IWASIG TOUR 2003
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Ansbach - 16th August 2003
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Ansbach - 16th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Ansbach - 16th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Ansbach - 16th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Ansbach - 16th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Ansbach - 16th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Ansbach - 16th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Ansbach - 16th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Ansbach - 16th August 2003
Photo: © Elli ChristlHomeland is in us
Von Goisern thrills
We already knew it beforehand and felt it to be confirmed afterwards: Nobody leads alpine yodels and African drums together more congenially than Hubert Achleitner from Bad Goisern in the Salzkammergut, alias Hubert von Goisern. Like the two years before, the Austrian came to the Kempten open air stage Burghalde with his band and this time filled 2300 fans with enthusiasm.
Folk music - whether from Austria or Cape Verde - jazz, blues, rock and reggae: Goisern feels at home always and everywhere. He is a passionate traveller in all things world music. In the end his live excursions into foreign music worlds did not always turn out conclusively and a lot seemed introverted. But this time everything is comprehensible. As a unified whole, the six member band plays masterfully, full-on and nevertheless transparently.
There is no break in sound between the new and old songs. And Goisern yodels, "pulls" his Styrian, plays the harmonica and flute and reaches into the guitar strings, so that it is a true joy. "Heast as nit, wia die Zeit vergeht", he sings.
You see it a little. Hubert, who will be 51 in November, has become more portly. The tight T-shirt stretches across his stomach. But what counts is the music. And here his heart still beats passionately and critically. "Ob Araber oder Jud, ob i oder du, ob Serb oder Kroat, um a jedn is schad" ("Whether Arab or Jew, whether me or you, whether Serb or Croat, it is a shame about each"). The world is what we make of it, he seems to want to say to us. In reality, it is not big, but very small and Burkina Faso lies at the foot of the Alps. And we are the world. And homeland is in us.
The alpine avant-garde plays
Hubert von Goisern introduces himself
Tuttlingen. You can definitely get excited: Hubert von Goisern makes a guest appearance at the Tuttlingen Honberg-Sommer. That can be a highlight - or be a terrible flop. For example, when the guest does not want the same thing as the audience. Mind you, the question did not arise at his performance.
Hubert von Goisern has assembled a program for his tour that considers the "alpine avant-garde", which swept him into the hit parades well over a decade ago, just as much, as the musical traditions that he has picked up around the globe, interpreted and assimilated over the course of the years.
The 1,300 people in circus tent put up in the castle ruins know to value this original style pluralism, which hardened into its own character during the concert. They live in harmony for more than two and a half hours with what takes place on the stage. They share these intensive profound moments of highest concentration, when Hubert von Goisern reduces to a few tones examining each one of them in quiet conversation. They go with it, when the music suddenly leads you to believe in the Caribbean realm in which the alpine yodels have retired in order to henceforth indulge in the union of country dances and reggae.
They wait eagerly until the next cascade falls into the depths, after a long pause with exaggerated initial accent and sharp dynamic : "Hiiiiiia-ta-maadl".
They do everything he demonstrates. And the star of the evening can do what he wants, so well, so inspired, so superbly he plays, sings and lives on stage. What he has managed for a long time with his music, he also manages with the audience in Tuttlingen. Those who have made a pilgrimage to the mountains with the Alpinkatzen in the back of their mind, and those who are curious about Arabic impressions, stand unanimously next to each other.
One enjoys learning from this engaging teacher. From one another too.
Live in Neuhaus an der Pegnitz - 15th August 2003
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Neuhaus an der Pegnitz - 15th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Neuhaus an der Pegnitz - 15th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Neuhaus an der Pegnitz - 15th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Neuhaus an der Pegnitz - 15th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Neuhaus an der Pegnitz - 15th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Neuhaus an der Pegnitz - 15th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Neuhaus an der Pegnitz - 15th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Neuhaus an der Pegnitz - 15th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Neuhaus an der Pegnitz - 15th August 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Neuhaus an der Pegnitz - 15th August 2003
Photo: © Elli ChristlVeldensteiner Festival 2003
On Friday 15th August 2003, Bavarian songwriter, Werner Schmidbauer, familiar from radio and TV, opened the Veldensteiner Festival 2003 at Burg Veldenstein with his critical but also amusing lyrics as well as catchy melodies. Afterwards, the real star of the evening, Hubert von Goisern, whirled across the stage with his band. The Austrian presented almost three hours of the finest alpine rock in renowned manner.
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Lauchheim - 30th July 2003
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Lauchheim - 30th July 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Lauchheim - 30th July 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Lauchheim - 30th July 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Lauchheim - 30th July 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Lauchheim - 30th July 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Lauchheim - 30th July 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Lauchheim - 30th July 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Lauchheim - 30th July 2003
Photo: © Elli ChristlReturn to the roots
Hubert von Goisern celebrates alpine rock again at the Veldenstein Festival
Neuhaus/Pegnitz. The son believed missing has come home again. Like the farmer's son who takes over the farm after he has seen the big wide world, Hubert von Goisern has returned to his own hereditary farm, to new folk music, to alpine rock. He has left the didgeridoo and prayer wheels in the cupboard, instead he has put on his "squeezebox" again. And, to the joy of the audience, put a pretty girl on the stage, as in the best times of the Alpinkatzen.
His fans at the Veldenstein Festival hoped fervently inside themselves: that the shining light of alpine rock and new folk music end the journeys into the distance, that he let Tibet be Tibet and Egypt Egypt. The hopes were not disappointed.
He began very respectably. With Solide Alm, one of his most familiar accordion pieces, he sounded the bell for the north Bavarian full-time post of alpine rock. A good start totally to the taste of the fans. Relieved, they broke out in jubilation. Lots of alpine things were to be heard, even pieces from his probably most Tyrolean album, Trad, which Hubert von Goisern once called his "ABC in notes". Somehow there was the impression that the doyen of the alpine rock, already declared dead, does not want to let it die.
The doses are good
Not only native songs took care of that, but also his perfect teamwork with a vivacious woman. One who can yodel at least as well as Sabine Kapfinger, but plays the violin better. With her powerful voice and electric violin, 24 year old Marlene Schuen brings out the main points next to Hubert von Goisern.
He was not the old man - thank God. Now he incorporated jazz elements and whole episodes which are reminiscent of funk and soul, into his pieces. But only just incorporated, as he took rock loans to his "Styrian" about ten years ago. The doses are good and so jazz, funk and soul are also fun for lovers of unspoiled Tyrolean folk music.
The slippery sounding Katholisch from the CD Fön, gave Goisern back the Tyrolean crudeness. Katholisch must evidently no longer really please in New York, Lhasa or Cairo. Now the song has got what it takes to boost the alpine rock craze anew. If he only wanted it, the field would obviously be prepared.
Hubert von Goisern has arrived in double sense. Arrived to the roughly 4,000 people from Franconians and people from the Upper Palatinate, who made the pilgrimage to Burg Veldenstein on his account - and arrived where he belongs: in his musical homeland, his hereditary farm. Hopefully, the inheritance is secured.
Hubert von Goisern: Live in Burghausen - 27th July 2003
Live in Burghausen - 27th July 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Live in Burghausen - 27th July 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Live in Burghausen - 27th July 2003
Photo: © Elli Christl
Live in Burghausen - 27th July 2003
Photo: © Elli ChristlFull house, great atmosphere and good music
Hubert
von Goisern presents his new programme Iwasig at Burg Veldenstein
The Austrian's image change clear - Werner Schmidbauer played a great show on the supporting bill
Neuhaus/Pegnitz - A big crowd of people streamed from car park in Neuhaus high up to Burg Veldenstein with rugs, folding chairs and cold bags to listen to the new programme from a shining light of songwriting: Hubert von Goisern.
[...] After 40 minutes of good entertainment Schmidbauer handed over to the real star of the evening, Hubert von Goisern.
While the roadies hectically rebuilt the stage in the interval, many visitors used the opportunity to strengthen themselves in the Middle Ages market with mead and round flat dough cake. As the Austrian songwriter finally stepped onto the stage, the stubborn people seated on folding chairs also got up from their stools to greet Goisern with lots of applause.
No wonder, finally his enormous number of fans knows the songs by heart. With a Goisern "Griaß eich" ("Hello"), he greeted his fans, the accordion at the ready. From the very first bar, Goisern rocked across the stage in a well-tried manner and presented the first chords of his new record Iwasig. Indeed many did not understand a word of the lyrics in his highly individual, Goisern language, but everyone danced and clapped enthusiastically along.
Goisern understood magnificently how to keep his audience in the mood with a mixture of old and new songs. At the end, it was clear that Hubert von Goisern wants to get away from his "Alpinkatzen-alpine rock" image and refused to play Hiatamadl, demanded by many people. Instead, he played a very quiet and melancholy encore, which did not satisfy some. However, the majority of the audience was very taken with the Austrian's appearance and made their way home, a long way for some, through the balmy summer night.
Boundless perspectives: Hubert von Goisern
The journey from folk musician to world musician
In the middle of the nineties, Hubert von Goisern was the indisputable summit stormer of modern folk music, the most exponent of a varied as well as rooted in tradition way of playing folk, pop, rock and soul. But then, at the highpoint of his popularity, he dared to do what many other music stars would never manage, or rather, would have managed: He disbanded the Alpinkatzen and began to dedicate himself to other interests.
Hubert von Goisern undertook diverse roles in ambitious films, partly also those of the unpleasant, he created fashions and went on journeys. An Austrian travelling in the world in order to meet people and scout out their melodies for himself.
Back again and strengthened, sometime between autumn 2000 and February 2001, everything then ran its usual course and very quickly. The Goiserer celebrated a triumphant comeback on stage, presented himself in a regained enthusiasm, which you could feel in each song, with a new album (Fön) which made the old fans happy and gained new ones.
But the Austrian multi-instrumentalist now shows live and on DVD that his travelling experiences have left deep marks, which also exposed his roots in free jazz and joy in ethno experimentation: Grenzenlos is the title of his musical world journey, which carried him on the wind from Egypt over West Africa, from Senegal to Burkina Faso. The concept of this global action was just as simple as adventurous, in each place, appearances should take place with native artists or groups, an interaction of the different cultures. In Assiut, Egypt, he played together with Mohamed Mounir in front of 15,000 enthusiastic listeners, there "the seed was sown" as Mounir said, which also really came up at the return match in Europe. Because playing music together is "stronger than blood and war".
In Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, Hubert von Goisern and the local kingpins, Simentera, delivered a fascinating, but peaceful music duel in the market place. There was a coming together with the Senegalese star Fallou Dieng in the most important concert hall of the west coast, the Sorano Theatre. Music enthusiasts met everywhere and listened to the individual, spontaneous and sometimes archaic improvisational exchanges of traditional singing and accordion.
Fans of the Alpinkatzen sounds can devote themselves to the second DVD Iwasig, to what they have always loved in Hubert von Goisern: a live folk music experience, but unambiguously without the affectations of stick-in-the-muds. Hot funk and jazz grooves, hard rock eruptions, violin, squeezebox and harmonica celebrating marriage.