Nina Hagen Shrine

Short interview on 16vor.de.

Die Mutter des Punk und der Gottvater – 16vor.de (Aug 30)
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Translation into English via Google:

The mother of punk and the godfather

The performance of Nina Hagen on Saturday in the Imperial Baths split the audience. Most of the nearly 600 audience celebrated the exalted, eccentric artist, and some did, however, more or less loudly made known their displeasure with the program. It is noted that Nina Hagen is not unusual. She put only her new album “Personal Jesus before.” Apparently some visitors did not want her to interpret traditional music and country music, gospel and blues classics.

After almost half of the concert says a gentleman in the audience to his neighbor: “I don’t know one singe song.” This is remarkable in that the listener’s oeuvre Nina Hagen’s little to be familiar with not only seems, but with pop- Music in general. Because at that time, the singer, who also Lackleggins take 55 can not, including “Personal Jesus” by Depeche Mode, “Riders on the Storm” by “The Doors” and her own plays “Checkmate” and “What it is “sung. The visitor knows, but apparently only “I glotz TV” (O-Ton). “TV Glotzer”, as Nina Hagen’s probably the most popular number is correct, is applied on the set list, but two (!) Flanked by parentheses. Played the title that night but not.

Nina Hagen is especially her new book “Personal Jesus” before “on which she as a concept album implements what is already since set to music,” Our Father “on her early in UFO-phase resulting CD,” Nina in Ecstasy “(1985 ) has suggested isolated: You sings of God and his son reinterpreted traditional music and gospel music. After excursions into esoteric spiritualism and Indian mysticism operates the “wonderful unspun Cross Culture-avant-garde space spinner” (Frankfurter Rundschau) since her baptism in the past year increased missionary work for Christ. The program sounds very much like some African-American church service, which does not meet everyone’s taste. “If they now once again ‘Oh Lord’ singing, I start to scream,” an angry young man threatens the beer stand.

So far it does not come. However, after taking half a dozen pieces of noise in the audience during the gospels “Help me” (including Elvis Presley) and “Mean Old World to” significantly. Some are beginning to talk loudly, others begin to blaspheme. This is not only rude to the artist, but also to viewers who want to pursue undisturbed the concert. And after all, to keep the faces goddess of the adjective “shrill clings” like Günther Jauch, the son-in-image between the pieces back to the announcing with their “naive” or friendly circumscribed world view.

The program also includes political songs such as Wolf Biermann’s “Soldier, Soldier” and the country song “All You Fascists Bound to Lose” by Woody Guthrie.Highlights include the rousing, very emotional version of “Hava Nagila”, which could soften the hearts of Hamas leaders, if they for Hebrew understood, Nina Hagen’s moving to music Fontane’s ballad “The tragedy of Afghanistan” and the punky encore number “My Way “with which they reconciled maybe one or two malcontents wanted to hear the old songs from her.

Of course, one would have instead of so many gospel or Blue title rather good personal things like “Erfurt & Gera,” “Animals” and “Sunday Morning” is desired. But even if a few songs by other musicians have been covered better, it prepares every pleasure, her stunning, a huge range comprehensive voice – on the admittedly their cigarette consumption has left its mark to hear -. Especially when they interpreted as the pieces at the concert with a greater seriousness and used her rolling R’s and the little girl’s characteristic style sparingly.

It is evidence not of great professionalism, that she several times to early starts with the singing or constantly read on a teleprompter its text must, but finally it is in spite of all the musical experiments also with 55 still what it always was: a punk.