Whom we thank

For six years now, we have been lucky enough to always have loads of amazing volunteers helping us, who were on the scene with fun, joy and drive. Also this year, there have been nearly 100 valiant, voluntary helpers. To them as well as to the helpers of the previous years, we direct our warmest THANKS - there would be no festival without you!

 

Special thanks also go to the fire fighters of Amaliendorf, the mayor of Amaliendorf, Karl Prohaska, to the Woodquarterian Blues legend Zappa, to the municipality of Amaliendorf in general, and to all our friends, who have been aiding us incessantly.

 

In the sixth year, 2012, we have tried, for the second time (the first time was in 2011), to stand on our own feet without applying for funding from any cultural institutions. The main reason was that we wanted to be able to save up some money (that is not possible in most cases if one is funded), in case there should be a bad year again. That we were not allowed to have savings from earlier years proved to be nearly our end in 2009 when the storms came down on us. Another important reason for us is that we like to see how much one can still manage in this world if one bases everything on pure idealism.

 

And it worked. It did work because of the valiant help of all the bands that performed in 2011 and 2012. They have joined in the financial risk and in the worst case they would have left the festival with no money but what they needed to travel there and back again. Thankfully that did not happen, and we have been able to pay a fair amount to every musician in 2011 and 2012. Everything worked out thanks to all those who participated in the festival despite a few clouds that past us by anyway. One could say that the festivals of the years 2011 and 2012 were a joint effort of the folk-music scene of Austria, and each paying guest, each volunteer, and each musician did their part - to all of you our sincerest thanks!!

 

Nevertheless, we want to thank those funding agencies that provided us with the means to find a good start during the last years. Especially we owe thanks to the Viertelfestival - Waldviertel 2006 and to Willi Lehner from the Kulturvernetzung Niederösterreich - without their aid we might not even have started all of this. For the second, third and fourth year of the festival, we want to thank Kultur Niederösterreich and Hofrat Mag. Andreas Lebschik.

 

Last but most important we send a tremendous, barking-madly-felt thanks to all the wonderful audience, who, from the very first moment, have made the festival unique.

About the Wackelsteinfestival

After the successful comeback in 2011 after a one-year break in 2010, we continued in 2012 with the sixth Wackelsteinfestival - the same if not even better than the years before. Once again, we all rocked until the stones were singing.

 

This year as well as last year we were especially happy that everything worked out. As I mentioned above, we did it without the help of any local or government funding. Despite the bad weather forecast and sometimes even really bad weather many of you came, and because of that there will be a Wackelsteinfestival 2013. We want to apologize once more that in 2010 we did not have the time necessary to organize the festival. Children, studies and long-term stays overseas all made it difficult for us. But in the end, we simply could not let go, and 2011 and 2012 turned out to become the best festivals we had so far in terms of music, spirit and mood.

 

By now we can already say quite a bit about the history of the festival. The story how everything began has, of course, stayed the same. In the summer of 2005 Madeleine Kufner and Paul Danlgl came up with the idea to organize our own festival. In Andras Neumeister, Alexander Würrer and me (Rainer Kaltenbaek) they found friends that were more than willing to join them in order to let the idea become reality. From the start, the festival has been meant to be idealistic - it is not about money or fame but simply about having a good time with excellent music, to support the Austrian music scene, and to show everybody how much one can achieve with a little energy and a large portion of idealism.

 

Soon after that, we came together for the first time and started out to let our dream come true. We talked, laughed, smoked and drank a lot. Out of all the ideas and (many) pipe dreams finally something emerged that you now know as the Wackelsteinfestival.

 

It was the most wonderful, satisfying and surprising experience when we found that the first festival became an immediate success. So much that, at least on the first day, it took our breath away and we could not do much more than stand there (when we had the time ;-)) with round eyes and stare in naked wonder. Well, we found it hard then to say how overwhelming the feeling was - we still do, and we still have that very same feeling each year.

 

It seemed surreal what was happening and therefore even more wonderful that the following years did not rank behind the first. Even more lovely people came, that many more, in fact, that all our planing was put to the test for over and over again. The first two years both times we nearly ran out of beer - just in time the additional delivery arrived - guests just sprang up to help us carrying the barrels - right through the dancers, who let us through in midstep smiling. The third time we had acquired enough beer - but that might be just because the weather was not quite as hot as during the first two years because, in fact, the onrush of guests to the festival once more surpassed our expectations by far.

 

There's much, much more to be written about but it's the experience that counts, and you best get that first hand - or you can have a look at our photos.

About us

In 2011 and 2012, a core of four people has formed who actively continue to organize the Wackelsteinfestival - of course, we do so with a lot of support from friends, musicians, volunteers, sponsors, and, last but not least, festival audience. However, somebody has to carry the cross of responsibility and to put money on the table if things go wrong. In the following, you'll learn a bit more about us four gals and guys who are having fun in realizing and organizing the Wackelsteinfestival.

Madeleine Kufner Actually, Madeleine is the one of us who really knows how to organize things. Without her talent for organization we would still be drinking beer while talking about a festival. She is a good mixture of a realist and a dreamer. Madeleine gave us both: imaginative impulses but also one or the other slight shove from phantasm into reality.

Lisa Dörre

Here, I'm still waiting for a nice photograph. Lisa joined our small group in 2012, and since then she has been a strong pillar of support. Madeleine is happy for no longer being the only woman in our group, and all of us are happy about the young and fresh breeze Lisa brought with her. Lisa has been working at our wine bar since the very first festival, and in 2012 she experienced for the first time what's going on behind the curtain. Apart from chronical lack of sleep things seem to be not too bad because, up to now, thankfully no automatic flight reflex has manifested itself.

Andreas Neumeister a rock poet with a passionate heart and a sharp mind - the strong voice in our pack, be it to the out- or the inside. Like Pauli he was also born for the stage, and the Wackelsteinfestival is his detour to the other side of the looking glass. You are free to choose (more or less figuratively) whether you want to join him to roam through the night, to steal a horse or to play a game of chess while discussing medieval history. I suggest a mixture of all these things.

Rainer Kaltenbaek when somebody writes about himself there is always the danger that he over- or undervalues himself - therefore, I will leave it at a rather general characterization of myself, which fits to the photograph:   Thou shalt not separate me from my cigarette.

Former members

Over the years, there were several people in our small organizing society (Duine de Dan) - some have joined, some have left to continue on with other things.

Paul Dangl The Wackelsteinfestival was Pauli's and Madeleine's idea. Pauli is a great musician himself (violin) and has been on stage at many a festival. The Wackelsteinfestival was his journey to the other side - to contribute to the music scene in Austria not as a musician but as the organizer of a music festival.

Klara Schiffermüller In the third year our team again became a bit larger. After Klara has already been helping us with know-how, thought and deed during the first two years we were happy to finally be able to count her fairly and squarely to our bonny lot in the time of the third and the fourth festival. We were again enriched a bit in joy and sense for music.

Michael Reiter One of the moments, which the sun usually chooses to rise, is when Michi enters the room. Its so seldom to see him without at least the hint of a smile on his lips that I sometimes hard to remember his face without it. Apart from the fresh breeze and a basket full of ideas, which he has brought into our group, he is a graphics designer, artist and photographer, who has designed all the folders and posters for the festival (well, unfortunately he had no influence on the poster for 2006). Since January 2007 (from the point of view of Austrian law) he finally has been a member of our gang.

Alexander "James" Würrer finally, after a long time in Vienna James managed to flee the maelstrom of the city and to move his life back into the Woodquarter, where he endeavors to realize his dreams. While Pauli, Michi and me are also from the Woodquarter, James is the one with the most direct connection to this wonderful piece of land, where our roots go deep. Together with Zappa he came up with the idea for the festival to take place around the Wackelstein of Amaliendorf.