1972 – Band „Mephisto“

One guitarist who had a lasting influence on me was John McLaughlin. His acoustic recordings, in particular, inspired me to experiment with the classical guitar myself. This led to my own compositions, which, however, didn't fit into Holzwurm's concept. While Holzwurm increasingly focused on perfecting their renditions of cover songs, I was drawn to a unique expression beyond audience tastes and expectations.

So, in 1971, I founded the band Mephisto. Our rehearsal space remained in the Exzellenzhaus. “Mephisto” was meant to be devilishly good – and indeed, Alfred Zehren on drums embodied this energy with his powerful playing. He was complemented by Detlef Hill on bass, who was open to new ideas. I also shared private sessions with him on guitar and sitar – fond memories. Christian Wendt played keyboards and electric piano with stoic calm, also incorporating the synthesizer in a contemporary style. In the early days, Manny Welter played saxophone; after his departure, violinist Norbert Lauer joined the band. For a short time, a cellist also enriched our sound.

Influenced by John McLaughlin (The Inner Mounting Flame), Jean-Luc Ponty, Terje Rypdal, and Larry Coryell, we created exclusively instrumental pieces. These were structured around a central theme but then opened up to expansive improvisational spaces that drifted into psychedelia or jazz-blues territory.

My intention was always to move more towards acoustic instruments—what would be called "unplugged" today. Perhaps we weren't quite ready for that idea back then. In any case, my time in Trier came to an end in 1973: I moved to Berlin to study art—with the feeling that Mephisto had been an important step in my musical self-discovery.

Mephisto at Fetzenreich in Trier im Fetzenreich in Trier