Rockpalast is a music show that has been airing on German TV since 1974. Actually the series started in West Germany long before the wall came down and unification. What makes Rockpalast special is that instead of a band coming into a TV studio to play a few songs, the show captures an entire concert with a large crowd. Besides a lot of rock concerts broadcasted around the country, the series featured performers of various genres of music. Dr. John – Live At Rockpalast 1999 captures an evening with the legend of the New Orleans sound.
Dr. John (1941-2019) was born Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. in New Orleans. He lived a distinctly Crescent City lifestyle as both a musician and criminal. He had to stop playing guitar when his finger got injured in a gun incident. This led to him playing piano. While he was playing with bands around the area, he dealt narcotics and ran a brothel. He was embodiment of the French Quarter. After getting out of prison, he split for Los Angeles to become a popular studio musician who worked on records by Sonny & Cher and Frank Zappa. Eventually he adopted the persona of Dr. John and became a solo sensation. He brought New Orleans to vinyl. His hit single “Right Place, Wrong Time” had The Meters backing him and Allen Toussaint producing. Eventually he’d star in the greatest episode of SCTV when Dr. John sang and acted in Johnny LaRue’s masterpiece “Polynesian Town.”
Most importantly was that Dr. John brought a bit of New Orleans with him when he toured around the world. Didn’t matter what time of the year it was, when he strolled onto the stage and sat at his piano, it was Mardi Gras to the audience. Thus it was a day of beads and gumbo for the crowd at the Open-Air Theater Loreley, St. Goarshausen, Germany on July 9, 1999. His band for the show consisted of bassist David Barard, guitarist Bobby Broom, and drummer Herman “Roscoe” Ernest. The four of them create a great groove for the audience to dance along with. They come out with “Iko Iko” which always feels like New Orleans’ theme song. They also play the two songs that were Dr. John’s radio hits around here: “Right Place, Wrong Time” and “Such A Night.” Towards the end the crowd gets into “Goin’ Back To New Orleans” which seems so natural after an hour of Dr. John’s music putting you into a French Quarter mind space. The finale is a nearly 11 minute version of “Big Chief” that will make you look up the nearest place serving red beans and rice.
Dr. John – Live At Rockpalast 1999 lets us truly enjoy the magic of this voodoo ambassador on stage. You get the full effect of what it was like when Dr. John arrived in your town to transform the venue to a part of New Orleans.
Track Listing
- Iko Iko
- Qualified
- I Walk On Guilded Splinters
- Soulful Warrior
- I’m Gonna Go Fishin’
- Sweet Home New Orleans
- Right Place, Wrong Time
- Such A Night
- Goin’ Back To New Orleans
- Mama Roux
- Big Chief
The Video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfer looks good for standard definition TV. There’s a lot of purple on stage to get you in the New Orleans mood. The Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. There’s also a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix to give a more concert feel to the room.
Compact Disc of the music from the show. Perfect for playing in your car on the way to your favorite gumbo restaurant.
Illustrated Booklet with information about the show and Dr. John.
MIG presents Dr. John – Live At Rockpalast 1999. Directed by Gerd. F. Schultze. Starring Dr. John. David Barard, Bobby Broom, and Herman “Roscoe” Ernest. Running Time: 75 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: April 10, 2026.
