On saturday evening, nearly 500 music fans from all over upper franconia came to see the legendary band, which has long since attained cult status, in the brucklein tent.
The band once again pulled out all the stops of their musical skills, so that the marquee sometimes really "shook". The concert is also considered the annual "waldschrat band meeting".
The band was considered to be a "krautrock" group, covering the rock music of mainly west german bands. Their trademark was and still is experimental, improvisational rock music.
You spurt it from the first moment: the "waldschrate" still have fun making their very own music and they enjoy it when their fans are at their beck and call.
To the kerwa of course, let "waldschrat" mainly the pithy stuff, the french "drinking songs" ertonen. Fittingly, the sometimes very satirical lyrics by harry troger.
But the band also lets quieter "stories" but they are exclusively played in an acoustic unplugged line-up once or twice a year.
"Waldschrat" was founded in 1979, in the coming year harry troger (drums), michael "mannla" sommermann (bass), jan jansen-reinelt (keyboard), christof "grisdoff" lemberg (electric guitar) and ronald "schieffi" ber (acoustic guitar) celebrates her 40th band anniversary.
While harry troger is responsible for the texts, the former "helmetzer" is responsible roland ber as the musical center of the cult band. "Schieffi" is now at home in the ansbach corner. Christof lemberg, who works as a teacher in munnerstadt near schweinfurt, is happy when the band has a meeting once a year: "it’s also nice when we haven’t completely disappeared as a band and have cult status."
That of all places the annual "waldschrat-band meeting" should take place in the small brucklein on the freeway takes place has its own story. About michael "mannla sommermann: "the kerwa here in brucklein has become rougher and rougher with us as a band. The fire department had at first only a small tent, which was eventually replaced by a more coarse one. They were quite proud. When we told them in 2003 that we wanted to break up the band, they told us that they bought the rough tent because of us. So we decided that we would have an annual meeting here and play a gig. With the suggestion one was content here in brucklein."
The band was named after harry troger, who dismissed the first drummer and simply took the name "waldschrat" on his drum. The songs were covered, but with their own lyrics provided.From 1995 to 2000, the "schrate" produced five own records and two cds with drinking songs. The band split up in 2003 and in 2005 released the best-of-album "waldschrat – gesammelte zwerge", recorded live at their farewell concert.
Many visitors come back every year. Roland menzel from helmbrechts was there for the fourth time on saturday: "the music is just great. That’s why we come back every year. With me are my son and my grandson, who are initiated into this music, so that it continues when I am no longer there."
What was particularly striking was that the age range of the waldschrat fans was from 15 to 75. A group of former MGF graduates have always been fans of "waldschrat". Lukas roth: "we had it in the past four years resolved to go here times. We have never done it before, but this year we did it. I find it musically totally good, what they do. And then naturally still the dialect in addition, that fits already."
His brother philipp roth is especially enthusiastic about the mixture of different styles. " but also the lyrics are incredibly creative, funny and express our french culture. I can only say: super!"
The third in the group, paul naser, spoke of a wonderful evening: "just like philipp and me, who live, study and work far away from home, it is simply nice to have a regional cultural connection from the musical side."
This visitor was even allowed to fulfill his wish: once live a song from "waldschrat" sing along.
Roland menzel came from helmbrechts with his son.
Fans of waldschrat from left philipp roth, lukas roth (both ludwigschorgast) and paul naser (kulmbach).