Interview: Jean-Claude Galli
The ambience mightn’t be more appropriate: in a huge industrial hall near Solothurn, Büetzer Buebe Gölä (54) and Trauffer (43) have set up a setting to simulate their Letzigrund concerts on August 19th and 20th. Blick visited her at rehearsals.
And is it okay?
Lake: Yes, there is no other way. We have this claim to ourselves. And people paid for it.
To stay in Büezer jargon: What are your biggest construction sites before the concerts?
Lake: So I can only speak for myself. The biggest construction site is my 54-year-old brain, which has been through quite a lot in life.
Trauffer: The focus now is on assembling. Everyone practiced for themselves, both of us, the band, the show group and the technicians. But it gets better every day.
In which moments do you despair of each other?
Lake: For three and a half years.
Trauffer: I’ve gotten used to this state of desperation. Seriously: We’ve gotten used to each other, even better thanks to the Corona postponement. We have a great time together. We will probably achieve our big goal: to arrive at the Letzigrund without any noise.
Lake: Don’t say that too loud, it’s bad luck, I’m superstitious.
Trauffer: Stop it, hopefully you won’t do anything stupid for the last hundred meters…
Where did one surprise the other?
Lake: With the jump that Trauffer made vocally. He sings like a god, especially in the high register.
Trauffer: But I’m happy to return the flowers. That was only possible because he is relentless, he constantly corrects me. Otherwise, I’m more of a slob who meanders through vocals. Thanks to Gölä, I realized that practice actually helps.
What do the concerts mean for your careers? You have already been successful individually.
Lake: I’m extremely proud of us and our fans. We’re doing something that no Swiss band has been able to do before: performing at the Letzigrund, where only international greats have been until now. It’s unbelievable that two Bernese Tuble can do that with their fans.
Trauffer: The way is unique. We had to organize everything ourselves. There is no such big stage in Switzerland. That’s incredibly cool.
Lake: I also have to wind a crown for our partners. They never let us down in the three and a half years. Without her this would not have been possible. International acts appear in these dimensions almost every day during a tour. We have two evenings and still have to make sure that we don’t add to it.
Trauffer: But we made it awesome for that. We never saved, despite the additional costs caused by Corona. We didn’t want that. This is “once in a lifetime”. We’re going through this mercilessly now.
Lake: Even if we have to pay off any debts over the next ten years.
When will you be on site in Zurich?
Trauffer: On Wednesday we’ll drive in and go for a little snack. And on Thursday we have a little window to make music. Then it’s just a matter of waiting for the gong.
And when will the sleepless night come?
Lake: I already had. The last was this Monday. My problem: I suffer from something like brainwashing. I’ve been playing these songs for months now. And even if I’m doing something else and at night before I go to sleep I have “Goatherd Peter” in my ear, that’s really bad. I think I’ll kill this guy yet. Are you still taking those relaxation pills?
Trauffer: “Zellerli” do you mean? Sure, I’ll bring you a pack tomorrow, it’s even organic.
Allegedly, Büezer also likes to celebrate. What do you do following the concerts?
Lake: Unfortunately we don’t have any more money for the Langstrasse. Is it still the same there as it used to be? But seriously: on Friday we drink tea and then off to the nest.
Trauffer: Clearly. We don’t build something and then wither it. We’ve gotten too old for that and too sensible. On Friday we remain serious, on Saturday we guarantee nothing.
Lake: And on Sunday we both have to be warm once more, dismantling and stuff like that.
Two shrimps united
At the end of the 1990s, the trained painter Marco Pfeuti, alias Gölä, who grew up in Oppligen near Thun BE, became known with hits “Uf u dervo” and “Schwan”.
Marc A. Trauffer (43) from Brienz made his breakthrough with his band Airbäg and later as Alpentainer. At the same time, the trained bricklayer took over the toy factory in Hofstetten BE from his parents.
In 2019, Gölä and Trauffer announced their Büetzer Buebe project and two concerts in Zurich’s Letzigrund, which were postponed to 2022 due to the pandemic. The first is sold out, tickets are still available for the second.
At the end of the 1990s, the trained painter Marco Pfeuti, alias Gölä, who grew up in Oppligen near Thun BE, became known with hits “Uf u dervo” and “Schwan”.
Marc A. Trauffer (43) from Brienz made his breakthrough with his band Airbäg and later as Alpentainer. At the same time, the trained bricklayer took over the toy factory in Hofstetten BE from his parents.
In 2019, Gölä and Trauffer announced their Büetzer Buebe project and two concerts in Zurich’s Letzigrund, which were postponed to 2022 due to the pandemic. The first is sold out, tickets are still available for the second.
