BACKNANG. “Sold out” is one of his “favorite German words,” reveals Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist Jaimi Faulkner with a charming accent and a wink after finishing his first song.
And indeed, every seat is taken on Friday evening at the Bandhaus in Backnang, making the event a complete success, not only in this respect. Together with Eric Koslosky on bass and Bernhard Pricha on drums, Jaimi Faulkner takes the audience on a two-and-a-half-hour musical journey through blues and soul, captivating them with his expressive and charismatic voice, incredible dexterity, and great talent for improvisation on the guitar.
The three men are the perfect guests for a very special occasion.
Exactly 20 years ago, the Kulturgut association was founded, which is now anchored in the community foundation as a cultural project. It is also the first concert that the cultural project has been able to present in cooperation with the Bandhaus Theater at this wonderful venue with its enchanting vaulted cellar atmosphere. “We were so excited to see how it would go,” says project manager Bastian Burr, delighted: “And it sold out right away” — there it is again, that magic word.
Catchy rhythms and good vibes
Eight years ago, the former Kulturgut association organized a concert with Jaimi Faulkner at Hofgut Hagenbach. Apparently, the likeable artist, who has been living in Germany for 15 years, had already gained a loyal fan base in Backnang at that time. During the intermission, some music lovers took the opportunity to chat with him and immediately several to purchase recordings. “Who knows when he'll come back to Backnang,” says one enthusiastic visitor.
As soon as the trio takes the stage and begins the first piece, the bluesy rhythm immediately gets into your blood. Here, feet tap to the beat; there, heads sway. The musicians are clearly enjoying themselves too: when there's no singing, satisfied smiles keep flitting across their faces.
“Backnang! How are you doing tonight?” shouts Jaimi Faulkner. He constantly seeks contact with his audience. His mix of German and English – sometimes both in one sentence.
He tells little background stories about individual songs, such as "Sunrise over Water," which was written shortly before the birth of his daughter. At the time, he was preoccupied with what it would be like to be a father.
Eighth album recently released
And then the audience is asked to actively participate. Because actually, a gospel choir is needed here: “Would you be my gospel choir, Backnang?” What a question! “All I want to give is love” is sung in three parts throughout. The 43-year-old seems satisfied: “Next time, I'll save the gospel choir costs and drive straight to Backnang,” he explains. “Free beer!” someone in the audience demands.
Faulkner's latest album, “Half of it,” was released just three weeks ago, the eighth album in his 20-year musical career. It features not only beautiful, calm, and catchy songs, but also instrumental tracks he wrote for it, such as “The Garden,” a short, dreamy piece for guitar only. For two pieces during the concert, he swaps his favorite instrument for a piano, which, in his own words, he only discovered for himself two years ago.
The evening passes far too quickly. Faulkner seems to sense this too, as he remarks:
"Life is hard—only one more song on the set list." He thanks the audience for not choosing the comfort of their couches that evening: “It's right that you're here.” And he is happy about the time spent together: “We experienced all of this together.”
Jai-mi Faulkner repeatedly expresses his fondness for the German language:
"There are so many funny words in German: Doppelhaushälfte (semi-detached house)," he says, winning laughter from the audience.
However, he has not yet dedicated a song to this expression. There are still more concerts to come. “I only play in cities with really cool names,” he jokes. “Backnang. Dachau. Pfaffenhofen.”
There is loud applause for the three artists on stage; the audience doesn't want to let them go, so they play an encore. At the end, the audience sings along again, and the last song is “Such is life” from Faulkner's new album.
Is the impression deceptive? It almost seems as if Jaimi Faulkner himself is a little moved by the enthusiasm shown to him this evening.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
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