Its chorus leaves no doubt about the Supertones' mission: Hallelujah to the lamb! Yeah hallelujah I am saved
Its chorus leaves no doubt about the Supertones' mission: "Hallelujah to the lamb! Yeah, hallelujah, I am saved. Through Christ we are bound to win."Silent prayer"The reason you are here tonight is to praise God. Praise Jesus! We love you guys, yeah!" Thus POD, the angriest of the bands in the Suburbia '99 line-up, remind the crowd of the night's higher purpose. And then, Boom!, without a second's pause, the jet-engine, bass-and-drums, sound of POD explodes again. Another band, One Eighty, took a similar praise-the-Lord break. "How many people are here to worship Jesus Christ?" Instantly, 4,000 pairs of hands flies into the air. Only the OC Supertones dare to stop the flow of music altogether to bring the crowd into common worship.
"We want to be people who are contagious for the Lord," proclaims drummer Jason Carson in a "live-for-Christ" pep talk that extends beyond five minutes. Carson then calls for 30 seconds of silent prayer, before taking his acoustic guitar and singing a hymn. For a few minutes the auditorium is filled with Christian music as I know it - soft, melodic and, well, cloyingly tame But nobody seems to object. Four thousand bodies that have been moshing and bouncing all night, gently begin to sway. Faces betray a state of trance as arms and hands are aloft again - reaching, of course, for our Lord Jesus Christ.. SALZBURG'S SPIRES LOOK MOST ROMANTIC AT DUSK WATCH OUT FOR... ...crowds flocking into the city for the various festivals: Mozart week in late January; Easter; and the main summer festival which lasts from late July to the end of August.
At these times, hotels get booked up months in advance.WHY GO NOW?Although Salzburg is a great year-round destination, early summer is, to my mind, the perfect time to visit: the climate is pleasantly warm, and the crowds who congregate for the summer festival have not yet started to arrive. Music-lovers need never feel deprived: whatever the time of year there is always a concert on somewhere in the city.A WALK IN THE PARKThe Mirabell Gardens (9), on the right bank of the river, is the place where Maria von Trapp and all those children ran around singing "Doh, a deer..." - at least in the Hollywood version of their story. In spite of all that, it's still a very pleasant place for a stroll.BEAM DOWNNo one flies direct to Salzburg from the UK, so, given that you will have to change somewhere, the cheapest option is to fly with Go (08456 054321) from Stansted to Munich; there are three flights a day, and fares start at pounds 80. A train goes from Munich airport to the main railway station, and from there, the direct train to Salzburg takes just under two hours.CULTURAL AFTERNOONCulture in Salzburg can be summed up in one word: Mozart. He was born in a house on Getreidegasse, christened in the Cathedral (7), where he was later a chorister, and moved with his family to a bigger place on Makart Square (8). There is a monument to him in the square which now bears his name, and he wrote the music which is played at most of the many concerts taking place every night in various city venues.
Of all this, the family home - the Mozart Wohnhaus - is the most interesting to visit. You are given an individual Walkman, and you walk around listening to music composed for some of the instruments which are on display.SING YOUR HEART OUT AT THE MIRABELL GARDENSSUNDAY MORNING, GO TO CHURCHThe elegant cathedral, with its greyish-white interior, was built in the 17th century, and rebuilt after its dome was bombed during the war. The only colour comes from the paintings inside the dome, and on the barrel- vaulted ceiling. The sung Mass at 10am every Sunday is worth hearing even if you are normally a non-churchgoer.THE ICING ON THE CAKEMusical purists might scoff, but try not to miss the opportunity of seeing the Salzburg Marionettes performing one of the operas of Mozart, or other selected composers, in their own elegant little theatre (10) on Schwarzstrasse. Although the music is all recorded, and most of the time you can see the strings, the puppets are so lifelike that there are moments when you could believe you were looking at real people up on the stage.DEMURE DINNERHead for Rudolfskai, on the left bank of the river. The Altstadtkeller is a lively place, and the Wiener Schnitzel here is as good as any: the accompanying live music isn't too distracting, and the service is pleasant. If you prefer something more discreet, though, go up the road to Zum Mohren, where the food is consistently good.GET YOUR BEARINGSThe old - and frankly rather twee - part of Salzburg is sandwiched between the Monchsberg mountain and the river Salzach.