On 15th and 16th June 2018 the annual Stars Of Sounds Festival took place in Aarberg for the 10th time. When the organizers announced in advance the line-up, it was clear: Especially this first evening will be a mega party. The three dialect bands Halunke, Hecht and Trauffer were on the programme for the first festival evening. Three bands whose concerts always have a lot of action. But apparently that was not enough for the festival organizers. With QL they put one more on top of that. Woah, after the evening we should be pretty K.O.
Back at the most beautiful event locations
It’s really not an exaggeration to say that Stars Of Sounds Aarberg is one of the finest festivals. Okay, you can actually transfer it to the whole Stars Of Sounds. Because whether Aarberg or Murten, both locations are really great. But Aarberg has this beautiful, small cobbled old town, in front of the windows and their colorful shutters there are beautiful geraniums and other flowers. And right there, right in the middle of the small town, was again the big Stars Of Sounds stage. Similar to the Moon & Stars in Locarno, also the atmosphere.
While some have been watching the concerts relaxed from the windows, the others celebrated a big party with the four bands.
Who I am most looking forward to, was I asked in advance? How could I decide …
Help from Canada
The festival was kicked off at 7.30 pm by the Bernese band Halunke and from the beginning they were cooking. There was not too much time. And unlike the recent promo appearance at Westside [read here], the complete Halunke band including the brass section was there.
With catchy melodies and lyrics like “Mi Tag” or “Superheld”, the band around front man Christian Häni thrilled the Aarberg audience. No one just goes to a concert Halunke, without having… umm being allowed to join 😉 Audience participation was announced. Bassist Maso presented his “extremely complex” choreo – right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot and back 😉 And Häni tested in the middle of the audience to “Bouleveard” the ankles of the concert visitors. He scurried across the stage again and again and in between jumped from the drummer podium.
The frontman kept almost losing his pants. He had forgotten his belt. But a guy from the audience was fortunately able to help out. The borrowed belt was from Canada, he said. Häni did not really believe it because of the American label. But he thought that the belt was really great. Did this guy from the audience really get the belt back in the end? 😉
Actually, Halunke had already announced their special guest at the Westside event and on Facebook and I wondered extensively about it. Who could it be? Totally forgotten that a guest was coming, I was still not so surprised that it was Baschi. Since Häni and he collaborated on Baschi’s latest song “Wenn dWält” and the upcoming album “1986”, it could only be him, if it was not Büne Huber. Together they also performed my favorite Baschi song “Kensch mi no”! What a joy!
Next to the guest appearance, the whole action and the many already known songs, there was also a brand new Halunke song.
“..Rolle dir e rote Teppich us, boue dir am See äs chlises Huus…”
A catchy pop melody with wonderful lyrics that go straight to the heart. Of course, after all this, Halunke ended their show with a bang and the first confetti rain of the evening.
(more Halunke songs you can see here-> Photo gallery: Halunke at Stars Of Sounds Aarberg )
We tear down Aarberg
Startete die Band erst noch etwas ruhiger, war klar: Wir haben nicht viel Zeit, deshalb wird das hier richtig abgehen. Zack, ging es damit auch schon los. Das Publikum jubelte über die ersten Töne von “Wenn dSunne chond” und zu “Gymnastic” –
“Come on, we’ll tear down Aarberg so Trauffer will have to rebuild it afterwards!”. Well, summer without Hecht is only half a summer. At least one festival concert just has to be it. And Hecht were again at full throttle.
Did the band start quiet first, it was clear: We don’t have much time, so this will properly come off. Pow! it started already. The audience cheered on the first notes of “When dSunne chond” and during “Gymnastic” –
“…füre, hindere, links und rächts, mir schiebe dis Härz a richtegi Fläck…” ♥
it’s always getting wild. 4/5 of the band jumped down into the audience and showed their dancing skills with the song-choreo.
(more Hecht photos here -> Photo gallery: Hecht at Stars Of Sounds Aarberg)
Back on stage, the summer was celebrated with my Hecgt favorite “See Springe” and frontman Stefan talked about his “surfer” dream and the holiday experience in Portugal. Well, the surfing career should not work, the more the audience celebrates him and the band. For example, when they threw the pink jackets over for “Kawasaki”, Stefan returned to the audience for a mosh pit and danced right through the crowd. The wonderful new single “Heicho” he played alone with guitar on the wheelchair grandstand. There was the sea of lights, of course, included.
Also the colorful confetti rain wasn’t missing and in no case “Charloooootttaaa !!”. There the audience went really crazy again, before at the end of the power show everyone was dancing ass to ass one last time.
“..tanze, tanze, Arsch an Arsch am Tanze…” it echoed forever. Phew, can that be outbid?
Beer + cervelat for Aarberg
During the short change over, the chalet and tree and fountain put in their place, it had suddenly become much fuller and tighter in the town. We guessed that 80% of the audience came for Trauffer?
As the light darkened blue, traditional alpine music sounded and the flags were swung from left to right, the Trauffer fans waited spellbound in dirndls, lederhosen and edelweiss shirts for “the one with the cows”. Finally he came out of the chalet with full speed and started in the best Alpentainer style the first “Schnupf Schnaps and Edelwyss” festival show.
After his successful 13 show spring tour across Switzerland (read here), the festival season started with the Stars Of Sounds also for Trauffer. The “Alpechalb” in his green alpine tails presented a slightly shortened version of the previous tour show and had the “Frl. Marty “also found quickly from the festival stage. Winkingly he explained: The pretty woman that he wanted to invite in the afternoon during the sound check into his chalet with double bed (and yes, during the day the place is actually open 😉 ), rather said “sorry, du bisch ifach zjung für mi” – sorry, you are just too young for me.
Trauffer and the band rocked Aarberg with old and new hits. Somewhat more traditional in a “Stubete”, sometimes rocking in a medley. And the special effects that followed in leather jacket and sunglasses during “Bier + Cervelat” were over so fast, not everyone caught them 😉 Yeah, before that evening, no one would ever have thought he’d ever be in the middle of Aarberg’s old town singing so passionately about beer and cervelat. In addition a snuff (uh, I’ll never understand how you can snuff this up ;)) and the Alpenparty was in full swing the middle of the Bernese town.
But more surprises should follow. Trauffer had a T-shirt cannon, with what he also – or above all – gifted the ones at the very back. Hands up, who wanted to have the women’s T-shirt in “S” ?! And who had expected this second “Wanderer” in the same named song? The one or the other was double surprised about the- at least from a distance – quite real-looking Adam’s costume 😉
(more Trauffer photos see here -> Photo gallery: Trauffer at Stars Of Sounds Aarberg)
The choreography for “Dr Gipfel!” was automatically started by the Aarberg audience. It was once again impressive how so many people could be mobilized by Trauffer and the band, all singing and swaying along. Even the smallest fans sometimes knew the lyrics almost better than the entertainer himself. 😉
I think that the one or the other had been persuaded that evening to make a pilgrimage to the large Hallenstadion in Zurich with the Bernese Oberland musician in November. And those who may not have thought about it the next day after the celebrations, might have been reminded to buy tickets by the one or the other Trauffer confetti in their underpants. The little notes somehow keep landing everywhere 😉
The cool QL
Yes, it was not expected otherwise. The place had become too empty too fast after the concert end of Trauffer. Had everyone been there because of Trauffer? Or was the problem rather the train connections? It could hardly be the last band. QL are really COOL : D And after I hadn’t seen them since the last Thunfest, I was looking forward all the more to this last act.
The remaining ones celebrated properly with QL to their funpunk versions of various Swiss, but also international hits. Schibä, Pät, Sägi and Tosi made for a wild party, rocking to Florian Ast’s “Sex”, to the Swiss German version of “Bett im Kornfeld” by Ballermann star Jürgen Drews or to Plüsch’s “Heimweh”. Really everyone at the place could sing along the words – or bawl them out 😉 My personal QL highlight, however, is every time again their very own song “I liebe di”.
(more photos of QL you can see here -> Photo gallery: QL at Stars Of Sounds Aarberg)
Despite the fact that the band stood on stage for at least an hour, their concert over seemed so much faster than the previous ones.
One was ahead
This was definitely a party after my fancy. Halunke, with special guest Baschi and new song, kicked off the first festival night of the Stars Of Sounds in Aarberg. Then Hecht half tore down Aarberg and we celebrated a mega alpine party in the middle of the town with Trauffer. Finally, we’ve been rocking with the funpunker of QL!
And what was the best concert, I was asked at the end of the day: Well, as great as all four concerts were and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss any of them, all together Hecht was a bit ahead of everyone.
I was definitively exhaused. In Bern, the Moonliner (night bus) driver dropped us off and cheerfully said goodbye to his passengers: “So maybe see you tomorrow, I’ll be back too.” The next day promised to be just as great, but a lot quieter. 😉
Info about the festival you can find on www.starsofsounds.com
Info about the bands you can get here:
www.halunkeonline.ch
www.hechtimnetz.ch
www.trauffermusic.ch
www.funpunk.ch
