|
“A LOUD CONCERT DESERVES BOLD TYPE”
TEN
YEARS AFTER at
“FÄHRMANNSFEST“ Festival
HANNOVER – WEDDIGENUFER, GERMANY
- FRIDAY
JULY 31 THROUGH SUNDAY AUGUST 2
CONCERT
REVIEW FROM JULY 31, 2009
THE
TRIP:
BRIGITTE,
CAROLA and DAVE ON THIS JOURNEY. TRIED TO LEAVE AT 2:00 BUT ONCE
AGAIN GOT A FORTY MINUTE LATE START. PICKED UP OUR FRIEND CAROLA AND
THEN HEADED FOR THE HIGHWAY ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
TOOK
US AN HOUR AND A HALF TO REACH THE HOTEL WHERE THE BAND IS STAYING
ALONG WITH OUR FRIEND ANITA.
THE FESTIVAL GROUNDS ARE ONLY ANOTHER
FIVE KILOMETERS FURTHER.
WE
ARRIVED AND EVERY
STREET FOR BLOCKS WAS FULL OF PARKED CARS.
SAW
MY OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NEXT TO THE MAIN CONCERT GATE, A LITTLE PATCH
OF GRASS JUST BIG ENOUGH TO ACCOMIDATE MY LITTLE AUTO, WHAT A LUCKY
BREAK FOR US!
ENTRANCE:
TICKETS
ARE ONLY EUR 5.00 EACH SO WE TREATED OUR FRIENDS AND WENT INSIDE.
IT’S A BEAUTIFUL LAYOUT WITH LOTS OF ROOM TO MOVE AROUND, AND LOTS
OF ACTIVITY AND THE SMELL OF GOOD FOOD COOKING ALL OVER THE PLACE,
NOT TO MENTION A DOZEN BEER STANDS, BARS AND GIFT SHOPS.
TO
OUR LEFT IS A LONG BRIDGE WALKWAY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PARK, TO
OUR RIGHT IS THE MAIN STAGE AREA AND IN BETWEEN IS A GRASSY BOWL
TYPE OF AREA, LEVEL AND LONG IN THE MIDDLE WITH GRASS HILLS ON BOTH
SIDES, PERFECT FOR VIEWING THE CONCERT, NOT A BAD POSITION IN THE
PLACE. LITTLE DID WE REALISE THAT UPON OUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF THIS
OUTDOOR VENUE.
AFTER
SCOPING OUT THE ENTIRE PLACE IT WAS TIME FOR A COLD BEER. EVERYONE
SAT DOWN AND WE HAD A LONG CHAT.
BACKGROUND
MUSIC:
IN
THE BACKGROUND THE MUSIC FROM THE STAGE BEGINS TO BLUR OUT AT US, AT
FULL VOLUME. SO FAR IT’S NO PROBLEM…..BUT IT SOON WILL GET ON
OUR NERVES. PUNK ROCK ENERGY FOLLOWED BY
HEAVY METAL GROWL.
ONE
PERSON IS DANCING IN FRONT OF THE STAGE ON THE VASTLY VACANT LAWN,
MY BEST GUESS IS THAT WITHIN TWO HOURS HE’LL BE PASSED OUT IN AN
EXHAUSED, DRUNKEN HEAP SOMEWHERE.
THE
LONGER WE SIT THE LOUDER AND MORE OBNOXIOUS THE MUSIC BECOMES – WE
JUST ALL LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND SAY THE SAME THING TO EACH OTHER,
“ WHAT THE HELL IS TEN YEARS AFTER DOING PLAYING HERE” ?
THERE’S NO LOGICAL OR PRACTIAL REASON FOR TYA TO BE HERE AT
ALL. AS THE HOURS PASS AND OUR TOLERANCE FOR THIS VILE
ASSULT UPON OUR SENSES AND GOOD NATURES IS NOW BEGINNING TO
TAKE ITS TOLL. OUR CONCERN FOR TEN YEARS AFTER IS NOW REACHING THE
CRITICAL POINT. WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING HERE WE ASK EACH OTHER
OVER AND OVER AGAIN ? BAND AFTER UNKNOWN BAND COMES ON THE STAGE –
BLAST THEIR WAY THROUGH THEIR SET AND THEN LEAVE WITH THE SAME EMPTY
ANTANIMITY THAT THEY ENTERED WITH, STILL UNKOWN.
WITH
US SAYING IN UNISON – GOD SI DANK THAT’S OVER !!!
IT
DIDN’T GET ANY BETTER UNTIL THE LAST OF THESE SO CALLED WARM UP
BANDS TOOK THE STAGE. A BAND CALLED “NIKKI PUPPET” WHO BROUGHT
BACK A MUCH NEEDED SENSE OF ROCK AND ROLL NORMALACY TO THE
PROCEEDINGS…..AND NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON EITHER!
IN
DUE RESPECT TO THE FIRST BANDS TO APPEAR AT THIS EVENT:
- BLANK
(INDI – ROCK – HANNOVER)
- MAGNA
MORTALES (DEATH METAL – HANNOVER)
- PRESIDENT
EVIL (METAL ROCK FROM BREMEN)
- HÄMATOM
(METAL ROCK PUNK (NÜRNBERG)
- NIKKI
PUPPET (HARD ROCK – HANNOVER)
- TEN
YEARS AFTER - HEADLINER (THE
BEST ROCK BAND FROM ENGLAND)
NIKKI
PUPPET IS ONE OF THE MORE WELL KNOWN BANDS ON THE BILL AND A REAL
LOCAL FAVORITE. THEIR SET WAS GOOD AND REFRESHING BUT IT NEVER
REACHED THE LEVEL OF AWE INSPIREING. JUST A GOOD BAND GETTING CLOSE
TO A PASSING GRADE.
SITTING
ALL TOGETHER:
WE’RE
STARTING TO GET ANXIOUS.
AT THIS POINT OUR GOOD FRIEND REINHARD SHOWED UP BETWEEN
BANDS PLAYING – HE HAS TO LEAVE AND RETURNS RIGHT BEFORE THE MAIN
EVENT. TIME FOR SOME PIZZA AND BEERS FOR MOST OF US AND CREPES FOR
BRIGITTE – WITH THE SWEET TOOTH !!!
WE’RE
TALKING, THINKING AND WONDERING
- THAT AFTER ALL OF THIS NOISE, HOW IS TEN YEARS AFTER GOING
TO DO? WILL THEY COME ACROSS OR WILL THEY LOOSE THE METAL HEADS IN
THE PROCESS? RIC LEE WALKS PAST ME AND ON HIS RETURN I SAID TO HIM
“THEY’RE ALL HERE FOR YOU “ HIS REPLY “ I CERTAINLY HOPE
SO”. ANITA SUGGEST THAT
WE MAKE OUR WAY TO THE FRONT OF THE STAGE AND GET OURSELVES SETTLED
IN BEFORE THE MAD RUSH BEGINS.
THE
AUDIENCE:
WAS
WAY BEYOND READY FOR TEN YEARS AFTER AND TYA WAS MORE THAN READY TO
MEET THEM HEAD ON AND SHOW THEM THE WAY TO ROCK'N´ROLL IN CLASSIC
STYLE. THE AUDIENCE IN GENERAL WAS POLITE ALL DAY LONG, RESPECTFUL
OF EACH OTHER, AND EVERYONE GOT ALONG PERFECTLY. IT WAS A FULL
HOUSE, THE PLACE WAS PACKED, EVEN ON THE WALK WAY BRIDGE, LOCATED
ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK OF THE PARK VENUE
WAS JAMMED PACKED. IT REALLY LOOKED LIKE A SEA OF PEOPLE ALL
JOINED TOGETHER AT THE HIP, AND LOOKING LIKE ONE MOLTEN UNIT OF
HUMANITY GLOSSED OVER IN ONE GIGANTIC HAPPY GLOW….FOR ALL INTENTS
AND PURPOSES IT WAS DEFINITLY ANOTHER VERSION OF WOODSTOCK 1969
REINACTED ALL OVER AGAIN AND THIS WAS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A
MEMORABLE EVENT.
CENTER
STAGE / WITH A HILLSIDE
VIEW:
THE
BAND IS SET TO COME ON STAGE AT 9:30 SHARP. BRIGITTE AND ANITA
ASSUME THEIR REGULAR POSITIONS AT CENTER STAGE RIGHT IN FRONT OF
WHERE JOE WILL BE, WHILE CAROLA AND I ARE TO THEIR RIGHT UP ON THE
GRASSY HILLSIDE IN PERFECT POSITION, AND THIRTY FEET IN FRONT OF US,
AND TWENTY FEET BEHIND BRIGITTE AND ANITA IS REINHARD. WE’VE GOT
IT COVERED!
THE
SMOKE MACHINE STARTS PUMPING OUT A WATERY HAZE AND THE PRE-RECORDED
MUSIC INTRODUCTION STARTS THE
PROCEEDINGS. THE AUDIENCE IS NOW PACKING IN CLOSER AND TIGHTER THAN
BEFORE, AS THE ENTIRE AREA IS FILLING UP QUICKLY AND STEADILY. EVERY
SQUARE INCH OF ONCE AVAILABLE SPACE IS NOW BEING COVERED BY MUSIC
FANS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS.
THE
BAND TAKES THE STAGE, BUT NOT IN THEIR CUSTOMAIRY
LAID-BACK MANNER, BUT THIS TIME LIKE CONQUERING ROMAN
GLADIATORS IN HOT PERSUIT OF WINNING THE HEARTS, MINDS AND
UNBRIDDLED PASSION OF THIS AUDIENCE IN PARTICULAR!
THE
MAIN ROCK EVENT:
JOE
GOOCH WAS ALL OVER THE STAGE. OVER TO LEO AND BACK TO CENTER STAGE,
BOUNCING OVER TO CHICK AND HANGING OUT THERE TO CHECK THE VIBE,
DROPPING BACK TO RIC TO SLASH A FEW QUICK GUITAR CHORDS IN HIS
DIRECTION AND THEN LEAPING FORWARD BACK TOWARDS BRIGITTE AND ANITA
AND TO FACE THE AUDIENCE FOR ITS APPROVIAL.
THE BAND ON STAGE AND AUDIENCE DOWN BELOW ALL CAME ALIGHT AT
ABOUT THE SAME TIME. BY THE END OF THE SECOND SONG EVERYONE WAS
UNITED FOR ONE PURPOSE, TO HAVE A BALLS TO THE WALL GOOD TIME – IN
FULL VIEW OF NATURES WITNESS – STARS AND MOON ON THIS BRILLIANTLY
PERFECT SUMMER’S NIGHT DREAM SEQUENCE !
THE
SONGS ROARDED OFF THE STAGE AND THE AUDIENCE ATE THEM UP, ONE AFTER
THE OTHER. JOE TURNED
UP THE HEAT AS THE BAND EXPLODED
MAGIC THROUGH EVERY SONG THEY PERFORMED. LEO SPOKE TO THE
AUDIENCE BETWEEN SONGS AS DID RIC AFTER HIS HOBBIT SOLO. CHICK
CALLED OUT TO BRIGITTE FROM THE STAGE “IS SILVIA HERE TONIGHT”?
WHO IS OUR MUTUAL FRIEND.
RIC
SAID A SPECIAL HELLO TO THE FOLKS UP ON THE BRIDGE WALK-WAY AND
THOSE UP ON THE GRASSY HILLS ON BOTH SIDES. RIC ALSO TOLD THE
AUDIENCE THAT HE JUST RETURNED FROM A VACATION ON THE ISLAND OF
CREATE – GREECE.
THE
SHOW CONTINUES AND IT’S FROM HERE ON THAT THE ATMOSPHERE CHANGES
DRAMATICALLY AS DID THE INTENSITY.
AS
IN THE OLD DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF TEN YEARS AFTER, AND STARTING ON
THIS OCCASION RIGHT AFTER PLAYING
THEIR HIT SONG “I’D LOVE TO CHANGE THE WORLD”
FROM THEIR “SPACE IN TIME” ALBUM FROM 1971 – THE CHANTS
FROM THE AUDIENCE STARTED TO GROW LOUDER, FOR THE OLD WOODSTOCK
FAVORITE “I’M GOING HOME”. FROM DIFFERENT POINTS IN THE AUDIENCE THESE REQUEST COULD BE
HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR – BUT WITHOUT ANY MALICE OR ANY DISTRACTING
EFFECT, JUST FANS VOICING THEIR
LOVE FOR THE BANDS MUSIC, THAT THEY KNOW SO VERY WELL.
THE
SET LIST:
WORKING
ON THE ROAD
KING
OF THE BLUES
BIG
BLACK 45
LOVE
LIKE A MAN
50,000
MILES BENIETH MY BRAIN
I’D
LOVE TO CHANGE THE WORLD
GOODMORNING
LITTLE SCHOOL GIRL
THE
HOBBIT (DRUM SOLO)
ANGRY
WORDS
I’M
GOING HOME
CHOO
– CHOO – MAMA (ENCORE)
I’M
GOING HOME:
YOU
COULD SEE THE BAND MEMBERS TIGHTEN UP JUST A LITTLE BIT IN PREPARATION FOR THEIR NOW LEGENDARY THEME SONG AND TRIDITIONAL SET
CLOSER “I’M GOING HOME (TO SEE MY BABY). THIS WAS ONCE AGAIN
THEIR MOMENT TO RISE AND SHINE TO THE OCCASION. MYSELF, THE BAND AND
THE ENTIRE AUDIENCE WAS EXPECTING NOTHING BUT A FLAWLESS
PERFORMANCE, AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. JOE DID A LITTLE
GUITAR WARM UP, TOOK A DEEP BREATH WITH HIS BACK TO THE AUDIENCE AND
THEN LET IT RIP !!!
ONCE
AGAIN ANYONE WHO STEPPED OUT TO GO TO THE BATHROOM OR TO GRAB
ANOTHER BEER CAME FLYING BACK INTO THE FOLD FASTER THAN GREASED
LIGHTNING. THIS IS THE MOMENT EVERYONE HAD BEEN WAITING
FOR…..AND THE AUDIENCE WAS WAITING JUST FOR TEN YEARS AFTER, JUST
AS I HAD TOLD RIC THEY WERE.
A
QUICK NOTE (IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THROUGHOUT
THE ENTIRE DAY THE VIBE AT THIS FESTIVL
COULD HAVE SWUNG IN ANY DIRECTION AT ALL – IT COULD HAVE
TURNED VERY UGLY OR STAYED A BEAUTIFUL THING…..IT DEFINITLY STAYED
PEACE AND LOVE THROUGHOUT).
AS
THE FAMOUS NUMBER CONTINUED, PEOPLE DANCED, HOPPED UP AND DOWN AND
PLAYED THEIR AIR GUITARS ALL THE WAY THROUGH. FROM THE STAGE TO THE
TOP OF THE BRIDGE (A QUARTER OF A MILE AWAY) THE PLACE ROCKED.
EVERYBODY WAS MOVING AND DANCING AS I LOOKED FROM ONE END TO THE
OTHER AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN THE PLACE WAS ALIVE, EVERY SOUL WAS
ON FIRE AND THE ONLY PYROTECNICS WERE INSIDE EVERYONE THERE THAT WAS A
PART OF THE WHOLE EVENT AND WITNESS TO THE MAGIC THAT IS TEN YEARS
AFTER NOW – WOW!!!
ENCORE:
THERE
WAS ONLY ONE ENCORE AND THAT WAS “CHOO-CHOO-MAMA”.
THE
AUDIENCE WENT WILD AND JOINED IN SINGING AND DANCING ALL OVER THE
PLACE... THE ENTIRE VENUE REVERBERATED WITH EXCITEMENT AND JOY!!!
AFTER
THE SHOW:
WE
VISITED WITH THE BAND IN THEIR MERCHINDISE STAND AND HAD JOE
AUTOGRAPH THE NEW
CD’S WE JUST BOUGHT, SAID HELLO TO LEO, RIC AND CHICK AND THEN
WERE ON OUR WAY BACK HOME.
|
