Opening of STROMGITARREN on July 30, 2004

YEAH - We did it - and we enjoyed it!

Berlin’s STROMGITARREN are now plugged in… and attracted a large fan base to the exhibition’s first appearance and reception in the lofty heights of the 5 th floor of the new building.

Once the Loebsack Five made their first sound check everything else was forgotten – the extensive relocation with eight trucks from Mannheim to Berlin, the stress of reconstruction in unique personal “Berlin style”, the compiling, filtering and forwarding of various pieces of information to the right places and, at times, the hectic bustle in the days before “magic Friday.” Everybody in the house breathed, more or less concealed, a sigh of relief- the message was clear: The stage was prepared, the equipment was working, the artists invited were eager to play- the guests could come!

And come they did: More than 700 people came to pay their respect to the star of the evening: the electric guitar. It was a colourful and pleasant crowd including friends of the museum, musicians, luthiers, collectors, music fans and journalists.
Coco Schumann, who was without doubt Berlin’s first e-guitarist, received an especially warm welcome.

The speakers’ introductory words were pleasantly short and very personal. Barbara Kisseler, state secretary for cultural affairs, outed herself as a Rolling Stones fan and Prof. Dr. Gerhard Selmayr, director of Mannheim’s Landesmuseum für Technik und Arbeit, talked about his first steps on the acoustic guitar.

The funky interludes of the Loebsack Five, a band from the “Hanns Eisler” University for Music, which was occasionally supported by the brilliant Kai Brückner as special guest entertained throughout the evening and at the same time gave an impression of the musical range of the evening’s instrument.

Die Hanns-Eisler-Hochschule gets a high quality Gibson ES 137. V.l.: Rob Bekenkamp, Gibson, Gert Müller, Hochschule, Joseph Hoppe, Kurator (GDTM)

Loebsack Five with Special Guest Kai Brückner

Highlight of the evening: full moon over Berlin- Kreuzberg

 
Thus, the special part of the evening suited the program harmonically: The exhibition’s main sponsor handed over a Gibson ES 137 to the”Hanns Eisler” University of Music. The uncomplicated and friendly appearance of Dutch representative Rob Bekenkamp was further proof: Music knows no borders!

Guitarist “Space Martin Pfeffer” from Berlin created a wonderful atmosphere in the constantly overcrowded exhibition; He gained many new fans on this evening.

It was a successful event in different keys- the pictures speak for themselves! Everything worked out great: the weather, the musicians, the equipment, the guests… and Director Prof. Dr. Dirk Böndel who kindly postponed the end of the event twice! The full moon was still shining on the terraces of the DTMB when the last guests left- at one o’clock in the night.