“Don’t be like that, it’s not that bed, if he’s leaving!” – “He can be replaced, he’s only the guitare player!” – “With all the synthies he had baerely anything to do anyway” or “It’s still the same” I was told the last months, when we were talking about Pegasus and guitare playing Simon Spahr going separate ways. These statements were of course not by people, who were visiting Pegasus concert since at least 7 years, been to tons of concerts all over Switzerland or even further, been travelling hundreds of kilometres for the band and definitvely have experienced more than one album release. Because after so many years and all the experiences defintively no bandmember can simply be replaced. But on this Saturday it was going to happen – the last concert with Simon, the last concert in this formation. The first Pegasus concert, I was definitively not looking forward to.
On that Saturday Snowpenair took place already the 19th time at kleine Scheidegg. This year it was sold out again and even since February. So thousands of visitors travelled already early up into the mountains, in a good mood, wrapped into salopettes, thick winter jackets and snow boots. Even it was very windy and still quite cloudy, the mood on the tourist platform was very good. Of the majority anyway. But no surprise with this line up. On the programme of the sold out snow openair were Container 6, Pegasus, Patent Ochsner and die Fantastischen Vier.
Sascha Rufer announced as already in the last years this time again the bands and warned already from the beginning: If the wind was going to be too strong, the openair will be ended early. That’s why the area was so empty. No banners or flags, or others things that could fall or been blown away. The area was made storm proof. I was fighting the flue and not quite well on that day. What of course didn’t help at all with everything. But no way I’d miss the last Pegasus concert with Simon.
Container 6, a four member local band from Meiringen, opened this year’s Snowpenair around 11 am. The area was at this point still pretty empty, but they attracted the arriving audience with their “Mundie rock”, dialect indie rock, quickly. I didn’t like them much already last autumn at Deepdive Music Night. But still I arrived for concert start. The risk not to be up on the mountain by the start of the Pegasus concert, was too high. Ok, Container 6 do have some quite funny lyrics and could thrill and prepare for the day the majority with songs like “Nid allei” or “Besti Zyt”. For one song guest MC Juli came along and the hats they gave away to the audience during their concert, were very popular. But well, not so much mine.
The other bands I liked a lot better. Pegasus played second. They almost seemed not to make it. As they did post in the morning, that the tire of the car broke. So they first had to stop at the garage. Still they were standing on stage in time and started their last concert with Simon. Many fans had wished, that there was an own Pegasus concert. A proper goodbye party… Pegasus didn’t mention anymore on that day, that it was the last concert in this formation. But be it, is probably just a fan thing… fans just love their favourite bands, each single member of it. After all Pegasus had announced, that Simon was leaving. With some bands member are suddendly simply missing and replaced. It’s not that fans don’t understand, if someone’s leaving. If it’s not right anymore, then it’s not right anymore and you got to do, what’s right for you – not for the others.
Pegasus started their concert – the highest one, they ever played – again with “Digital Kids” and for the 1 hour show the usual festival setlist followed – “Raisae A Hand”, followed by the drum solo, “Man On Mars” or also the JRZ song “Streets Of My Hometown”. The five of them seemed to have fun. The hat that originally was worn by bass player Gabriel, was going around until each of them had been wearing it and did Pegasus ask the audience to jump during “Technology”, most of them did so. During “Easy” of course the band introduction followed again. A last time Noah could say: “… and the three of us grew up together on the same street…” and in future he needs a new joke for “Last Night On Earth”. No “Elle” anymore, where Simon sang the lead parts. “Rock’n’Roll Music”, that we loved so much on last tour, will be gone. His guitare solos and everything will be missed… The Snowpenair concert was simply to short for such a last concert. At the end some fans said goodbye with selfmade banners and presents for Simon. Who’s going to play instead of him in future, I at least don’t know yet. No clue, if they settled this already? The next known public concert is only in summer at Moon & Stars in Locarno after all.
Patent Ochsner, announced as Swiss cultural possesion, were the 3rd band to play on this day and of course have been awaited and celebrated by many. Before the concert started, my stomach grumbled and obviously the ones of everyone else too. The queues at the stand were huge. But it was clear that everyone is running to the food and drink stands right after a concert ended. With so many concert visitors it takes its time of course. I hoped I would be through til concert start, but I was still queuing a moment when it started. But at Snowpenair you easily can still get to the front. Front guy Büne Huber was telling his jokes and doing his dances as usually. Hits as “W. Nuss vo Bümpliz” and “Scharlachrot” of course couldn’t be missed, where as always everyone sang along to. At this point I wasn’t really in the mood for it, but still I liked this concert there better than the one last summer at Gurtenfestival. Songs like “Sunny Side Up” and “Ausklaar” from the new work “Finitolavoro” were part of it as well – ok, the guests from Gurtenfestival have been missed a little after all. And as an encore we got “Gummiboum”.
My personal favourite of that day were then die Fantastischen Vier though. The crew did everything to quickly change the stage for them, so they could start earier. The wind was going to be stronger later in the evening and so the organisers wanted to finish the event withough early ending. The four chatterboxes managed to finally cheer me up. Well, actually Smudo and Michi are the ones, who always know something to say. Thomas D is quite well going along, but Andy is more in the background. They were properly celebrated by their fans. Some had fan scarfes and merchandise with them. Chupachups came flying from the audience to Thomas D all the time. The quarted can look back on 25 years band history already and on this later afternoon there was barely any song on the setlist, that the general public didn’t know. To “Sie ist weg”, “Gebt uns ruhig die Schuld”, “MfG”, “Die da” and of course “Troy” the audience sang along word by word. They played hit after hit. During “Tag am Meer” the three of them sat down at the ende of the stage then and it became a bit more quite. But mostely they were wildly jumping and bouncing around on stage. Thomas D even took of his jacket quite soon and was running around in a sleevless shirt. In the middle of the concert, Michi found a Pegasus pick, mentioned that it had been the last concert with their guitarist player and gave it to the audience. After Pegasus were mentioned several times by them. The Fanta 4 concert wasn’t just loads of fun musically, but they could have talked away a lot longer. The concert was totally entertaining. At the end the audience asked for encores, but the band was already sitting on the snowgroomer waving goodbye. I think the audience was a little disappointed, but it didn’t last too long after such a concert day.
Slowely everyone went down direction valley again. Did I already think about leaving after the Pegasus concert, as I didn’t feel too well, I was glad that I stayed and held out. On the one side it was the ‘worst’ snowpenair I’ve been so far, on the otherside really good though. The programme, the audience and atmosphere was a lot better than the last time I’ve been (even I loved my first complete Ronan Keating concert totally). And concerning Pegasus, we simply got to wait and see, or so… and Simon, best wishes for the future!
Youtube-Playlists:
Container 6
Pegasus
Patent Ochsner
die Fantatischen Vier
more photos in Gallery
Official websites:
container6.ch
www.pegasustheband.com
www.patentochsner.ch
diefantastischenvier.de
