The Classic-Rock-Festival
"The great wide open"
At one thing I would never had thought at this wonderful sunny saturday morning at july: That I would be there, when the great classic-rock-festival in Muhldorf happens.
It was pure fortuity that I suddenly held an freecard in my hands, donated from a great-hearted friend of good arts and even he dont want to be named at this side, I want to proclaim my best thanks, because without him this report wouldn't exist.
Not imaginable, I had nearly missed this event!
Dear reader, you realize that I had to ease up my enthusiasm, some of you may think "he overstates a little" - but I experienced all this in just that intensity and want to give it now to you and want to share it with all of you, haven't the possibility to see this event with me.
And suddenly I had this card in my hands - what a bliss!
Excitedly I drove to Muhldorf, were the open-air-festival should happen. Surprisingly the traffic was such moderate I arrived there without hesitation.
An expensive experince to park
After the entree-card was so cheap *happy* "I can take the unfree parking area near by the entrance", I thougt by myself. But I was shocked, as the friedly lady wanted four of my troublesom earned Euros - so much I didn't expect. Never mind! That should it be worth and by the way the traffic wardens want to earn money for living, too!
Monsterlike Bass-Monsters
As I entered the area, it was about one o'colock p.m. and the visitors were not too much - this should change enormously at the later afternoon...
Not much visitors at this time...
The weather was beautiful and soon I arrived the big stage, where a some minutes later
Claus Freudenstein's Bass Monsters
would perform. Claus Freudenstein is such a happpy sounding name I try to translate it: Claus "Joystone". How the hell could have someono the idea, to combine this nice name with "Bass Monsters"?! What comes next?
"Peter Lustig with the Hells Angels" maybe?
("Peter Lustig" is a well-known German children entertainer. Lustig = funny)
And there he was: Claus Freudenstein in person. And after some greetings, four musicians with their contrabasses began to play.
After the first title, Claus said: "If you mean, that four contrabasses would be unusual at such an event, we can help, because we will raise now!"
And in short time there stood ten musicians with their instruments - all contrabasses of course - on the stage.
What curious idea - rock-sound pure with ten contrabasses!
It was an awesome scenery and an unusual attunement for the event and in addition to that, there were professional contrabass-musicians of different philharmonic orchestras.
Hats off! - Or should I better say: Toppers off for this extraordinary constellation!
10 contrabasses - that is a spectacle!
Claus Freudensteins contrabass (left side at the upper right picture) is some special: It was made at the time from Beethoven & Co. and today it was the first time to play music of rock live on a stage!
The voice of Israel
Aviv Geffen, not much known in our country, is an Israelian singer, wo don't take fright to speak out controversial themes and is seen as an idol of the younger generation in his homeland.
One experience Aviv Geffen may not forget in his life: He was it, who embraced the Israelian prime minister Yitzhak Rabin some sekonds before he was shoted by an fanatic Israeli.
...
As Aviv Geffen started with his band, was the right time to put in the earplugs in, not becouse the music was too bad, but to prevent from damages of the ears because the loudeness.
I was really vanward, so I got every beat tight to feel:
I had the feeling I was at a pillow-fight at which every second all pillows smashed my body at the same time - amazingly without my clothes did any move.
About quality you cannot grump. Aviv has done his homework and presented a good sound with exercised voice and suitable gesticulation. The female visitors wouldn't resent him, as he shraded his shirt of his body in an theatralic way during a song and presented his naked body.
All in all a wonderful show!
Aviv Geffen in action
Dr. Alexander advised:
"Take good care of your hearing. Even if don't hurts is a sign that high level of sound isn't dangerous! You cannot feel the damage of your hearing directly, the hearing cells will bow out bit by bit an you cannot hear all frequencys well. If more people make a conversation, it gets hard to follow then a single voice. And later you may need such a stupid hearing-pickle to hear anything. And the way the devil wants it, maybe you suddenly enjoy classic music when you are a pensioner and you cannot hear the silent musical score, and you even can't clench your teeth, because the false teeht were such expensive. So better take care!
Alex has his earplugs in for good measure,
while the half-naked rocker sang at the stage!
The Lady with the Squeak-O-Phone
During reconstruction of the stage you could see the one or other curious thing. As the workers arranged the instruments for the next group, I saw an well made-up diva, took some gentleman from here to there at the stage, to make the arrangement perfect. But there was much trouble with an curious instrument with diverse antennas, witch wouldn't work at all. Again and again the lady and different technicians tried to repair it, until heaven gave mercy and the instrument gave some squeaking sounds from it - and so I had an appropriate name for it: Squeak-O-Phone - thats it!
Hmm - does the name Dolcenera mean something for you? No? That is the lady, who made music
at the sugar loaf mountainwith Zucchero (if you don't got it: The well-known musician Zucchero sounds like the german word for sugar ;-) and got already some awards for her talent.But I have a better description for the lady, too:
If you even meet a good-looking Italian lady, which blows the invisible bellows with her left and seem jitterly grab an antenna with her right hand, during she makes squeaking noise at herself, then there is no doubt, it's Dolcenera with her Squeak-O-Phone!
Dolcenera with the Squeak-O-Phone
That this lady have other talents, too, you can see at the next collage: Fantastic voice at the microphone, and in the main thing at the keyboard she makes a good figure *harrumph*
Dolcenera at work
Holy, holy Moses!
After four hours I needed absolutely a break. Out from the stadium and a quiet place to rest. Thought and done - but it wasn't easy, because suddenly the "floodgates" seemed to be opened by someone and hundrets of people came against me. Should this have to do with the next band?!After a short but restful break I felt ready for the next events. Crowds of people again - but this time they pushed me the right way.
And at the way to the stage there was a well-known song arriving my ears: "Holy Moses met the pharao..." the guys sang with marked voice - okay, thats the world famous song "All you Zombies" from the Hooters!
As I came closer, I registered the power and quality of the "boys" with one glimpse - 1A!
Pensioner-band? No idea - they jumped around like track athletes, such pep on the stage, you should have seen that:
Always in movement, taking several instruments and played with the professionals routine - just MARVELLOUS!
At least now I realized: This day is one of the very special, I would have a very long time in my memory!
Amazing, how many good songs this band has puplished, I brought to mind, because I knew nearly all the songs very well. And this awesome Irish touch in the sound!
But why I'm telling here a lot about, one picture says more than thousand words:
The Hooters - supersound, superband!
All right, Roger?
Well, not all...At first the keyboard had a failure and agile hands tried all to let the show go on, during a broadcaster impended the audience with another half an hour waiting time. I should not be the only mishap...
But lets begin again, because such a fantastic musician I want to introduce in a right way:
Roger Hodgson - not many people it this name here in Germany very familiar, but his voice the most people know.
He was it, who foundet the band "Supertramp" years again, and sung a lot of well-known songs with his fascinating voice. Who doesn't know "Giva a little bit" or "It's raining again" - often played and willingly heard are the well-known songs only the top of an gigantic repertoire from extraordinary and phenomenally songs and who has concerned with this band a little closer, will absoloutely agree with the statement, that there were born several very great musical works.
Fantastic, if beside musical quality there is content and expressiveness, like by Supertramp!
A great enjoyment were also the cover of the records and CD's, which always had artistic value and were freshing different from the usual junk.
Okay, enough of compliments, there was he now, the living legend, in person:
Roger Hogdson
1. Impression: Very sympathic
2. Impression: Fantastic voice
3. Impression: Look at 1.
Immediateley the rememberance came back, as I heard the well-known sound. The typical e-piano, the saxophone - all with an own soul, you mean.
Another musician backed Roger and sang some songparts.
Roger Hodgson (guitar) and his backing
Who wondered about, if beside me a lot of other photographers attempted for a photo:
The best things photographers come in threes ;-)
How already suggested, there was a little disadvantage:
Roger had to fight with his voice. After a few songs he said, we should sing with him. How annoying ist was for me, not to know the lyrics very well! Okay, the chorus are well-known, but the songs have so much text and all in a foreign language for me!
- sorry Roger, if I had known this a bit earlier, I would have willigly represented you...okay some of this damned high parts you have to sing yourself, but the most parts I get right... ;-)
But nevertheless it was an awesome experience, not only for me, because the audience wanted encore fanaticly. But, of course, Roger couldn't comply the wish and was at ease as he had done his "legal portion".
Legal portion done - farewell without voluntary exercise - but it was very nice anyway!
Roger Hodgson - a class of its own!
After seven hours overall, I had to take another "time-out" and again I weave through the crowd. People still streamed into the stadion, no miracle because the next band was world-famous, too.
As I arrived the parking place, I had to assure the parking attendant, that my car was there - "the guy takes his job for serious and had earned his part of the parking fee!", I thougt by myself and took then a little snooze, to be forearmed for the great "showdown" - because two great bands stood still on the program.
Well relaxed I entered the stadion again and
STATUS QUO
welcomed me with their great sound
Nice view: Status Quo with white loudspeakers
The band made a good mood and played into the evening.
A little boy at his fathers back claped with great enthousiasm:
A little Status-Quo-Fan
The law-Man
Near the stage I saw an very important-seeming man, whos field of functions not was clearly at the moment. He climbed the balustrade, which seperated the stage from the crowd and always shouted something to different people.
I didn't care about it, until suddenly his silhouette come in view nearby me. he screamed at me:
"Not allowed to film here!"
"Ey, whats the matter", I thougt and schouted back: It's only a camera, and photographing is allowed here, isn't it?
Well, I couldn't understand his answer, because Status Quo meanwhile tried to get back the attention with forcefully playing the guitars, and so any discussions about copyrights are collapsed.
The fighter for law and order
(Face was altered because privacy)
Status Quo meanwhile vigorously played their guitars
- without words -
The Hoover-Man
One band was missing, and it seemed to be a very gentlemanly one - how you could explain otherwise why the stage was hoovered very well?! Does this fit with an rockband-image?
Whatever! The Hoover-man catered for some variety and nice comments from the visitors - which the Hoover-Man couldn't fail to notice: After doing his very carefully work he raised the hoovers pipe with an winners pose and immediately some people applauded. But bad luck: The Hoover-Man triped up on the hoovers tube and nearly fell down - the people laughted gleefully.
The Hoover-Man
