» Zappanale #17

Zappanale 17 - 2006

Blue skies everywhere. Sunbeams bore into the pores. A light breeze from time to time from the nearby Baltic Sea. Great weather for this year's 17th Zappanale. Except for Saturday evening, there were probably fewer guests who attended the rock festival in Frank Zappa's name in 2006; There was no less enthusiasm, a less eclectic programme. There is probably no other rock festival in Germany that offers a stage for such an extraordinary programme, such unconventional and often avant-garde bands. In addition, bands that have nothing to do with Zappa and little to do with the festival climate can present themselves during the earlier day before the actual program, this year a young band inherited from 70s Brit-Punk, gothic metallers and a Dresden band Blues band who had a stage and an audience for free. Every year the fan has to carry the vague hope that the festival, which has been financially stricken for years, will be continued for the coming year, but this year Wolfhard "Spain" Kutz - head of the Zappanale company - said he did not want to stop the event and to dare a new challenge.

Description
The audience isn't the same as it was in the early days. Many Zappa fans dropped out, not daring to come back. The festival has grown, changed to survive; they lack the initial atmosphere, the intimate flair or whatever. Certainly they have changed and no longer want to risk their cultural identities without air-conditioned and fully equipped living conditions; in the basement under headphones, "their" Zappa is probably enough for them - however, some former ardent fans practice demonizing the entire festival so as not to have to reveal that it is he (or she) who is fed up Or would you rather look into the financially secure future in front of the white-painted fence. Man people, with all honor to your security, you give away three wonderful days a year, you idiots!

It's just fun and mood to go to the festival square, to listen to the dedicated bands or raising a beer with friends, rummaging through the record stands and devoting ourselves to the individual parts in Zappa's work and the here and now in long conversations. OK, I am completely uncritical, because the Zappanale feel-good experience - completely without concerts by various great bands - is a pleasurable adventure and, not entirely incidentally, looking away from the bank balance and towards cultural identity. One thing is clear, if you're not there, you're giving away something, for whatever reason!!!

The Zappanale 2006 again offered a lot of interesting concerts, along with a lot of dust, sunburn and thirst. Also for many now graying and beer-bellied, but not unenthusiastic old fans. The program: eclectic! Lots of Zappa from young and old musicians, plus jazz rock, avant-garde and krautrock - a pleasant menu!

Thursday, despite the presence of George Double-V Bush, there was a "warm-up" party in Bad Doberan with < strong>Daniel Rohr in the city's Kamp-Theater, Lex Kemper and Friends on the Zappanale stage and a party afterwards - everything is free except for the beer.

Friday it really started. Really right. Corrie van Binsbergen took the stage solo with canned accompaniment (her band is just too expensive!) and performed a twenty-minute program that was simply incredible. The woman plays the guitar in a super heavy and weird way. A terrific start, for me personally the best of all previous Zappanals ever! Afterwards the Berlin symphonic rockers Age took the stage - Vibraphon Part One. They too delivered a very interesting, versatile and expressive set. Electric violin, saxophone and "normal" rock line-up played rock music with panache and dynamics. Epic songs, rap and banging complex progressive rock went well from the stage to the audience.
Two great Zappa cover bands played on Friday, FZLE from Denmark with a dynamic set and the Zappatistas around guitarist John Etheridge, who was back on stage a day later with Soft Machine. In between, the heavy trio TriPod; Drums, bass and saxophone combined in cracking, hearty progressive rock. Insanely good!
Daniel Rohr fits better into the Bad Doberaner Kamptheater, his play "Everything about Frank", as amusing and funny as it is, does not replace a rock concert, could on Friday evening