A SHORT CHAT WITH PAUL HUBWEBER

The Yellow Snow Crystals perform the music of Frank Zappa in their own particular way. They do it in German, they're not afraid of improvising, and they're great fun to watch.
Last year, these guys played at Zappanale, but due to bad weather conditions, their concert got postponed and they had to perform while other bands were performing on the main stage.
I was glad to hear that they got another opportunity to play in Bad Doberan this year. Here's a short chat with Paul Hubweber.


UniMuta : Hello Paul, how are the Yellow Snow Crystals doing?

Paul Hubweber : We are trying lots of new ideas. Also, there is the amazing Werner Huppertz who help us a lot with the website http://www.the-yellow-snow-crystals.de/ and other things.

UniMuta : And how are you feeling about your return to Zappanale?

Paul Hubweber : Great. We arranged two special pieces for Bad Doberan, the location, the festival and the audience there. Get your shoes and socks on people. It's right around the corner !

UniMuta : I noticed that you have an extra vocalist in the band? Does this mean that you are changing the repertoire?

Paul Hubweber : We will be there with 7 musicians which means that we bring along a small choir. Some of the songs are new, othes the same in new arrangements.

UniMuta : You're doing a short tour : Aachen, Bremen, Zappanale & Berlin. Four concerts in five days.

Is it hard to find gigs playing the music of Frank Zappa? Do you have other concerts scheduled in the near future?

Paul Hubweber : Well, as you might know, it's a strange situation when you are not part of the mainstream. To be a freelance musician is an adventure, anyway. But for what we are born but this ?

UniMuta : I really like the YSC combination of jazz, improvisation and Zappa. Besides Zappa, who are you musically inspired by?

Paul Hubweber : Maybe it's easier to answer by what i am not inspired ?.... :-).

Bach, Beethoven, Beatles, john Butcher, Paul Lovens, Dirty Loops, (early) Rolling Stones, Hendrix, Cage, Stockhausen, Kowald, John P.Edwards, Evan Parker, Kinks, The Troggs, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Robert Fripp, Robert Wyatt, Living Colour, Stevie Vai, Charles Mingus, Monk, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Ellington, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Brotherhood Of Breath, Steve Lacy, Roswell Rudd, Albert Mangelsdorff, Paul Rutherford, Archie Shepp, Hans Reichel, Paul Lytton, John Surman, John Peel, Serious Solid Swineheart Is Better Then Homecooked, Georg Wolf, Tom Waits, Hainer Wörmann, Ulrich Phillipp, Claus Van Bebber, DJ Sniff, Gentle Giant, Peter Hammill, Ilse Lau, Pablo Casalls, Julie Tippetts, Material, Maggie Nicols, Phil Minton, Peter Eisold, Jaap Blonk, Joscha Oetz, Radu Malfatti,...
Do you want me to continue....?  :-)

UniMuta : Well, there are a lot of names in there that I've never heard of, so I will have to investigate these. But first, I'm going to Zappanale to catch The Yellow Snow Crystals.
Thank you & see you very soon.

The Yellow Snow Crystals will be performing at Zappanale on Wednseday, August 1, 2012.

29.7 - 16h, D- 52076 Aachen - Kornelimünster, Napoleonsberg 104, ALTE BRAUEREI:

31.7. BREMEN  Paradiso

 1.8. ZAPPANALE Festival Bad Doberan 

 2.8. BERLIN  Bflat