Blog
Categories
© Tirol Werbung / Rodler Ilvy
Food & Drink
© Bert Heinzelmeier
People
© Tirol Werbung / Aichner Bernhard
Arts & Culture
© Tirol Werbung / Moore Casey
Recommendations
© Tirol Werbung / Herbig Hans
Family
© Tirol Werbung / Schwarz Jens
Bits & Pieces
© Tirol Werbung / Neusser Peter
Sports
Jagdhausalmen Alpine Pastures, Defereggen, East Tirol, Austria, Europe
Specials

The DJ at the Mother of all Après Ski Bars

Updated on 12.02.2019 in People, Photos: Bert Heinzlmeier

DJ Gerhard Schmiderer at the Mooserwirt Après Ski Bar in St Anton.
DJ Gerhard Schmiderer at the Mooserwirt Après Ski Bar in St Anton.

MooserWirt in St. Anton, “The Mother of all Après Ski Bars” epitomizes the après scene—and DJ Gerhard’s signature tunes send the crowd into an après frenzy that has to be seen to be believed. He has been spinning the turntables for 25 years and is still going strong.

“I’m on the highwaaaay to hell…” booms out from the speakers. “AC/DC has been working well for 25 years,” says Gerhard Schmiderer, MooserWirt’s longstanding mixmaster. The regular DJ has been there since 1994. He is now 68 and still cranks up the après ski world’s best-loved pop anthems seven days a week. The essence of dancing-in-ski-boots après, the slopeside MooserWirt lures skiers from piste to party by pumping out oompah music. It’s a sprawling multi-levelled place with a huge outdoor terrace, where there is space for 3,000 beer-swilling customers.

Each day, DJ Gerhard’s signature tunes send the crowd into après frenzy at the MooserWirt. Photo Credit: MooserWirtEach day, DJ Gerhard’s signature tunes send the crowd into après frenzy at the MooserWirt. Photo Credit: MooserWirt

Reading the Crowd

“A lot of thought goes into track selection, it’s the right mix that counts,” explains DJ Gerhard. His signature mix is one of pumping rock music, thumping Euro pop hits and cheesy German schlager songs along with uplifting oompah après ski dance anthems like ‘Hey Baby’. “Reading the crowd takes a lot of experience. I feed off the energy of the audience. How do they respond to the music? Should I get down to drop it low or do I have to switch it up? Music has amazing power over minds and bodies. I always try to put my best foot forward, to provide the party-goers with the finest musical atmosphere that I have to offer,” says the longstanding DJ with a cheery humility that belies his awesome talent and success. After all, MooserWirt owner Eugen Scalet credits one third of the turnover to Gerhard’s signature tunes.

Gerhard Schmiderer has been spinning the turntables for 25 years and is still going strong.Gerhard Schmiderer has been spinning the turntables for 25 years and is still going strong.

The Mother of all Après Ski Bars

Anyone who has skied St. Anton’s world-class slopes knows the MooserWirt. It is an infamous institution of intoxication. Encapsulating everything you’ve heard but dared not believe about how après is done in Tirol, it was named “The Mother of all Après Ski Bars” by international media. Every December, Euro-pop royalty is performing live at the MooserWirt for German channel RTL II, which has filmed the Aprés Ski Hits show in the bar for the past decade. The self-proclaimed “baddest après ski bar on Arlberg Mountain” claims to sell more beer per square meter of floor space than anywhere else in the country. Its tap lines are so plentiful they’re rumored to span six miles if connected end-to-end. In cellars beneath the dancing ski boots, a kilometer-long network of plastic tubing ensures that the booze keeps on flowing up in the busy bar. Apart from fueling word-class après ski experiences, the MooserWirt feeds appetites with excellent dishes and the very dedicated service team is passionate to excellence. “But most important is that I can consistently deliver positive and memorable party experiences. I just want to make people happy with my music. If they are dancing and stomping in their ski boots, I’m doing well,” says Gerhard Schmiderer.

Nowadays, DJ Gerhard works with modern digital turntables.Nowadays, DJ Gerhard works with modern digital turntables.

Après Ski in the Alps

In the early days of recreational skiing, the French came up with “après ski” to describe celebrating with fine food and drink the daily escape from hypothermia on the vaulting terrain above the resort of Chamonix. Après ski traveled east across the Alps into Austria’s mountain villages. Après ski, the expression, was adopted here (French was the language of diplomacy after all). It carried the hint of luxury, a touch of class to even the lowliest bar. Today, as every skier knows, hitting the slopes is only part of the joy of ski holidays. Getting the most conducive après-ski scene is almost as important as finding the right slopes.

 

The Desire to Seek Out New Music

“If someone asks me for a track that I haven’t got, I tell him: Come back tomorrow and I’ll play it for you,” explains DJ Gerhard. However, corny tracks are not part of his set. “We don’t want to offer a completely raucous and debauched après experience. We certainly don’t want to inspire binge drinking in a row by men, for example,” says the DJ. At the beginning of each new winter season, he checks the latest catchy tunes that became surefire hits at Ballermann, the renowned party mile on the Balearic island of Mallorca. “Then I ask myself: Is this the type of music we are into?” Gerhard surely has got an instinct for that kind of track selection. Only once he failed to recognize a hit: Back in 1999, when he heard DJ Ötzi’s single “Anton aus Tirol” for the first time, he wasn’t enthralled at all and didn’t expect a lot. He was proven wrong when then track was a massive hit throughout Central Europe in 2000. And has become a cult classic.

St. Anton, the „Birthplace of Alpine Skiing“ has a long, rich après ski history, and stories.St. Anton, the „Birthplace of Alpine Skiing“ has a long, rich après ski history, and stories.

A Life Dedicated To Music

When the MooserWirt closes down for the day at 8:00pm, Gerhard pursues his second job where he is equally adept at: He has been playing live gigs at weddings, anniversaries and festivities for 50 years. “Living a good and healthy life is important to being a good DJ and musician. My job only works when all the parts fit. I just can’t afford to lead a dissolute life. I need to be in top condition at all times in order to perform,” Gerhard explains the secret of his longstanding success. Now, in true family tradition, Gerhard’s son Thomas is slowly taking over at the MooserWirt. However, Gerhard is still spinning records: “As long as I can make people happy with my music, I will keep on. This curiosity and that sense of adventure keep me young at heart. This is just me.”

Having worked overseas for years, Klaus Brunner returned home to explore Tirol with his camera and microphone in tow. Home is where the heart is.

Last article from Klaus
Summer solstice fires in Tirol
Updated on 10.06.2024 in Arts & Culture
Summer solstice fires in Tirol
4 min reading time
Pension-Ladestatthof-Heubett-Header
Updated on 12.02.2024 in Recommendations
8 Amazing Romantic Getaways in Tirol
5 min reading time
TirolWerbung_930127
Updated on 22.01.2024 in Recommendations
5 Ski Resorts Easily Accessible by Train
3 min reading time
Dolomiten Hut in East Tirol. Photo by TVB Osttirol
, © TVB Osttirol, Zlöbl
Updated on 08.01.2024 in Recommendations
Five Unforgettable Places to Stay
3 min reading time
the-best-beers-in-tirol
Updated on 24.04.2023 in Food & Drink
The Top Beers from Tirol
14 min reading time
A wonderfully crispy dessert from Tirol that is fun to make at home: “Strauben”
Updated on 27.05.2021 in Food & Drink
“Strauben”: The Original Recipe to Try at Home
3 min reading time
Apfelradln_1_klein
Updated on 06.04.2021 in Food & Drink
"Apfelradln": Enjoy the Taste of Tirol at Home
3 min reading time
Updated on 19.03.2021 in Recommendations
Ten Virtual Museums and Guided Tours in Tirol
5 min reading time
TW Berufe Mayrhofen  – Penken Harakiri Die steilste Piste Öster
Updated on 14.01.2021 in People
Making Corduroy: The Ski Groomer on Harakiri Run
4 min reading time
Titelbild_Kathrein_Musig
Updated on 07.12.2020 in Arts & Culture
Playlist: Top 7 Christmas Carols from Tirol
4 min reading time
Stams_Stamser Alm
Updated on 16.11.2020 in Food & Drink
Superfood from Tirol: “Graukäse” and “Zieger”
5 min reading time
Herrlich
Updated on 02.07.2020 in Food & Drink
Buchteln: A Sweet Treat from Tirol
4 min reading time
Innsbruck, Nordkette
Updated on 28.05.2020 in Arts & Culture
Climb Every Mountain: Summit Crosses in Tirol
3 min reading time
1
Updated on 02.03.2020 in Recommendations
Ask a Local: Fieberbrunn
5 min reading time
Flugrettung_3
Updated on 13.11.2019 in People
The Reutte Helicopter Rescue Team
5 min reading time
_DSF1999_klein
Updated on 07.11.2019 in Food & Drink
Wine from Tirol: when vines begin to climb
6 min reading time
Christine Silberberger from Auffach – the Wildschönau native truly loves her home region.
Updated on 06.10.2019 in Recommendations
Ask a Local: Wildschönau
5 min reading time
Oberried Climbing Area in Ötztal Valley. Photo Credit: Tirol Werbung
Updated on 18.06.2019 in Sports
Five Rock Climbing Areas for All Ages
3 min reading time
A scenic mountain walk coupled with indulgent gastronomic experiences: Burgeralm. PHOTO CREDIT: FRANK BAUER
Updated on 16.04.2019 in Food & Drink
Burgeralm: A Haven for Cheese Lovers
4 min reading time
Gasthof Gemse in Zams
Updated on 14.12.2018 in Bits & Pieces
Five Cozy Fine-Dining Gems in Tirol
3 min reading time
Exterior view with Jesuit Church | Photo Credits: Günther Egger
Updated on 11.12.2018 in Arts & Culture
The “House of Music” in Innsbruck
4 min reading time
Wörgl, Bahnhof, Abfahrtsanzeige
Updated on 12.09.2018 in Recommendations
Bike carriage with public transport in Tirol
6 min reading time
Westendorf, Hinterwindau, Käsealm Straubing
Updated on 25.04.2018 in Sports
eMTB Riding Tips & Techniques for Beginners
3 min reading time
Ask a local: Innsbruck
27.03.2024 in Recommendations
Ask a Local: Innsbruck
4 min reading time
tirol werbung-hofgarten-blanchard-9787
09.06.2023 in People
The Keepers of the Salvenkirchlein Church
5 min reading time
All articles from Klaus
No comments available
Write comment

Keep reading

Go up

Is your inbox in need of a holiday?

Then subscribe to our weekly newsletter full of exclusive holiday tips from Tirol!