Chiemgau Online 5th March 2001

Trostberg: folk music, explosively dressed up in rock

Trostberg. It was actually "only" an early premiere, a dress rehearsal for the premiere of his new Fön programme the following day in Rosenheim. But that probably did not bother anyone in the long sold out Trostberg Postsaal. And presumably also nobody would have noticed if Hubert von Goisern had not several times pointed out this fact, as if he had to apologise for it. Nothing pointed towards anything anything provisional, unready. The audience responded enthusiastically to Hubert von Goisern and his team. The dress rehearsal went smoothly.

In view of the monstrous light and sound engineering on and in front of the stage, one could already have a certain idea of what an optical and acoustic stimulus is to be expected. The ideas were far surpassed in two and a half hours. Just Hubert von Goisern's amplified yodel prelude met the unprepared eardrums of some listeners like the bang of the gun under the bedroom window with the early morning wedding shot. Only more melodic.

Thoughts about whether such loudness is absolutely necessary in order to show effect are quickly considered finished. They are. Others could not transpose these rhythms packed with sound into a style of Trance and achieve their nearly hypnotic dazing. After a short time one does not feel the loudness any more. Hubert von Goisern studied a lot of folklore on his world journeys and incorporated elements from this into his music. The ground structure of alpine folk music is not lost. Even with the Kisuaheli element, there is no denying the Austrian homeland as well as the Ravelshe Bolero engineering, through stereotype repetition of pitch up to the emotion explosion. Hubert von Goisern has gathered pure musical individuals around him with a keyboard artist, a drum acrobat, a bass specialist and a violin soloist. Heli Punzenberger, the Trostberger for a long time familiar as a musical all round artist and the youth-inspiring Music School pedagogue was the fifth in the bunch, here as a virtuoso accompanist with his electric guitar. They all support Hubert von Goisern playing, when he produces himself on stage as a modern minstrel who, diversely articulates himself and also uses his accordion, guitar, flute and harmonica, and who doesn't think it below his honour to also sing ordinary folk-verses spiced up in rock-fashion.

He behaves casually like a singing, playing nature boy with gentle macho charm, musically intoxicating and highly imaginative in the variety and arrangement of melodies and rhythm. His verbal statements are concise, more on effect than with wit, calculated upper cuts in the style of "Wos g'wesen is des war amoi" or "Es is nix wohr, wos ned a gelogen war" Hubert von Goisern toys with this. Also with world-weariness and sentiment, but he seems credible.

Anyway, Hubert von Goisern understands how to treat the masses with lyrics. The violin helps with him with this. The blues suits him, which should not mean that he is not just in the position to be completely taken up in a stormily hectic sound hurricane. Hubert von Goisern certainly does not render outstanding services to folk music in the sense of a traditionally true Tracht organisation, but nevertheless, he renders outstanding services to it. So, as he explosively clothes it in rock, he creates new dimensions for it. And that is probably the whole secret of his overwhelming success everywhere: tried and tested melodies adapted in his way with meaning for the taste of the spirit of the time.

The Postsaal audience were in the best of moods and received a by no means stingy encore for their energetic applause. Mind you, there was also something to be said for the silence of the small town on the way home.

Li

Photos © www.beisltour.at | Click to enlarge

Rundschau 3rd July 2001

Photo: Rundschau

Art Club with Open Air in the Stadtpark - meeting Pippo Polina

Two completely different artists were to be heard last Wednesday 26th June in the Stapfvilla Park: first Pippo Pollina, the "last little man" with the big voice, and then after that Hubert von Goisern, probably the most successful Austrian artist on the market at the moment.

Polina solo at the keyboard, completely escaped from the world and explanatory satirical songwriter, reminiscent in some phrasings of Konstantin Wecker, made an impression as a singer and personality, but on the whole left people rather cold. He provided for atmosphere with his Sicilian tambourine, on which he demonstrated his skill as a rhythmist. Finally with the violinist Salvo Costumati, some life came into the audience especially when it was time for the old Partisan hymn Bella ciao - with the women in the audience as a choir for the refrain.

Everything new

Then Hubert: he began in the dark with a powerful yodel (he had announced that he wants to yodel like never before). A soft violin begins, it becomes rocky - you know that. Nevertheless, everything is new. Hubert has not rested on his laurels, bringing not one old hit - except Heast as Nit as encore - but only titles from his two current CDs Fön (first part of the concert) and Trad - second segment. He need not prove himself any more, the many year break from the stage did him good, he has developed. It's cool how he behaves.

Prayers and blues

Photo: Rundschau

Reggae, Blues, funk, rap - everything becomes Austrianised, Alpinised. So to speak. In between, he called for a little philosophical seminar about the effectiveness of prayers and with it led up to Mercedes Benz; Janis Joplin got pleasure from that. In any case the audience had the completely real pleasure. Katholisch could be a kind of hit - a bit critical, but not too much, a bit nasty, but not too coarse, a bit of an expression of our bad heathen consciences too. With it comes "Little Philosophy, Part Two": What connection is there between the Catholic religion and the Blues?

With Kålt, he goes in with a falsetto like we know above all from Mick Jagger before. With it, the Goiserer wants to mock the political quack of one of the distinct Austrian politicians (he says himself). "Mir ist kålt" ("I am cold") - his commentary on the nation's political situation.

Multi-instrumentalist

He has put his own mark on the traditional folk music titles (Über d'Alma, Rote Wand) - merciless (for the purists), original (for the fans).

Mostly, he lets it all hang out, as one says. He has changed the rhythm or increased it in the absurd merriment, something like with Zilln übern See where the Schunkel factor climbs far above the Zeltfestival level. Something still to experience: Hubert von Goisern as a multi-instrumentalist: guitar, trumpet, horn, recorder, flute, harmonica, accordion, as well as percussion (on the Kisuaheli number Akipenda) and finally on top of that, teacher.

Photos © Johannes Scheibenreif | Click to enlarge

www.meine-stars.de 2nd April 2001

What a man! Until now Hubert von Goisern had "only" fascinated me musically. Now I experienced him live for the first time, in the Alten Schlachthof, Dresden. It was a great evening.

Hubert can sing, yodel, he plays a crazy number of instruments, he tells super stories, he has charm. In short: he is a star, and as I noticed, not only for me.

Hubert is a phenomenon. He does not need to attract attention through outward appearance. He came in tracksuit trousers and a T-shirt. Therefore, concentration on his music. And with Fön he surprised once again. Hubert was not on the "Original Folk Music Trip" of past years. For a long time not so many yodels came from him as from the audience. (How many exiled Bavarians and ex-Austrians actually live in Saxony?)

Hubert came with different rhythms - Blues for instance. And he came with lots of stories, also quite personal ones with which he probably captured a good many new hearts. Whoever can also resist his sensitive dialect ...

What I also find fascinating about Hubert is how he changes instruments in a flash and how well he masters them. No matter whether guitar, accordion, African bush drum, Styrian milk churn, trumpet or flute - Hubert masters them all perfectly. And as a lowlander, I wonder which moods he can express yodelling when he yodels: laughing, crying, wailing...

He can do simply everything. I was up and away.

Sabine Junker

PartyPeople June 2001

24th June 2001 Marktbühne 6pm - Hubert von Goisern is here again - although he was never really away. With Fön he has succeeded with his most mature and atmospheric work, harmonically and rhythmically developed with filigree, groovy jazz sounds. Enchanting love songs find themselves next to bluesy numbers, reggae rhythms and a fresh version of the Janis Joplin classic Mercedes Benz.

Photos © Partypeople.at | Click to enlarge

www.obermain.de 2001

... Hubert von Goisern has returned to his roots after his Tibetan phase at Songs 1998. His thoughtful yodel Spat or Fia Di appeals to the heart and emotions. "It sounds like a prayer yodel," thought Reverend Hans-Werner Alt, who attended Songs on Friday evening. He thinks that Goisern's music is somewhat esoteric, but he likes it. Like every year, he blessed the artists before their appearance. "Nearly all were there," said Alt. Reverend Alt is not the only regular in the meadow, but Landrat Reinhard Leutner also comes every year together with his wife Renate.

Schwäbischen Zeitung 17th March 2001

Lindau - "Hiatamadl" someone calls. Hubert von Goisern ignores it. Then the counter: "You can try it. You say what you think and I play what I think." Rowdiness in the Inselhalle. No more professional flair. But he yodelled. And the audience too.

Lights out. Spotlight on. Five people on the stage. Applause. Full of determination, Hubert Achleitner alias Hubert von Goisern heads for the microphone. More applause. Seconds later: the first yodel. Long and full of feeling. The 49 year old does not shilly shally about. No stage paraphernalia, no lavish costumes. Handmade and homemade music.

It's six years since Goisern last stood on stage. Back then it was with the Alpinkatzen. Let bygones be bygones. "The Alpinkatzen are not a long way away, because far away would mean that they're coming again!" he says. It was his aim to return "when I had developed." The time is right. He is here again. With a new band. His Fön tour began on 3rd March in Linz.

He stands there in red trousers with a black shirt and braces. Relaxed, bent knees, legs apart. As if immersed in meditation, Goisern seesaws back and forth. Gentle movements. Concentration. The sounds ooze out of him. "Heejhhh". Tense silence. The Austrian is wrapped in thought. With closed eyes, he strokes the strings of his guitar. After the first song he makes short contact to his fans. "Hello!"

His songs are homely like walks in flower-filled alpine pastures. Tender instead of professional. And critical: "I wollt i war a wengerl mehr katholisch..." ("I wish I was a bit more Catholic...) Goisern wishes, because "dann war des alls ganz leicht" ("everything would be very easy"). Going to church on Sundays and confessing your sins. Goisern also wants to suffer on stage. "With the blues it's important that it hurts!" And his readiness for suffering is great. "Suffering redeems!"

He presumably discovered that in Tibet. He travelled there in order to see for himself "that it can't all be so bad", but then he came back with the certainty that "everything is much worse."

Goisern has experienced a lot: in the six years of stage asceticism, he gave his acting debut (Die Hölleisengretl), stayed in South Africa and India, wrote the film music for Schlafes Bruder and gained the chimpanzee research scientist Jane Goodall as a kindred spirit. A cosmopolitan who combines world cultures. Folksy songs from the Salzkammergut next to old tunes in Swahili. Yodelling at the highest level is his requirement.

Sound effects, splashing water or bird sounds: drummer and percussionist Bernd Bechtloff complements the protagonist with terrific improvisations and pin sharp interludes. Mystical but not solemn. Two and a half hours of experimental style searches between the old and new. Needs getting used to. But the fans are patient and ready. Goisern thanks them with encores and a firm "thank you!"

Nina Godina

Photos © Oskar C. Neubauer | www.neubauerphotos.com | Click to enlarge

Salzburger Nachrichten

Photos © SN | Click to enlarge

St. Gallen Tagblatt 2nd July 2001

The Konstanz Zeltfestival starts without rain and with lots of crowds.

[...] On Saturday, with Hubert von Goisern, an absolutely top act was announced. The concert was long sold out in the run-up. And Hubert von Goisern gave the audience his best.

Ethno sounds

He is a vicious Bavarian lad, a cabaret artist and a poet. There is also the fact that the man is musically brainy. A woman in the audience got to the heart of it: "the whole man consists of music". And that is really not exaggerating. Hubert von Goisern played in a new CD (Fön) with his band, from which one got to hear some songs. Naturally he also played familiar catchy songs, but one felt that the thoroughbred musician has not under any circumstances lost the desire to experiment. So he mixed ethno sounds and variations of foreign music into his "homeland song". That resulted in a broad spectrum that reached from reggae via blues, rock and folk, to yodelling. The whole thing was rounded up by him with a good portion of satire and sly tricks.

Stefan Borkert
© St. Galler Tagblatt AG

Photos © Josef Handlechner | Click to enlarge

Salzburger Nachrichten 25th June 2001

Music lovers have it good in Salzburg at the moment. On Wednesday, Georg Danzer played in Heilbronn, on Thursday the old rocker Sweet was to be heard in the Rockhaus, Vonda Shepard took care of the atmosphere in the Kongresshaus on Friday evening and Wolfgang Ambros at the Linzergassenfest. Finally on Saturday evening, the grand master of new folk music was to be heard. Hubert von Goisern presented his new programme Fön at an open air concert in the Salzburg Domplatz. It was a home match that the Goiserer finished in Salzburg. From the first yodel to the last note of Heast as Nit, the audience let there be no doubt about what they are: confirmed Hubert fans. And the Goiserer and his band added everything with which it would become a style of family festival. It was yodelled, bluesed and rocked, that it was a pleasure.

The Goiserer abstained from his old hits on this tour - except for Heast as Nit. Instead, he started rather quietly in the first part of his programme, playing above all the titles from his CD Fön. So the music crept into the heads of the listeners like the warm south wind, though not causing headaches, but opening the senses. Over the Domplatz rose an almost thought-provoking atmosphere.

Mind you, before it all became too much, the Goiserer then really let rip. With numbers from his Africa CD and then with folk songs from the CD Trad. Singing along was the order of the day and the Goiserer, who appeared for the first time in front of the cathedral, certainly had fun at the concert himself and the audience felt that too.