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DER TRANSFORMER

DUB BAND

 

Live in London

 

 

The Reggae-Dub-Band from Luzern brings Gaz's Rockin' Blues to rock. The legendary thursday night at St. Moritz Club in London's Soho. Gaz Mayall the charismatique Trojan presents for years and years to the real Ska/Reggae-Fans from around the world the best allover. August 24th 2000 is a memorable day in history. Presented as "Switzerland's Number One Reggae Band" DER TRANSFORMER roll over London and rocks the club aroun' with heavy dub soun'.

gaz flyer

 

Thursday morning Simon Gut meets René Hiob Frey at Café Arlecchino. Bassman and Drummer plays together since 1992. A duo like the Barrett brothers or Sly & Robbie. Ready to leave Luzern for London.Ras Claude joins em up.

First news of the day: Oliver (Keyboarder) has left Luzern by train earlier this morning. He's affraid of travelling by airplane. The next day we're reading in the newspaper: "Thursday morning airplane crash, hundreds of deads". It's not our flight, lucky TRANSFORMation.

At Luzern station we join up with Fabian Weibel.

london heathrowLondon Heathrow thursday after noon (pic: Job Frey)

Simon, Ras Claude, Fabian

Bandleader and Guitarrist Christoph Nonsi Schnurrenberger is already in London. He's hustling for the backline, running through the city, it's a pity. The Top Cats helped finding a provider. The presence in town seams to be very important. A big advantage for the rest of the band.

Maestro Gino Mastroianni picks up the whole of us at his house. The 6 of us comes together that sunny afternoon.

gino garden

left to right: Gino,Fabian,Simon,Ras Claude,Oliver (pic. Job Frey)

London welcomes DER TRANSFORMER warm and nice. Special indian food full up the stomache and paints Nonsi's and Oliver's hands red. Then the band walks from Leicester Square to St. Moritz club to get into the catacombs. The entrance is small. What big surprise to hear Swiss language talking. Vesna good friend from Switzerland sits there and believe me: she didn't know we're coming to play. She went to London for the Nothing Hill Carnival, came extra thursday night to meet Gaz Rockin' Blues. Special surprise their friends from home are going to play.

First other problems have to be done. How to place the drum set on stage. It's a very little stage. The Ampeg, the drum, it's full! Simon must push the Amp to get to his drum. Can't imagine that Laurel Aitken, Prince Buster and numberless other Ska legends played there. Beside the Ska night I heard there are bands playing like: Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, Marillion or even Nirvana (is this all true?).

The dancefloor is reserved for the wildest and wickest dancer. Not more than a hundred? Soundcheck? Forget it. It's already D.J. time. Old and even older records turn the table and bring some people to dance. Another legendary jam is creasing along.

The selection drives along the 50's and 60's. A mixture of Rhythm `n` Blues and Ska-Rocksteady drives along. Not many people comes that early.

Gaz Mayall presents DER TRANSFORMER from Switcherland at St. Moritz, Soho

gaz mayall introductionGaz Mayall & Hiob Frey (pic. Ras C)

At 1.30 am it's Luzern time at Gaz's Rockin' Blues. DER TRANSFORMER is transforming London. "Drum Song" is running through heavy vains.

The programm goes on. No words. Just sound and power. Dub. Strictly for you. Wicked. London is amazed. No programmed computers, just 4 musicians, basics in it's own rights. A technique that is a surprise by running. Max Romeo's "Chase The Devil" rocks the club real hot. The party is at his highest level. The dancefloor rocks. DER TRANSFORMER rocks.

Then Ras Claude arrives with his flute and a performance on Herbie Mann's tune "Memphis Underground". c plays undergroundRas Claude with DER TRANSFORMER (pic. nilsa espin)

No effects are possible. Even Oliver's LapTop gives up, game over. Only hand-made music is around.

Oliver can't listen to his playing.

The dance is hot and sweet

everybody rocks the steady beat.

fabian melodicaFabian on Eva Belloli's melodica (pic. Ras C)

 

Fabian the Dubmaster mix up the audience in fresh style on the melodica Dub "Transform E Dub" and "Some like it Dub".

Nonsi more than 24 hours running around, picking up telephones, dealing, constructing, talking, searching, and on and on. No surprise he's not into the sound too much. The crowd can't feel it, but he's feeling it. He's maybe tired?

Not everything is perfect. Sometimes the show was on it was quite dangerous to loose the crowd. But no. No worry. Them dance and wine on and on. The first swiss band at Gaz's Rockin' and shockin' blues survived the trip to the mekka of sounds.

special guest:

Duke. Selector for over 50 years.

Rudy Jones. Saxophonist for THE TROJANS.

At the end, there was the party for all of us. Till 4am everybody was wine and grind. Wonderful place, great atmosphere. Million thanx to the one and only GAZ MAYALL.

Rockin' Blues Party. !nonsi vesna danceNonsi&Vesna in the dance aftershow (pic Hiob)

The drop to London is done great. The chain of good luck is still holding us together. At least it wasn't easy to leave London that Friday. Nonsi & Simon missed the plane for just a few minutes. Oliver took the train again. And when Nonsi & Simon get another airplane the next day. There was smoke in the cabine (maybe a holy smoke?) End good - Simon Gut - everything god.

Yours skacerly

C-lector C
rootsconnection

 

Songs included:

Drum song (Jackie Mittoo-Coxsone Dodd/DER TRANSFORMER)

Man next door (John Holt/DER TRANSFORMER)

School (Cedrick Brooks-Coxsone Dodd/DER TRANSFORMER)

Chase The Devil (Max Romeo-Lee Perry/DER TRANSFORMER)

Memphis Underground (Herbie Mann/DER TRANSFORMER/Ras Claude)

Some Like It Hot (Dennis Brown/DER TRANSFORMER)

Millenium Dub (Lindval Thompson-Bunny Lee/DER TRANSFORMER)

Dub # 7 (DER TRANSFORMER)

Transforme E Dub (DER TRANSFORMER)

Some like it Dub (Dennis Brown / DER TRANSFORMER)

Punnany (Ansell Collins - Winston Riley/DER TRANSFORMER)

 

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