Chuck Berry in Berlin Feb. 6th, 2008

On February 6th, 2008 Chuck Berry received the Golden Camera Lifetime Achievement Award. The show was recorded in Berlin and broadcast by German TV two days later.
I had to record the show on video due to business travel. But when I looked at it today, it was more than disappointing.
The introduction by Klaus Meine was ok, even though it was nothing more than just a few sentences everyone could have said by reading any half-page biography. Why didn't Mr. Meine tell a bit about how Berry's music influenced him personally or the Scorpions as a band?
When Chuck entered the stage, the standing ovations from the crowd (all famous TV people by themselves) was long and great. It was easily to see how much Chuck was moved emotionally. Looked like this was not something he went through often before.
Chuck's thanking speech was basically a poem recitation. I really would have liked to hear this in his original language. Unfortunately German TV found it necessary to not only translate Chuck's words, but also to broadcast this translation much too loud. The translation of course was no longer in rhyme or even a poem, just some senseless sentences. A pity! If someone has a recording of the speech in original language, I'd love to get a copy.
And then came the worst part of all. Chuck Berry lip-syncing to "Roll over Beethoven". A song he still performs today in every concert multiple times each month. But German TV (as most other TV stations today) requested play-back. So we see Chuck standing in front of a band of famous German musicians. And we hear the Chess recording of 1956 play! There's the famous guitar solo - but there is no lead guitar on stage! Chuck just singing (well, opening and closing his mouth). The rhythm guitarist always turned his back to the camera, obviously ashamed of this performance. You see the musicians exchange views and shaking their heads. What a pity! This could have been a great moment, but it was just shameful.
Niels Rozeboom placed a video recording of the Berry segments at YouTube, in case you want to look for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmVfHzZz50U
The best part of the show Niels missed to post, though. Because also Robert De Niro received a Lifetime Achievement Award, each and every woman on stage talked to De Niro who was waiting in the audience, either requesting a date or an autograph. Only German TV clown Stefan Raab took the opportunity to tell: "Sorry Mr. De Niro, but I love Chuck Berry!"

Late addition: Wolfgang Guhl pointed me to an article on echo-muenster.de. There Steffi Stephan explained that a live show was planned first, but did not work out due to "organizational complications". Which means that the organizers could not provide Chuck with the guitar he requested, and that they could not agree on the numbers to perform. Thanks for the link, Wolfgang!