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Rock’n’Roll monk

Deep Purple with Archabbot Notker Wolf, Kloster Benediktbeuern, Germany, August 3, 2008. Photo: Nick Soveiko.

Last Sunday, August 3, Deep Purple played a show at one of most unusual rock’n’roll venues — a monastery in Bavaria, Germany. Kloster Benediktbeuern dates back to the 10th century and still serves as home to about 45 monks of the Salesian order. What’s even more unusual is that the Archabbot Notker Wolf joined them on stage with his electric guitar to jam on Smoke On The Water.

The prelate also played opening act with his own band Feedback. They did some songs from their recent album and a cover of Jethro Tull’s Locomotive Breath (with Father Notker, who is now the “boss” of 8,000 monks and 16,000 nuns all over the world, covering flute duties). The band was founded in 1978 by five school boys of the monastic high school in Sankt Ottilien. Wolf, who was the abbot of that monastery from 1977 until 2000, knows young musicians and they stared working together ten years ago. His life long dream of performing on the same stage with Deep Purple finally came true last weekend.

The story of the Benediktbeuern concert made headlines on the national news in Germany. You can watch the TV coverage at tagesschau.de.

Thanks to BR-online for the info.



10 Comments to “Rock’n’Roll monk”:

  1. 1
    ormandy says:

    Thanks for the TV coverage link!

  2. 2
    joe says:

    …so the man in black returned…

  3. 3
    stoffer says:

    Only Deep Purple!! you gotta love this band

  4. 4
    stefan says:

    Maybe there´s some laughing in heaven after all!!

  5. 5
    dubbe says:

    i’am proud to be a purple fan since 1972……..and i’m proud that world’s best rockband is still touring around the world……and i’m shore Deep Purple will live forever even after decades

  6. 6
    AndreA says:

    🙂

    who knows if Gillan reminded DISTURBING THE PRIEST..

    GHGHGH

  7. 7
    Roberto says:

    or jesus christ superstar……

  8. 8
    Tracy Heyder says:

    or ‘No Laughing in Heaven’

    Cheers

  9. 9
    Rascal says:

    Ive always said ‘their is more chance of a guitar wielding monk joining DP on stage than RB returning to the ranks’………

    And lets face it……RB on stage in his minstrel outfit is far more embarrassing than Mr Monk in his dress!

    Did they pass around the collection plate?

    Let us pray

  10. 10
    Cupcakeocaster says:

    Ha! And people call DP “devil’s music”!
    I love it.

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