Peter O. Bischoff - Anecdotes from Backstage

David Bowie and Iggy Pop backstage at the Zappa-Concert

I took this photograph with my small agency camera: Berlinnewcomers Iggy and Bowie backstage. They were all standing outside Zappa’s room after the show: the press, friends, Bowie and Iggy - all waiting to be invited into the Promised Land. A moment later, John Smuthers (Zappa’s skinhead bodyguard) peered through the door and waved Iggy inside. Bowie was clearly very disappointed. I’m not sure, but that could have been influential in Bowie’s decision to poach Zappa’s extraordinary guitarist Adrian Belew for his next major tour. Belew and Bowie later drove to a restaurant (Exil) to discuss everything and bumped into Zappa who was already eating there.

Bowie wanted to explain but Zappa only said „Fuck you captain Tom!“ As they left the Exil Bowie said to Belew „that went really well, didn’t it?“

John Smuthers had torn a strip off someone during the gig because he wasn’t displaying his backstage pass properly. To demonstrate how it should be done, he pointed at me: I had stuck mine on my jeans, thigh-high. Very easy to see, very professional. I must admit, I did walk that little bit taller after the compliment.

We picked up Zappa at the airport and I used the opportunity to get an autograph. He was the first through the gate, a glossy magazine open in his left hand, his hand luggage in his right. The rest of the band followed on behind him. Then it was off to the hotel - Sarah and I up front in my VW, Zappa and the band following us in a minibus.

Frank Zappa 1978

For everyone involved - and those not involved as well - soundchecks can be teeth-grindingly dull and annoying. But there are exceptions. They had already opened the Deutschlandhalle to the public by the time the band came out for the soundcheck - it was getting on and the crowd was desperate for the show to start. The place was packed when a familiar voice rang out: “Welcome to the Mothers Of Invention Soundcheck.” They left the stage about 20 mins later and returned to start the show at 8 pm, on the button.

Lust For Life (Iggy Pop)

I didn’t have to wait long for my next major concert experience. When Iggy Pop played at the HDK, I found myself standing beside Jäki (pic), Berlin’s Lord Mayor of Punk, and had a ringside seat when he suddenly sank his teeth into Iggy’s leg because he was enjoying the show so much.

I met - a more disciplined - Jäki Eldorado (Jochen Hildisch) in Hamburg some years later in his capacity as tour manager for various bands (including Die Toten Hosen and Robbie Williams).

I shot some photos of Iggy and his band - paparazzi style - as they arrived at their practice room and, as usual, got a friend of mine to develop them. Unfortunately, they disappeared - as did a lot of Bowie photos.

Iggy Pop – Hochschule der Künste Berlin

Somehow, I managed to scrape through my commercial training at Herlitz and spent a further six months completing my placement before submitting to the urge to do something different with my life. As well as playing in my band, I transported perfume around Berlin and listened to a lot of music on AFN (American Forces Network). The US radio station played loads of pop and soul - and it helped improve my English enormously. Reading Melody Maker and the New Musical Express also broadened my knowledge of music and the music business. Soon, I was being referred to as a walking rock encyclopedia.

My fellow band member Uli called one day and said he had an interesting job for me. Fela Kuti and Ginger Baker were supposed to be playing together that evening at the Berliner Philharmonie. A press conference had been called for the afternoon in Joe’s Bierhaus - and would I like to take some photos?

Fela Kuti

The Nigerian Afrobeat superstar arrived with an enormous entourage including - I estimated - 27 wives, lots of children and any number of other relatives. Ginger turned up on his own - but almost didn’t turn up at all. He performed that evening, but not with Fela as had been announced. There had been some kind of argument so Ginger played a long solo spot before Fela and his band took the stage. I shot photos of both Ginger’s support slot and Fela, his band and their numerous dancers later on.

I booked Ginger to play with his new band Energy at the Fabrik in Hamburg in the 80s. After an hour, he and the band left the stage and waited patiently backstage for the audience to call for more. But nothing happened. People went to the bar and bought more beer and waited. It took a while for it to dawn on us - and explain to Ginger - that the audience thought he’d simply taken a break. So, thirty minutes after leaving the stage, Ginger and his band came back on and “continued” the concert.

Suddenly, the police turned up because a number of neighbours had phoned to complain about the noise. Somehow, I managed to convince the police not to close the place down - and nobody in the audience ever knew just how lucky they were to be able to enjoy the “second half” of the show.

Enjoying live music remained an important part of my life - even though I was often too broke to be able to afford tickets, when Led Zeppelin came to town, for example. At various concerts, I tried to get in backstage for free.

Ginger Baker – Berlin Philharmonie 1978

Once when I was hanging around the backstage entrance to the Deutschlandhalle in Berlin - broke but not broken - a guy asked me for a job. When I asked him why me, he said it was because I looked responsible “for something”. At that point, I had no idea a shining career as concert organiser awaited me in Hamburg.

Don’t Be Cruel (Elvis)

I helped out in Peter Jahnel’s music store, either selling or stocking shelves. I had a VW bully so I got sent on errands to Metro wholesalers or the Post Office. At one point, we played host to a product presentation for a company which made guitar amplifiers - featuring Elvis Presley’s guitarist, James Burton. I wasn’t that impressed actually - Elvis wasn’t my thing and I didn’t know his guitarist. When the session started afterwards, I sat down behind the drums for a while. I was replaced rather quickly, but nevertheless I can say I played with James Burton. Not bad, eh?

I found talking to the store’s resident technician - Bernd Koschmidder, former bassist with Krautrock legends Birth Control - much more interesting.

Peter Jahnel and Bernd Koschmidder