Summertime Open Air Festival
Ulm, Germany — August 26, 1978
On August 26, 1978, the Summertime Open Air Festival drew an estimated 60,000 people to Friedrichsau park in Ulm, Germany—far exceeding the approximately 20,000 originally expected.
Genesis headlined the festival, with a lineup that also included Frank Zappa, Joan Baez, Alvin Lee, Scorpions and others. Behind the performances, Showco alumni and touring crew worked throughout the grounds and within the massive stage structure, preparing the sound, staging and Genesis’ distinctive mirror-rig production.
These newly digitized photographs were discovered among materials belonging to Rosemary Kretzschmar and are believed to have been taken by Showco alumnus BJ Schiller. The collection captures performers onstage, fans in the crowd, crew members at work, the stage under construction and the extraordinary scale of the festival.
Together, the images preserve a rare behind-the-scenes view of one of Germany’s largest early outdoor rock festivals—and the people whose work made it possible.
Photography believed to be by BJ Schiller
Courtesy of the Showco Archives
Frank Zappa performs at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Alvin Lee performs at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Alvin Lee performs at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Alvin Lee side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Alvin Lee performs at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Morris Lyda, Showco alum and temporary fencing at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Temporary fencing at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Festival grounds before the crowd at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
View of the Danube near the Summertime Open Air Festival grounds, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Temporary festival fencing at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
BORN KG Production crane at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
BORN KG Production crane and staging area at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Stage ramp? at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Stage structure during setup for Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Mike Schiller, promoter rep, at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Stage structure and lighting rig during setup for Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Steve “Curly” Clark at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Morris Lyda, Craig Schertz and road cases side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Festival stage and production trucks at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Side-stage production area at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Steve “Curly” Clark side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Festival stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Festival stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Wide view of the festival stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Mark Podany, Craig Schertz, Johnny Roberts and crew working side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Craig Schertz, Johnny Roberts (Showco crew) working side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Craig Schertz, Johnny Roberts and crew working side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Crowd at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Mark Podany side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Festival stage and production area at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Festival stage during setup at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Stage and audience barricade at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Geoff “Bison” Banks and unidentified crew member side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
View from the stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Alan “Goat” Owen side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Alan “Goat” Owen side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
ML Procise side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
ML Procise side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
ML Procise side stage with Genesis Mirror setup at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
ML Procise side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
ML Procise at the monitor console with the Genesis Mirror Stage setup at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Alvin Lee playing. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
ML Procise and Paul “Groovy” Holcomb side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Frank Zappa performs at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Frank Zappa performs at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Frank Zappa performs at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Open Air Festival in Nuremberg, Germany, July 1, 1978. A festival with Bob Dylan. Eric Clapton joined Dylan on stage. Photo courtesy of Peter Burke.
Craig Schertz and Johnny “JW” Roberts side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Showco crew: Craig Schertz, Johnny Roberts, Groovy and more, working side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Morris Lyda side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Morris Lyda side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Genesis Mirror Stage build at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Production crew member at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Genesis Mirror Stage build at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Genesis Mirror Stage build at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Genesis Mirror Stage build at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Genesis Mirror Stage build with fans arriving at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Craig Schertz at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Genesis Mirror Stage build at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Johnny Roberts with Showco horn working side stage at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
Craig Schertz, Johnny 'JW' Roberts, Dale Polansky hoisting a Showco speaker stack during setup at Summertime Open Air Festival, Ulm, Germany, 1978. Courtesy of the Showco Archives.
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