches a Bavarian heart too. What unites US country music and Austrian folk music is this: both are appropriated by right-wing scatterbrains and small-minded bone-heads. And what Goisern finds such enormous fun is: really knocking the dust out of country music or Landlers with rock rhythms and ripping them away from the old-fashioned controllers with all his musical might. A corny ear worm like Oh Susanna - chop chop, it becomes a wild protest song. Excellent!
Goisern has conquered America – and the Königsplatz in Munich at the same time. A truly grand evening!
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Munich - 26th June 2015
Photo: © Elli ChristlHubert von Goisern at the Königsplatz
The multifaceted musician thrilled 10,000 people at the chock full Königsplatz with his journey
from the Alps to the southern states.
Munich - He hasn't shed many feathers yet, 62-year-old Hubert von Goisern. But the singer-songwriter from Bad Goisern brought feathers with him to the Königsplatz on Friday. Around 10,000 fans celebrated the new album Federn with him, Goisern's grand musical southern state journey of country, Cajun, blues and rock.
What a dream of an open air concert! Balmy summer air at the as good as sold out Königsplatz (seated), pleasant people of all ages - and above all else the thrilling music of Hubert von Goisern and his band. "You brought great weather with you!", the king of alpine rock happily greeted his fans. And each one of them immediately felt that this would be a very special evening. And it was. Even if much of the programme was familiar from the show at the Circus Krone last November.
It's all about the report of the musician's two American trips, which form the most recent chapter of the never-ending story "Achleitner's Travels". "To be quite honest", he said, "I went over there to deconstruct my own prejudices about the Americans. But instead they were only multiplied". And: "There are fools all over the world. But because so many people live in America, there is a particularly high number of fools over there."
And then he talks about the Catholic musicians who refused to play the world famous hymn Amazing Grace with him. Because they're from the Protestant walk of life. And the others who didn't want anything to do with a particular song, because the composer was black.
The final round then starts off groovy at first with Brenna tuats guat, before becoming quite devotional with a couple of emotional ballads. Then abruptly a huge alpenhorn, the new trick up the sleeve of multi-instrumentalist Hubert von Goisern. At first he didn't want to take it on as an Austrian, because in his opinion it belonged more in Switzerland ("Who invented it?"). Until it became clear that it comes from a completely different place.
Nonetheless he brought back a lot from the land of unlimited opportunity and impossibilities, for example influences from country, Zydeco and folk - and in particular the Louisiana blues. And the way it sounds on the Styrian accordion is more than impressive. As if it had never been made for another instrument.
So to start off there are a couple of American classics like Jambalaya and Ray Peterson's Corinna Corinna, fantastically endless solos on all instruments, and a brilliant collaboration between the accordion and the pedal steel guitar, played this time by Robert Bernstein, like his predecessor Steve Fishell, a souvenir from the USA.
And time and again the blues and the blues once more. "You can call it depression too", says Hubert von Goisern. "My tip: when the blues comes along, never run away. Rather, keep it steady in your gaze and hold it tightly. Until it complains that it's too close and wants to leave!" Oh, if only it was so simple!
With Weit, weit weg von dir and Herst es ned, wia de Zeit vergeht an almost holy feeling comes over the now night-time Königsplatz. Everyone stands and sings the lyrics word for word, carefully and devoutly. And the blues takes to its heels.
Schnapps, Southerners, Snowdown
Hilpoltstein (HK) It was sold out long ago - rightly so. For what Hubert von Goisern delivered on Thursday evening at Burg Abenberg is worth saluting. This time it's a great mix of alpine and American music.
Goisern has always travelled a lot and has already borne witness to this. He has also always brought with him musicians from across the world, so they could present their music and of course play with him too. This time he was in the south of the USA: Louisiana, the music of the swamps, the home of Cajun. But as inspired as he was, playing together didn't work out. "When I started playing, they didn't join in", he said. When the southerners cut loose and he joined in, they looked rather disapproving. His final attempt was Amazing Grace, "that's your music", he said. But nothing was forthcoming. It's a Protestant hymn, they wouldn't play that, he was told. The Cajuns stayed at home. It didn't matter to the enthusiastic audience, they got to hear the wonderful So a Seng to the melody of Amazing Grace.
In comparison to the river tour the trip to the USA considerably purified Goisern's music. Back then highly complex, sometimes ten minute long works were the focus, in the first part of the Abenberg concert it was mainly blues, rock, Cajun and country too. From the cheerful traditional Oh Susanna comes the no less energetic Singa gang guat. He also dared to try country icon Hank Williams and his Jambalaya. Es is wahr is the title of the wild mixture of country, rock and yodels: "Jambalaya, all's geht vorbei, sogar das Leben" ("Jambalaya everything passes, even life"). Keyword icons: Bob Dylan once sang Corinna, Corinna, Goisern does no worse, it's just called Des kann's nit sein.
Making sure that the southern state sound mixes neatly with the alpine sounds is Goisern's reliable regular trio: Severin Trogbacher on guitar, Helmut Schartlmüller on bass and Alex Pohn on drums. Together with those three he composed his own songs on the most recent album Federn, such as the cracking Snowdown, the long overdue anthem to all whistleblowers.
So that it's not just Upper Austrians on stage, the band has been reinforced with an American. Bob Bernstein on the pedal steel guitar is responsible for the authentic kick. Mind you, he's not from Louisiana, but rather from California. "Upper California", said the sparklingly jovial Goisern on Thursday.
You learn that the American - like the Swiss - are mostly self-sufficient. Something that the Austrians tried too, says Goisern, but they didn't manage it. And he doesn't like schnapps in the USA. "Chemicals with flavour, it's never seen any fruit." The firebrands from Franz Kain are very different, who always warned before the pleasure: "It's a house-burner". This ode to the honest, sharp fires is called quite simply Schnaps: "A Stamperl von was Brennt'n, von a wengerl mehr Potenten" (a shot of something distilled, something a little more potent).
Even though Hirtenmaderl was done without in Abenberg, in the second half of the concert the big popular songs are played: the gentle Weit, weit weg, the emotional Heast das net and a truly bombastic Brenna tuats guat. Goisern's version Steve Winwood's Can't Find My Way Home is completely magical too. "Aber so wie i beinander bin, find i ohne di net hoam" ("but the state I'm in, I won't find my way home without you").
After the sun has set, after two and a quarter hours the concert comes to an end with standing ovations. Not without a little alpenhorn suite and not without the observation that this epitome of all that is Swiss doesn't actually come from Switzerland, it was invented in the 8th century in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. "Es is nix mehr so, wias allweil gwesen is" (things are not the way they always were), it appropriately goes in the song Am hellichten Tag.
The whole world "burns"
Alpine rock, African sounds, ancient folk songs and more - Hubert von Goisern isn't to be stopped on his musical world travels. So it's only logical that at some point he would find the blues in the swamps of Louisiana. His current CD and tour that brought him to Burg Abenberg on Thursday is dedicated to this not exactly problem-free encounter. The setting is perfect. The sun sets slowly over the castle keep, fat brown june bugs buzz through the air, the little village of Abenberg once more offers the perfect timber-framed setting - a song like Heast as nit would suit this beautifully of course.
But that doesn't come until the end of the show, to begin with the Goiserer has really got the blues. Jambalaya, Corinna, Corinna, lots of steel guitar a rough numbers from the deep swamps of the American south define the first part. The people in the audience who have taken the concert as a welcome opportunity to put on their beer festival Tracht again look a little out of place.
Hubert sometimes didn't feel quite in the right place either on his musical journey of discovery in the USA: "The Yanks are just like the Swiss, they feel self-sufficient", he observed in the face of his rather misshapen attempts to simply jam away across borders. No matter what he started playing, his US musicians simply didn't show any interest. Even when he somewhat desperately struck up Amazing Grace, they refused. Why? "We won't play a Protestant hymn", came the answer from the apparently staunchly Catholic region in which he had landed. Nonetheless, his version, with the title So a Segn has now made it into the current show programme.
The hit at Oktoberfest
In the second part the audience in the completely full open air arena are treated to some classics, aside from the song about the passing of time, there was also Oben und Unten and surprise hit Brenna tuats gut. In its day it was played non-stop even at Oktoberfest, in spite of the clearly consumer-critical message. Hubert von Goisern's current political message, most clearly packaged in the song Snowdown, says that not just money, but soon the whole world will burn. And those who are highlighting painful issues are living in danger: "Die Wahrheit, sie suacht um Asyl / aber kriagn tuat sie's nia" (The truth seeks asylum / but never finds it). Nonetheless Hubert von Goisern doesn't let himself be led astray and hunts further in the kingdom of universal music - his most recent field of experimentation is the alpenhorn. Somewhere between mountain folklore, yodelling and whale song, thus ends the concert after more than two hours.
Far, far away from Musikantenstadl
Better than ever: Hubert von Goisern impresses at Burg Abenberg
When he was younger, Hubert von Goisern rated American country music as "Musikantenstadl from Nashville". Now he's doing it himself. The man from Austria visited the States and returned with impressions and inspiration. And he brought with him, you can't believe it at this concert evening with 3000 people at Burg Abenberg in Franconia, a famous pedal steel guitarist. His name: Robert Bernstein.
Refined popular songs
Nearly the entire first half of the show is given over to songs that the man from Bad Goisern has created with sheer unbelievable musical intelligence, as nobody as done before him. Old US popular songs, refined with ingredients from an Austrian musician who makes every chord an event. The enchanted and amazed audience hears Amazing Grace, they are given Jambalaya transferred into German by him and are almost breathlessly with him as Hubert von Goisern plays a Cajun accordion that can be found in the swamps of Louisiana.
What a pleasure! Blues with the harmonica, right afterwards Corinna, Corinna, which leads back to his singer-songwriter colleague Wolfgang Ambros. Once more underscored with pedal steel and thus a completely new version. Hubert von Goisern chats between the songs, becoming the presenter of his own journeys into far-off (sound) worlds. He determined one thing: "Idiots are evenly distributed across the globe."
With his 62 years, Hubert von Goisern hasn't just remained a stinging trump card. The older he gets, the more enthralling and rousing his concerts become. After a short break, enough for a quick glug from the water bottle, he does what took him into the charts. You get the impression: he and his band do it out of necessity. Because the many people in the castle grounds want to hear what is stuck in their memories.
Of course the fire breaks out and blazes musically like an anthem. Brenna tuat's (It Burns) and everyone sings along. The songwriter from Bad Goisern breathes Weit, weit weg into the microphone and together everyone hears "how the time flies". The yodels and juchitzers that became cult are deliberately set. Not the kind that alpine pop musicians perform staccato. Hubert was never one who would have given an audience on the blaring Musikantenstadl programme. Thank God!
Incomparably beautiful
Finally he unpacks the alpenhorn. No bowing to Tell's confederates. Hubert von Goisern elicits a stream of sound from the hefty instrument that sounds like a bubbling mountain creek. The listening pleasures that follow are incomparably beautiful. Then he leaves, saying: "See you again. Sometime, somewhere." Being there is compulsory.
Cheers for the yodeller: Hubert von Goisern at Burg Abenberg
Alpine rocker impresses with ballads, accompanied by a metres long alpenhorn
ABENBERG - Hubert von Goisern's concert at Burg Abenberg on Thursday evening was a real experience. Goisern has the blues - and it really suits him. Only he knows how to integrate the swampiest blues into an alpine panorama. It is his unpredictability that is the exciting thing about Austria's most multifaceted ambassador of sound. Goisern played serene ballads for the most part. And with an alpenhorn several metres long, he drew his Austrian mountains up close to Abenberg. So beautiful. A great concert, a warm summer evening. What more could you want? Perhaps a reunion when Hubert von Goisern returns from his next travels with new musical impressions.
More photos at www.nordbayern.de
Hubert von Goisern rocks the Marktplatz for the second time
Rankweil. It was three years ago almost to the very day that Austro music legend Hubert von Goisern rocked the Rankweil Marktplatz for the first time. At this year's open air, there was a wild atmosphere once more with perfect weather conditions.
After Prince Gizley from Bregenz Forest brought the pack to boiling point with his support act, Hubert von Goisern and band entered the enormous stage. Goisern played not just the newest songs from the current album Federn, which was released at the beginning of May and went straight in at number 2 in the Austrian charts and number 6 in the German charts, but familiar hits from older albums too. Probably the most comical anecdote the audience will remember is about his version of Amazing Grace, in which musicians didn't want to play along, because they were Catholics and didn't want to perfect a Protestant song. "I could have understood if they were atheists", was one remark - and another: "They have schnapps in the USA too, but over there it tastes like a petroleum derivative and is only 30%", says Goisern, who without a doubt prefers Austrian schnapps.
Creating a New Orleans-style soul-filled atmosphere under the cloudless sky in Rankweil, Goisern played many mellow songs, during which people were embracing and swaying to the music. He didn't play his Hiatamadl, but there was Brenna tuats guat instead, during which lots of mobile phones were pulled out, before the band performed more smoochy songs. At the end of the tremendous concert, which had masterfully combined the typical alpine sound with world music, further classics such as Heast as Ned were played. The concert setting, with the basilica in the background was a wonderfully kitschy enhancement of the whole. Among the audience there was a lot of laughter, dancing, singing and thunderous applause all through the evening.
Hubert von Goisern at the Admiralspalast
Hubert von Goisern is Austria's out into the wide world export. For a quarter of a century he has been shaping alpine rock like no other and continually brings in new influences from his world travels, mixing them with accordion and yodelling. His new album Federn developed in the USA. On Wednesday evening Hubert von Goisern was at the Admiralspalast.
To kick off, Hubert von Goisern blows the alpenhorn, that's where he's from, his roots lie in the Alps and then he dauntlessly picks up the accordion, because someone who is always travelling, looking for new influences, must know above all else who he is himself and thus this evening begins, at first down-to-earth with alpine rock and yodelling and then gradually ever more American, southern and blues-filled.
Hubert Achleitner alias von Goisern imposed this USA album upon himself, as he puts it, Europe and the USA are becoming ever more alienated, he wanted to look for what they have in common, but overall just saw his prejudices confirmed. It borders on being a miracle that the album Federn, on which alpine rock meets country, came to life at all. It was as good as impossible to get American musicians to come on a European tour. Jamming with a traditional Austrian folk musician just didn't come into consideration for them.
And then there's the fact that Hubert von Goisern, is a political person, a hater of the FPÖ. His commentary on American politics is the song Snowdown.
A musical USA trip, started in the Alps, that pulls the faithful von Goisern fans, in their sixties and from somewhere south of Nuremberg, from their seats during the alpine clap-along crackers in particular. Otherwise it's a typical European's USA trip, staying critical, complaining a bit, but really celebrating the rhythm, the groove and the whole nonchalance. This evening is not a bad souvenir to bring back from the USA.
Rainy night in Gmunden
Hubert von Goisern blows the blues at the Traunsee
The English headline inspired by Brook Benton's warm ballad Rainy Night in Georgia is so wonderfully fitting. On Friday evening sometimes it was absolutely pouring down during Hubert von Goisern's concert at the Rathausplatz, but it didn't matter at all to the many countless fans. A rainy night in Gmunden, and Hubert blew the blues on the shore of the Traunsee. An event.
Gmunden signified the first (Austrian) stop on the 25-year tour and as befits the anniversary, there is a new Hubert album on sale. The tour goes through 41 cities in Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Estonia. But it's actually 27 years since the Goiserer was first on stage with Wolfgang Staribacher and the Alpinkatzen. But whether it's 27 or 25: it didn't matter to the audience in Gmunden, for what HvG offered them on Friday - rain or not - was a brilliant open air concert.
Alongside hits like Weit, weit weg and Brenna tuat's guat the artist delivered a pot pourri of the blues that would have been a credit to his British role model Alexis Korner. On this evening Gmunden experienced what the blues is, thanks to Hubert von Goisern. Rain? Pah! It was the music. No matter whether harmonica or the button accordion: the Goiserer was blowing the music of the cottonpickers at the Rathausplatz - and the way he did it, won't be copied any time soon.
For anyone who missed it: Hubert von Goisern will be at Burg Clam on 24th July.
OÖN rating: ★★★★★★
An Austrian world musician in Gmunden
The bluesy message of a world musician
Hubert von Goisern thrills 1100 Fans at Capitol
The thirst for new musical challenges is yet to be quenched for Hubert von Goisern. The curiosity and exploration of foreign worlds has been contained in recent years though – "The journeys just happen, I don't plan them any more", says von Goisern.
Small groups of people stand in front of the Capitol, excitedly chatting about the alpine rocker's upcoming concert. Some are wearing lederhosen and you get the feeling that it's not going to be one of Austria's most successful musical ambassadors playing, but rather a traditional band giving a concert.
"One, two, three" it goes a little later, as von Goisern fires the starting pistol for his two hour concert. The singer and multi-instrumentalist came to present songs from his new album Federn, which was released on 8th May this year.
It kicked off with Alle 100 Jahr – the song, shaped by cautious yodelling, seduced the first female fans into dancing in front of the stage. Then during Es ist wahr (Jambalaya) people really sang along - people knew the original version of the Hank Williams song from 1952, which became an anthem of the southern states.
Von Goisern had wanted to build bridges and overcome prejudices on his trip to the American south, instead his prejudices were not just confirmed, but multiplied. "They simply didn't want to play Amazing Grace with me. They knew the song, but as Catholics, they disdained the Protestant hymn", von Goisern explained to the audience, who then happily hummed along to his version So a Segen.
"They're an amazing band, right?", boasted the world musician and presented his musical companions, among whom pedal steel guitarist Bob Bernstein from California particularly stood out. The combination of lap steel with Goisern's yodelling and button accordion enriched the band's sound from song to song.
Von Goisern returned from the States with "heaps of blues", letting them flow from his instrument during Am hellichten Tag in particular - supported by the excellent guitarist Severin Trogbacher. After his solo he received thunderous spontaneous applause too. The band repeatedly proved themselves in blues pieces such as I bin ganz alloan and I hab den Blues.
Although the musical exchange on his journey to the American south didn't really meet his expectations, the Austrian still returned from his trip with plenty of song material. The audience was delighted with what the folk music innovator conveyed - and he still does so with a perfection like almost no other.
Von Goisern rocks the Giller
"Yippi aye" meets the alpenhorn: Hubert von Goisern has the blues and celebrates Cajun sound in the KulturPur tent
Alpine cattle driving on the Giller: but this time with "yippi aye"! Because Hubert von Goisern, the musical world traveller, was in America. The Austrian, who squeezes whatever goes out of the accordion, made his third Kultur Pur appearance on Ginsberg Heath on Wednesday evening, in front of full festival tent. He was there for the anniversary celebration and at the request of many fans, who were thrilled by the encore, a yodel accompanied by only an alpenhorn.
As keen to experiment as ever
Because, as a member of the audience so rightly remarked, the musician from Upper Austria is so very keen to experiment and brings down presumed musical boundaries as only he can, he shows in an impressive manner that the cowboys' "yippi aye" suits yodelling as well as a Hank Williams song suits alpine folklore. And pedal steel guitar suits Goisern's accordion. The pedal steel is incidentally played by the only non-Upper Austrian on stage: Bob "Boo" Bernstein from New Jersey. And the man is a master of his instrument as he commandingly demonstrates, earning applause from the audience. Compliments too to the technical crew who provided a clear, clean sound.
Hard blues rock
Musically speaking there's still nothing to complain about with Hubert von Goisern. Many of the songs from the new album Federn, which he presented in detail, breathe the spirit of the American south. And of course the blues. Which von Goisern and his band took in together with alpine herbs with their mothers' milk. In Snowdown a hard blues rock on the new album, von Goisern, guitarist Severin Trogbacher, bass player Helmut Schartlmüller and drummer Alex Pohn really put their foot down. The band cruised through the tent like an eight cylinder road cruiser. Awesome. And von Goisern proved he can play more than one decent harmonica.
Laying it on the line
Since the alpine rocker is known to be a very political person, it is clear to whom this piece is dedicated. Of course he tells stories about his American trip and really lays it on the line. The reaction from the audience, which wasn't just made up of people from the local region, leads you to believe that the name von Goisern will be back on the wishlists again. Actually he only comes up the Giller every six years. And that's a long, long time to wait.
Alpine rock meets Cajun and blues
Hubert von Goisern and band at the Modernes / Audience sings along word-perfectly
The Modernes is filled to capacity with old and young fans of Hubert von Goisern and his band. Some know him from his time with the Original Alpinkatzen, others first discovered the Austrian somewhat later.
The singer and button accordionist has come to present his new album Federn, which was just released. On it, as so many times before, von Goisern takes new paths, referring unmistakeably to folk, from country to Cajun and blues from the American south. Be they covers, or his own songs serving this style, - aside from a few English lines - Hubert von Goisern always sings in German with an Austrian dialect. He brought along a quintet, a classic lineup of guitar (Severin Trogbacher), electric bass (Helmut Schartlmüller) and drums (Alexander Pohn), with pedal steel or lap steel (Bob Bernstein) taking care of the typical US sound with soft flowing, long lines.
Hubert von Goisern splits the evening in two: first the new album is on the setlist, then an extensive section follows with older successes. The evening begins with Alle 100 Jahr. It's a fitting start, as the song goes "Samma da nit wieder alle miteinander" ("Here we are together again"). Hubert von Goisern's diatonic button accordion plays the main role and allies itself with the pedal steel guitar, and the singer lets out a few gentle yodels. While a moderate rock tempo is struck here, we then head straight into the Mississippi region. Jambalaya, Hank Williams' Cajun song that became an anthem of the south, has now turned into Es is wahr (It's True), and the song takes it wonderfully well. In the course of the America section further classics such as Amazing Grace and Corinna, Corrina bow to von Goisern's rewriting, but remain similar in terms of content. Consequently Amazing Grace is still an anthem that celebrates life, and Corinna, Corinna remains a rich country blues, even though the song is now called Das kann's nit sein (This Can't Be It). The band gets the blues more than once, in newly composed pieces such as Am hell lichten Tag (On A Bright Day) and I kann wieder fliagn (I Can Fly Again). The latter begins with the line "I hab den Blues und er hat mi manchmal" ("I have the blues and it has me sometimes"). It works superbly, the dobro slides, which Severin Trogbacher lays down in Am hell lichten Tag sit perfectly and Hubert von Goiserns still excellent voice perfectly suits the melancholy of the blues.
An exception among the songs is the powerfully rocking Snowdown, in which von Goisern makes known his sympathies for the whistle-blowers Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning. After 75 minutes this section with the Americana emphasis is over and the band leaves, there's a little confusion in the auditorium as to whether it's now an interval, or the end of the concert. After persistent applause, the four Austrians in the band return with an acoustic song and then things continue with the full team, into the past: Brenna tuat's guat is part of the recent past, while Weit, weit weg and Wia die Zeit vergeht come from the early years with the Original Alpinkatzen and the audience sings along word-perfectly.
Hubert von Goisern returns with "heaps of blues"
Bremen. What's much cooler than a depression, is the blues, although they're the same thing, says the Austrian Hubert Achleitner – better known as Hubert von Goisern – at the sold out Modernes in Bremen. And he reveals: "When the blues comes: don't fight it, but embrace it and put it in a headlock! Then it's all good again. At least, you can talk about it."
On his journey to the American south he wanted to build bridges and overcome prejudices. Just like he'd done on his numerous journeys to places such as Tibet, Egypt, Mali, or on his Danube tour. Journeys on which the musical and cultural exchanges were in the foreground for him. Instead, his prejudices were not just confirmed, but made even more potent. Instead he came back home with "heaps of blues" and recorded the recently released album Federn. "Having feathers" is an Austrian expression for being afraid. The 62-year-old was repeatedly confronted with fear of the foreign in Nashville. And with ignorance. "For most people over there Europe is a European Disneyland with kings and princes." The majority of the country musicians over there weren't curious enough about different music and obstructed attempts at playing together.
In spite of greater language barriers, it was easier to make contact with people in Africa. One of the new pieces is So a Segen. The 62-year-old plays the melody of Amazing Grace very simply on his Styrian accordion; the audience hums along devoutly. But then Goisern very quickly makes somit his own with new lyrics. In contrast to the album version, the band rises up and gives the whole thing a dizzying symbiosis of Cajun, country and driving rock with an alpine streak.
Even this Amazing Grace was something that the musicians in Nashville didn't want to play. "They certainly knew it, but as Catholics they spurned the Protestant hymn", says Goisern. There was another piece – Don't Mess With My Toot Toot – that they didn't want to play either. "It was composed by a black man." Despite this disappointment, Goisern concedes: "Idiots are distributed evenly across the globe."
As a positive example he names pedal steel guitarist Bob Bernstein from California, who is now supporting Goisern's excellent band in place of Steve Fishell, who came from Nashville for the autumn tour. The combination of lap steel with Goisern's ecstatic yodelling sounds like a natural relationship that enriches the sound.
He dedicates the fiery song Snowdown to another "two good Americans". The line goes "truth seeks asylum, but never gets it". Criticism of Europe's stance on the famous whistle-blowers Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden.
Oben und Unten is presented as a purely acoustic number, in which the musicians gather around one microphone. Weit, weit weg and above all the intense Heast as net still bring up goosebumps. The Austrian clearly got some back from the northerners in the audience too. At the end he says: "Thank you for the feeling of being at home."
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Leipzig - 16th May 2015
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Leipzig - 16th May 2015
Photo: © Mike Früh
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Leipzig - 16th May 2015
Photo: © Mike Früh
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Leipzig - 16th May 2015
Photo: © Mike Früh
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Leipzig - 16th May 2015
Photo: © Mike Früh
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Leipzig - 16th May 2015
Photo: © Mike Früh