Text "Rock-Vereinigung Winterthur" (Andrea Tobler)

...But now I've urgently to tell you about the concert I witnessed some weeks ago during the "Winterthurer Musikfestwochen" [Winterhurian Music Festival]. Surely this will remain unforgettable to me until my first REAL Stones concert...

One day my mommy told me there'd appear a certain group called "Rock-Vereinigung Winterthur" who'd mainly play Stones songs and whose singer "many years ago" was known as "Mick Jagger of Winterthur". At that time I only thought maybe I should go looking what they have to offer. And, of course, I immediately phoned to Möneli if she'd come, too. But she was just recovering from a long night and wasn't really ready for a concert. And because actually I also didn't feel well I just wanted to forget the whole thing - but yet after all I went there. And I didn't repent it!

The whole thing happenend under a tent. The place was equipped with woodbenches and tables, with a view of the stage. Suddenly they stood there. And already the welcome-applause was terrific; whatcha think how that sounded with so many real fans! They started with "Carol" and I was absolutely amazed how super they played it. After that came more songs like "Walking the dog", "Route 66", "Back in the USSR", "San Franciscan nights" and some others, everything perfect, until the first peak: "BROWN SUGAR"!! You really felt that the audience merely waited for it! The atmosphere became more and more extreme - everyone sang and clapped his hands and began to jump around. From then on it went blow by blow: "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Honky tonk women", "Time is on my side", "The last time", "Love in vain", "It's all over now". It's impossible to describe what a feeling that was! And in addition you could be happy twice because so many other folks were there who also flipped like yourself because of this cüül music. Complete families were there, with bag and baggage!

Always when a Stones song started the singer made hints of Mick Jagger-poses. But evenly only attempts in outlines, he knew himself he wasn't able to do them at all. But it was funny anyway. Properly speaking just this was the fascinating thing. They had absolutely no likeness to the Stones, they could captivate the crowd only by their music.

But back to the concert: of course, I constantly waited for "Satisfaction" - but they didn't play it. And suddenly they bid farewell to us with "The last time". But of course the fans made everything till they came back onto the stage. Then the group played "Honky tonk women" for a second time as a first encore and vanished again. The crowd became louder and louder, stood on all the benches and tables and began to scream for "Satisfaction". No question what happened - they came once again and played it after all! Everybody sang and screamed so that the band eventually played the song even two times running. By all means - I jumped around on this bench till I was totally exhausted. But when they disappeared again and the announcer entered the stage we began to hiss and boo and so he couldn't say anything. The band had to reappear. But this time they only played "Carol" and then left the stage definitively. Indeed some people in front of me still screamed a long time for "Angie" - but it was of no use.

Man, THAT was an event! Properly speaking it can only be topped by the Stones themselves - and hopefully it comes to that point one day...

Short info about the group "Rock-Vereinigung Winterthur" (Therapieband)

The group isn't as unknown as you may think: Once they recorded a single for Polydor and they've also already appeared on the Montreux Jazz Festival. But the absolute peak in their career was on 6 May 1977 when they played live together with Alexis Korner for the music-school Winterthur! Said Korner after the concert: "It amused me trememdously to play with this group."

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Author: Andrea Tobler

Publication

1986 unreleased

Charlie is Good Tonight nr. 5