TRADITIONAL HIPPIE CONVENTION 2005 : BURG HERZBERG FESTIVAL 2005

Did you think the days of Woodstock belong to the past? Did you have the idea that Hippies are an anachronism? Well, just watch this DVD and I am sure you will be stunned by the images, it looks like the good old times of festivals like Woodstock, Monterey Pop and Stamping Ground (Kralingen Pop) are back: many people who are dressed like Hippies, parents playing with their children, a happy, peaceful and unconcerned atmosphere, shops selling coloured selfmade chains, native USA indians material and art from Africa and Asia, NOSTALGIA TIME IN REALITY!

And hwat about the music? These bands performed during four days: Ten Years After, The Love Band, Siena Root, Jane, Tito & Tarantula, Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Amber Lights (from Wiesbaden), Ozric Tentacles, W.I.N.D., IQ and finally the Manfred Mann's Earth Band. In general the level of the bands is good, there is a lot of variety and both the musicians as the audience enjoyed the very special atmosphere! I will give you my highlights of this DVD. First Ten Years After including three original members, unfortunately no Alvin Lee but his 'substitute' Joe Googh does a good job, I love his fiery sound, especially on the final part in King Of The Blues. In that song we can enjoy TYA at its best, so dynamic and compelling with a heavy guitar solo and a swinging boogie woogie piano solo! Then one of my favorite german prog bands: Jane, they manage to create their the legendary 'symphonic bluesrock' sound and the crowd is carried away, great to see all those 40+ fans swinging and headbanging and I have to emphasize that guitarplayer Klaus Walz matches perfectly in Jane with his moving and powerful guitar work along Peter Panka and Charly Maucher their distinctive vocals, including the obvious German accent! A big surprise was the performance by Tito & Tarantula, very passionate bluesrock and it was fun when the singer asked some beautiful and sensual women on stage to dance. Soon they were accompanied by two men: an old native USA indian looking man and a quite horny young man who wanted to seduce the two dancing women but in a humorous way that fitted to the great friendly atmosphere on this festival. The Ozric Tentacles only played one song but it is my favorite: Kick Muck with that mindlblowing wah-wah drenched guitar lick and a pitchbend driven synthesizer solo, very exciting 'ethnic spacerock'! The trio W.I.N.D. delivered hot bluesrock with strong guitar work. Lots of progheads welcomed IQ for an inspired gig, I was blown away by the majestic choir-Mellotron samples blended with moving slide guitar play during Born Brilliant, one of their best post Eighties compositions! The final gig is by Manfred Mann's Earth Band playing Mighty Quinn with fiery and heavy guitarwork, we can even enjoy a short tribute to Smoke On The Water.

Although I own most of the described compositions on other DVD's, I am very pleased with the performances on this DVD, they got an extra dimension because of the very special Hippie atmosphere on the Burg Herzberg Festival, I am determined to visit this festival very soon!