25

1. 6. 2004 Munich Muffathalle
 Eric Burdon & The Animals

63 years of age and not much wiser?! I doubt it. Oh yes, he's definately got his live insurance in the back, which is underlined by the just published autobiography and the currently running eurpean tour containing the Animals and a barstool. Okay, the Animals ain't the originals from the Sixties, but it doesn't really matter. Because Eric Burdon is a cultfigure on his own and put every other object in the shade on stage, measuring only 5 inch something in body height. The long rock'n'roll live let him grow   probably even a bit shorter. One of the reasons for useing the barstool on stage is the fact, that it lets him seem a bit more sophisticated. And with 63 the fitness  ain't probably what the used to be half that age. But we forgive him for that. We all don't get younger, do we?! His charism is the same and his voice didn't suffer a wink. 

Mr Burdon offers us a colourd mixture of golden oldies, classic tracks and material from the brand new album. He is entertaining the audiance in a witty way with lots of funny comments. He knows how to pull the audiance which is not only consisting of daddys in the midlife crisis and mamis with past teenager dreams. No, in fact there are enough youngsters here in their mid twenties and thirtees, who were not even born, when "House Of The Rising House" became a number one hit single. Of course also "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" ain't missing in the set. Both songs will follow good old Eric, even when he once will sing with the archangels up there in heaven. But I don't think this will be the case very soon, becuase he's still very fit during the one and a half hour gig. Just beeing married to a girl, who could probably easely be his granddaughter, Eric is receiving his second springtime. Yes little one, you do convince us with your bluesy touch and smoky timbre... like in the old times with the rising sun for now and ever....


                                                                                      


31. 5. 2004 Salzburg/Austria  Rockhaus
 WASP


Yeessss!!! There we go. WASP like always, like they have been in the past, and how they are now. Blacky Lawless is still screaming the hell out. And Frankenstein's monster gets a grren face, as we say so in german when someone gets jealous. The phantom of the opera is changing into a archangel with golden hair and the aura of a methamorphosis. Where have you been over all these years, and now come back with all the energy you can get inclusively you sceletonthrown and a new band. While the furniture is not that new and belongs to the usual stage outfit of WASP, the rest of the musicians are rather renewed. But never mind, WASP is actually Blacky Lawless, Blacky was always WASP - is WASP, and will always be WASP as long as this hardrock individual is lasting. Mami is still horrofied when the demonic grin of the chief indian is playing chess on different pictures. And we are still faszinated by the aura of a brilliant showman, who knows exactly how to put himself into the right light, and who seemingl did'nt get olde a wink since the eightees. No this here is no madman. In fact Blacky is an icecold professional, who's concept is  calculated a 100%. The show starts exactly by time and is no second longer as the setlist says. The artifical bloodshow is missing, which made us frightend in the Eightees, but what is now past tense. If it's no fashion anyimore, too much fuss or because Blacky doesn't wann drive the same story is not clear. But nobody minds it really. Probably because the biggest part of these fans here doesn't even have a possibility for comparison what's up to the WASP Live set.

 Blacky does his Best off package, which of course contains "Love Machine", "Wild Child", "Fuck Like A Beast", "I Wanna Be Somebody" and as an encoure "Blind In Texas". He's doing two tracks of the new album "The Neon God Part I" no more. Spirit of time you could recall this strategy. Heavy Metal of the Eightees transfered perfectly into the new century with a little touch of paranoia. he owns this hypnotic look, which let the fans capitulate in form of mad headbanging orgies. Actually, Blacky could do the whole show alone, if he wouldn't need the others in the band for the additional music. He himself would be enough to get the crowd sign a contract with the devil in resignation. He knows exactly how to use this advantage for himself. Forgotten is the long time of abstinence of WASP here in Europe. Forgotten is the small venue here. And forgotten is my  bad mood about the cancelled gig yesterday in munich  whatever reason for and I was forced to drive all the way to Salzburg / Austria to get my live- review and pictures. And all that in the pooring rain. No, it was definately worth it to have come to here. A solid WASP- Best of.. performance with a unwasteable Wild Child / man as a perfect frontman, who's blind in Te... eh Salzburg like a beast.... whatsoever.... makes us happy right now. He's definately somebody. And for the future we instantly hope WASP are gonna come back for more. (despite the fact, that this tour definately hasn't run under a good omen, as we say.) Praised is the Neon God.....
                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                          many more pictures  h e r e



29. 5. 2004 Munich  Muffathalle
 Bad Religion

there they are again after such a long time of astinence. And now they act, if they had never been away from here... Now at least Bad Religion got a new record in their luggage. And this one, I tell you is stuffed with politics. If ever president Bush is goona hear this, he's then  probably thinking about moving far away in mountain abbey in Tibet. Whatever the american pseudo punks wanna reach by that, I don't know. But one thing is for sure. Those people who are coming to see Bad Religion playing live are maybe equartorial eskimos or spanish congo boxers, but definately no protesting political rebells. However, at least Bad Religion belong to the sort of artist for saving punk music. And they do it with a big bang and without image care. Looking like good, behaved bankers and good son in laws, the five americans are going crazy like a bomb dropping down on jupiter. 

The photopit is becoming a deadzone thanks to living rockets shot from within the audiance and landing on my shoulders or wheresoever. Soon I'm gonna make a live insurance for such events. But Bad Religion are not impressed by such activity down there and continue torturing the stage. 25 songs are on the setlist with an average length of 1.30 minutes go down like a jetairliner faster than the speed of sound. The Ramones would become jealous if they could see this. But they don't need to really, 'cause Bad Religion will never reach their cult status, that's for sure. And the reason for that is more or less the present situation in musichistory. However, this group here takes it's toll and takes care that punk music does not get lost or become forgotten, - in a modern way of course. Last but not least, we are receiving the total unsuitable punk hymn  with all the power you get... "This Is Not A Punkrock Song".... It's not, - or is it?!!!