www.tuttlingen.de 16th July 2003

He is without question one of the most interesting wanderers between the musical worlds. Hubert von Goisern proved that to the visitors in the completely sold-out Honberg-Sommer tent on Wednesday. The reminiscences took a broad area to the days of the Alpinkatzen, with whom the Styrian eared his reputation as the founder of alpine rock. Hubert von Goisern and his fantastic musicians easily managed the leap to world music, interweaving Caribbean, African and even folksy sounds, yodelling and singing and cast the astounded audience under their spell. The Austrian also showed himself to be a versatile instrumentalist, changing casually between electric guitar, diatonic, flute and trumpet. Goisern's honest "Thank you very much, Tuttlingen" came at the end of an almost three hour long concert evening which barely left any wish unanswered.

Schwäbische Zeitung 17th July 2003

Tuttlingen - Hubert von Goisern sings, coos and yodels about dangerous holy things and about headaches, about African post-harmonica times and about brown beer - and the Honberg audience goes wild. "Wer bin i und wer bist du, und ist es überhaupt so wichtig?" ("Who am I and who are you, and is it really so important?") Hubert von Goisern knows was his countless fans want. And so first of all he brings out the alpine rock with which he became well-known. When he yodels, the tent roof flutters, when he sings his frank love songs, it runs ice-cold down the women's backs, even in the sauna temperatures in the tent. "Wow, that's good!"

The globetrotter quickly changes between electric guitar and his diatonic, between African flute and trumpet, dances absent-mindedly across the stage, raises his expressive eyebrows and beams at his listeners. "Thank you" he says to the deafening applause.

Bernd Bechtloff, the athletic percussionist, also has fascinating instruments and so the programme springs between reggae and Schottische, between Caribbean and Dachstein mountains. A Schnaderhüpfl (mocking song) about the awkward situation after drinking beer goes down just as well as the hypochondriac song, in which von Goisern groans and screeches as if plagued by the devil himself.

Yodelling he coos like a dove in the courtship display, holds the sound so long, breathless silence reigns in the tent.

He had never been to Tuttlingen, he says, but he can remember a visit to Trossingen. Someone offered him a diatonic there. "They were really nice, but the instrument was nothing, it sounded like an accordion. So all harmonics we play are from Hohner. They're the best!" Which he also proved with a piece.

His whole band is perfectly attuned with him and Toni Porto received extra applause when he took hold of the acoustic guitar. Violinist and singer Marlene also fits in wonderfully - and which woman in the tent would not gladly be in her place when Hubert looks profoundly into her eyes?

Cornelia Addicks

Thanks Kirsten

Ka-News 18th July 2003

Hubert von Goisern at the Zeltival

Photo: ka-news

Karlsruhe - Tollhaus director, Bernd Belschner, promised a musical world journey on 24th June at the opening event of the Zeltival. The route hitherto reached from German stops, like Götz Alsmann for example, the Jamaican Skatalites, to Lucky Peterson, Jane Birkin or Calexico. On thursday evening, the Zeltival made a stop in Austria and Switzerland. "We are indeed making a big world journey with the Zeltival - and now Austria belongs to that too," Belschner teasingly announced the protagonist of the evening: Hubert von Goisern made a guest appearance with his six member formation - presented by ka-news. And he immediately countered with a cordial "Griaß Eich!" ("Hello!").

The Styrian from Bad Goisern, whose civil name is Hubert Achleitner, did not only have pieces from his current album Iwasig in his luggage, but also numerous songs from his earlier creative time with his former band, the Alpinkatzen, with whom he celebrated his great success at he beginning of the 90s - even though he withheld his most well-known work from this era, Koa Hiatamadl, from the Karlsruhe audience.

But that did the atmosphere no harm: there was an immediate spark between the audience and artist and it developed to a true firework of joy. Shrieking calls echo through the tent as Hubert von Goisern elicits the first long-drawn out sounds from his squeezebox. But the fans are not just offered alpine rock, but also exotic worlds of sound - a mixture of various folklorist influences: African, Caribbean and even Tibetan sounds are impressively mixed with rock music, Austrian folk and the obligatory yodels by the seven artists.

The main actor alone changes merrily between electric guitar, accordion, flute and trumpet - and the audience boiled as they probably seldom do in this Zeltival season. The Austrian then very cleverly led the tempo down with the encores, not least with the much expected Heast as nit. The clapping and stamping of the crowd was able to get him back on stage a third and last time. The band meanwhile had done their duty and von Goisern played his last piece solo on the acoustic guitar, in order to dismiss his without exception inspired Karlsruhe fans into the night with an Austrian "Kommts olle guat hoam!" ("Return home safely!") - the international commuter just unites.

(pat/kati)

17th July 2003

Photos © E & H Christl | Click to enlarge

Grazer 19th June 2003

Standing ovations, the fans were enthused and Hubert von Goisern was taken with the ambience of the Graz Schloßberg-Kasematten stage too. In any case, he wanted to come again. Before the concert, he retired to a quiet corner of Erich Wegscheidler's Schloßberg restaurant, meditated a little and enjoyed the view over Graz. Shortly before his appearance, Hubert von Goisern then drank another two Fernets with organiser Vojo Radkovic. That is also a ritual that must be. If there is no Fernet, then something else bitter...

Westfalenpost 10th June 2003

Lützel (dh) The Austrian Hubert von Goisern magnificently rounded off the KulturPur Festival 2003. With accordion, guitar, cow horn or harmonica and accompanied by an excellent band, the multi-talented musician swept the guests away into a musical world, in which there is no boundary between rock and folk music melodies.

Dirk Herrmann

Photos © Westfalenpost - Dirk Herrmann | Click to enlarge

Krone 15th June 2003

Great atmosphere at the Graz Kasematten

Under the romantic shadows, Hubert von Goisern presented the Schlossbergkasematten his world-experienced music at his sixth Graz concert. The mixture of traditional roots and contemporary influences, which the Austrian musician has collected with his band is grenzenlos (without frontiers) - also the title of the tour. On the search for the individual, Goisern roamed the distance as well as the homeland between evening sun and downpours. From Ausseer country dance to Jamaican reggae, from Tibetan meditation sounds to African spiritual, the musician searched the unifying higher spirit of music for more than two hours. The audience thanked him with storms of enthusiasm and showed themselves to be liberated and keen to dance to the catchy rhythms. A beautiful evening full of confidence and energy!

MA

Thanks Sibylle

Blanko Musik 12th June 2003

The first concert of the Hubert von Goisern tour in Hilchenbach bei Siegen was a complete success: sold out with 2,500 visitors! As an extra "sweet", there were not only some pieces from the as yet unreleased Trad II for Hubert's audience, but - would you believe it! - but also a wonderful revival of the Alpinkatzen time! Yes, he is playing them again: Wildschütz Räp, Schleiniger, Iawaramoi, Heast as net, Goaßbeitl Bauernbuam, Solide Alm and Benni. It rocks - just like the fact that you can also look forward to an energetic solo programme from Hubert at the concerts with Mohamed Mounir, before the two stand together on the stage.

That is available for every audience - and the visitors to the concerts with Mohamed Mounir prepare themselves for the double load of concert pleasure: first for about 30 - 45 minutes Mohamed Mounir, the Egyptian superstar, new for western ears and yet completely familiar after a few minutes. Then a complete concert (about 90 - 120 minutes) from Hubert von Goisern and band. And after that, an encore with pieces played together.

Hubert von Goisern is once more the main theme in his music - we are excited about the response to this tour!

Westfälische Rundschau 10th June 2003

(sw) The Austrian from Bad Goisern is not a person of great, but of plain words. His "it was really great" is quite an emotional outburst. "Hubert, Hubert, Hubert ..." The Zelttheater is out of its mind with excitement. Who went there in order to celebrate with the last Top act of KulturPur: all the young ones, who were excited about the world music so to speak combination of polka and blues, country dances and salsa, alpine and Tibet. The somewhat more mature who had celebrated a totally different alpine rocker ten years before and actually would have liked to have heard more of the old pieces. And those in lederhosen who wherever possible also celebrate other alpine traditions of every kind in the middle of the low mountain range. Hello...

Things really happen. Hubert von Goisern, for the first time in Germany after a long break, first of all on the accordion - "Zum Andruckn", as he says, so to step on the gas. Then on the guitar, later on the horn, one time on the harmonica. The band rocks off, sometimes combining free-jazz, folk and almost celestial eastern sounds together in one and the same piece. In a wild tempo to the peak of the stage smoke and then down again to a ballad, room for the fantastic band (virtuoso: violinist and singer Marlene Schuen, percussionist Bernd Bechtloff) and always and everywhere the yodel in every situation and speed.

Hubert von Goisern, fascinated with tongue acrobatic speech song in places, cannot do anything about the fact that he has his birthplace in common with Jörg Haider, and gives a little assistance in Austrian: "I bin an", that means: I'm good, I don't need anything - from you, who wants to force any commodity on me straight away. And back to world music: "Let's go to Africa".

© Westfälische Rundschau

www.hallodoku.de 11th June 2003

Photos © Jens Helmstedt - jaypicture

Siegener Zeitung 11th June 2003

Hubert von Goisern ends the 13th KulturPur Festival with "alpine world music"

Photo: Siegener Zeitung

"Wanderer between the worlds": as often as this expression may be heard, it is true for Hubert von Goisern. His music lives off folksy tradition, but fortunately manages without the broad grin of TV folk music. The Austrian has instead preferred to let himself get involved with his eyes and ears with the whole world, which is by no means ideal, and gathers together rhythms and sounds from all four corners of the earth. Together with the rhythms and sounds of his homeland he has created something which is called "alpine world music". Around 2,400 people went along on this journey on Monday evening, as Hubert von Goisern and band were the last Top Act at KulturPur 2003 in the big tent. Musicians and audience obviously had their fun. Whether old or young, whether in jeans and T-shirt or in complete traditional outfit: the Goisern fan community cannot be pigeonholed. Just as little as what they heard in about two and a half hours without a break. Von Goisern and his six member band first of all let it start slowly. Blues and ballads with Austrian lyrics, mixed with slow yodels, sounded through the tent. As band and audience were warming to one another, the musical horizon became further away: "Gemma nach Afrika" ("Let's go to Africa"). But in our luggage we always have the Austrian country dance, the polka, the multi-voiced singing, the accordion, the harmonica. Unheard mixture, a yodel reggae. The Siegerlanders let out juchitzers.

"Music makes the people come together": Madonna was not wrong, when she sang about the power music has to unite people. You can well imagine that on the world music market, Hubert von Goisern is not just an importer. He also has something to give. Not for nothing did he recently play at a world music festival on the Cape Verde Islands and on his travels to Africa, Asia and the Caribbean has not only collected but also "distributed". Listen to it: traditionals from Austria!

Von Goisern's band seem completely convinced by the concept: Antonio Porto (bass), Burkhard Frauenlob (keyboard), Bernd Bechtloff (percussion), Bernhard Wimmer (drums) and Gerhard Überbacher (guitar) go everywhere with the frontman. As a charming travel companion, they have Marlene Schuen on board, who yodels along perfectly and plays the violin where it is needed. So the musicians deliver a first class funky acid jazz piece, then it went off-beat-like, as once with the Pogues, then alpine rock again as once with the Alpinkatzen. A little salsa, a little meditation music, I bin an to sing along to: less is more? - More is more! When it suits musically, and it suits.

Hubert von Goisern's Iwasig tour is a success. As the last yodel was sounded over the Giller, the enthused fans on their way again in their homeland, perhaps with a little wanderlust in their hearts. Indeed they had to do without the hit Hiatamadl, but that is logical. Too many old things in your luggage are simply impractical on long journeys.

© Siegener Zeitung
Vorländer & Rothmaler GmbH & Co. KG

Westfalenpost 10th June 2003

Hilchenbach. Whitsun Monday appeased organisers and visitors with lots of sun, who on Sunday escaped from the storm which broke over the KulturPur tent town on Giller. At the end of the festival, which Hubert von Goisern put on yesterday evening in front of 2,500 enthusiastic fans, it was 48,000 people who had made the pilgrimage to the Südwestfalen cultural celebration days on the Rothaarkamm since Thursday [...]

Wolfgang Krause