30 years ago, 80,000 fans celebrated Tina Turner and Joe Cocker in Lüneburg. Norman Raap remembers a festival in constant rain.
From a musical point of view, the people of Hamburg were not exactly spoiled 30 years ago. Anyone who wanted to see world stars like Prince, Joe Cocker, Tina Turner or Rod Stewart live on stage had a bad hand in both senses of the word.
The “Alsterdorfer” sports hall (Winterhude) with a maximum of 7,000 visitors and miserable acoustics wasn’t much fun even back then; today’s Barclaycard Arena has only been around since 2002. And open air? Apart from the city park, only the Volksparkstadion was good for large concerts after the Millerntor was declared a live music-calmed zone because of the two loud Prince concerts in 1988. The discovery of the trotting track as a mass-compatible venue for rock and pop was also a long time coming.
An open-air festival that would go down in history as the “German Woodstock” and “Europe's largest music spectacle” came at just the right time: “Rock over Germany”, a kind of traveling circus of the most famous pop and rock musicians of the time, set up shop in Lüneburg just behind Hamburg.
For three days on the first weekend in September 1993, 80,000 fans celebrated an almost unprecedented concert marathon at the district town's airfield. Many of them stayed in one of the 15,000 tents and caravans around the festival site.
Prince wanted a moat in front of the stage
But the campsites couldn't withstand the constant drizzle for long. That's why farmers had to repeatedly pull mobile homes out of the mud with their tractors - for 20 German marks each. The beginning was also difficult for home sleepers and arriving day guests: While some were already celebrating in front of the huge double stage, other visitors were still stuck in the mega traffic jam between Hamburg and Lüneburg - or spent hours looking for a parking space on the outskirts of the city and missed the highlights of the first evening.
As a result, the seat was only half full when Prince intoned "Purple Rain" on Friday night, befitting the cold, wet weather. Behind the stage, 120 helpers took care of the US star's personal well-being, three of them were only responsible for the musician's towel inventory.
No one but his closest confidants was allowed to speak to Prince, including his band members, insiders revealed. Even more: Prince is said to have even asked the organizers for a moat in front of the stage to be protected from the fans. The compromise: a second "stage ditch" made of additional barriers.
Enter Foreigner and Joe Cocker
The visitors, in turn, protected themselves from the water that came down from above with colorful rain capes and transparent plastic tarpaulins and enjoyed a high-class program on the second day as well. After Foreigner ("I Want To Know What Love Is") and OMD ("Maid of Orleans"), Peter Maffay finally let the "sun in the night" rise over Lüneburg.
Joe Cocker had to go straight from the limousine onto the stage
Pop bard Chris de Burgh (“Lady In Red”) then seemed out of place against the frenetically celebrated German rocker. Maybe it was also the pouring rain that even his biggest sing-along hits that evening just didn't work. During Chris de Burgh's performance, there was even a kind of "counter-concert" at a beer stand: around 100 visitors danced the polonaise to the music of Hans Albers - from a 1000-watt system.
Like many spectators, world star Joe Cocker (“Up Where We Belong”) arrived late. He had to go straight from the limousine onto the stage so as not to endanger the schedule. On the last day, he and Tina Turner warmed up the crowds at the airfield.
Tina Turner twirled like a pop goddess across the floor
Tens of thousands danced along enthusiastically as the then 53-year-old American (“What’s Love Got To Do With It”) twirled across the dance floor in black leather, fit like a young pop goddess. The singer had a bar set up on stage to serve 20 guests, including pop star Jon Secada (“Just Another Day”), with wine and water during the concert.
70 fans fainted in front of Rod Stewart
Behind the stage, Tina Turner “lived in” four containers and a 40 square meter tent that she took over from Prince after his departure on Friday evening. The other artists ate in the large catering tent. The buffet included lamb chops, turkey steak and wine gums.
Rod Stewart crowned the festival with a “best of” of his hits – and sent his audience home happy with “I am sailing”. Judging by the weather - clear to cloudy, but finally dry - and the number of sparkling sparklers (estimated at 100,000), it was a happy ending for most visitors.
But not all fans went well in front of the stage: 70 visitors fainted at Rod Stewart alone. A total of 700 spectators had to be treated by paramedics on all three days. 48 visitors were taken to hospital - most with sprains or alcohol poisoning.
Drink prices were already high back then
Other fans complained about the footpaths from the parking lots to the festival site being too long and poorly signposted, as well as too much rubbish from thrown away disposable cups and dirty toilets. But many also praised the “unique, exuberant atmosphere” on the site.
Strange from today's perspective: Apart from the entry fee, which was already cheap back then - only 73 D-Marks (37 euros) for three days - the other prices at the festival seemed rather high 25 years ago. A beer for 4.50 Deutschmarks (2.30 euros), a glass of wine or a hot dog for 5 Deutschmarks (2.56 euros) each. Even the (only cold) shower on the campsite should cost two D-Marks ... It doesn't matter. The main thing was that the music was good and the sound was right. "Unfortunately, the sound left a lot to be desired", wrote the Abendblatt, above all "near the stage the acoustics are bad". Oh! As I said, the people of Hamburg weren't exactly spoiled back then.