Beethoven Festival

Celebrated Pianist Helene Grimaud with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra gets the Annual Bonn ‘Beethoven Festival’ underway this week.

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Popularity: 13% [?]

Banjo Festival coming to Bonn

Sean Moyses is not only an excellent banjo player, but also excellent at organizing other banjo players.   Proof of this is the Banjo Festival 2011 to be held at The Fiddlers in Endenich.

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Popularity: 14% [?]

BB King still Reigns

Ana Popovic and BB King. Another evening in this seasons excellent Open-Air calendar at Bonn Museumsplatz that delivered music and emotion. Another evening to saviour before the lights go out forever at this exceptional venue? On Mondays evidence Bonn would be very much the poorer without its ‘Big Tent’ atmosphere amongst the Museums.

„Wish I could still run like that!…“ BB King muses, as a roadie jogs across the stage to sort a technical problem behind the amplifiers. BB doesn’t need to run for things anymore, there are plenty of people to run for him. He doesn’t need to play or sing much anymore either. For most of the audience just seeing this living legend is worth the entrance fee alone. He knows it and uses the goodwill appropriately, playing and singing just enough to keep people happy without burning his 85 year old body out on the never ending Tour that has been his life for practically ALL his life. It’s almost unsettling after so many ‘Last Tours’ that no one speaks of this one as his last and I’d say they were perhaps anxious at tempting fate except that physically King looks slimmer and, dare I say it fitter, than for a good long while.

Maybe it helps to have a stunning young lady like Ana Popovic along for some of the shows.

I hope his heart is up to seeing Ana in her show clothes, I know my own heart skipped a good few beats when her long legs paced across the stage at 7pm in a stunning glitter-dress with red Stratocaster slung across her shapely hip.

I’ve seen Ana live many times now but never did she look or sound better than on Monday. Pinned down by the solid rhythm section of Frenchman Stephane Avellaneda on Drums and Ronald Jonker on bass her band had the perfect punch for the venue and hit hard with rockers ‘Nothing Personal’ and ‘Hold On’. American James Pace on keyboard added colour too but for Ana the best colour is still Blue. ‘Unconditional’ was a tasty promise of the return to raw Blues promised to come from her next CD of that name; and the slow Blues of ‘Song for M’ was a moving tribute to husband Mark. Her tribute to the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan was highlight of not just the set but in my opinion, the whole evening. Anyone who thinks this girl is just ‘eye candy’ should shut up, shut their eyes, and listen. They will be pre-ordering the next CD from Miss Popovic afterwards I’m sure. This girl is special. I’ve said it for years and just maybe the new CD will put her where she belongs – headlining places like this.

When BB King makes his entrance the photographers pit resembles a schoolroom. We’re all crouched in front of the Big Mans chair, looking expectantly up at him as if waiting for a good lesson on life from a grown up who has seen so much more than we have. BB is gracious to us too. He takes the time to look each camera firmly in the eye I notice. We’re there to do a job and BB is a man who has worked all his life and knows that, so he gives us what we want, the smile to camera that with other, lesser musicians, would need a whole concert to get – or not at all. As he sits and talks I have to remind myself to press the shutter. BB has all evening to work, I have just two songs.

What is there left to says about Riley B. King? The shows now are almost theatrical pieces rather than concerts. BB’s arrival and exit in Hat and coat and a lot of the ‘spontaneous’ banter between songs I remember from the last show here in Bonn. The band cutting in on an early song certainly is a ‘set piece’. Most of the Band is almost as old as BB now. Faces I recognize from seeing him in Portsmouth some 30 years ago now. James Bolden on trumpet, nephew Walter King on Saxophone. Men for whom the term ‘seasoned veterans’ could have been invented. At times the Man seems about to say something profound as he leans forward in his chair: “If you’re here today with someone you love…” but then someone in the audience will catch his attention and we never get to hear what BB’s secret recipes for love and life are. Which is a pity, because BB King himself instills so much love in his audience that his secrets would be worth knowing for certain.

The music is almost secondary. Classics like ‘The thrill is gone’ and ‘Keep my grave swept clean’ are moving as much for the memories they evoke as for their actual quality this evening. Every year it seems the runs on guitar get shorter, along with the lyrics. ‘Key to the Highway’ comes and goes equally quickly (or maybe it’s just because we want BB to stay and play forever that it seems short?). There’s a sheet of paper taped to the stagefloor in front saying ‘Must finish by 9.50pm’. I doubt the police would cart this giant of music away to the cells, but all too soon the notes of ‘When the Saints go Marching In’ signal it’s time for BB to go Marching Out. He digs into his pockets and ladles out handfuls of plectrums for the crowd, sits graciously as they cheer him, and just as graciously, slips on his hat and coat before saying goodnight. No mention of a farewell Tour this time. Perhaps because we don’t need to be told that the shows won’t be going forever. I’m reminded of a BB King lyric ‘There is always one more time’. It’s not true of course – but I’m already looking forward to seeing the man next time. Who would ever want to believe in a world without BB King reminding us what Blues Music really was, is and can be?

Read John Harrisons review of the concert on:

3SONGSBONN

Popularity: 21% [?]

The Pogues at Museumsplatz

In 2002 Q Magazine listed The Pogues as “One of the fifty bands to see before you die”

A little late maybe; but last Thursday at Bonns Museumsplatz I got around to the task, and, whilst it would perhaps be optimistic to hope that Punk-Folk was well,  was it still alive?

It’s 8pm and I’ve been standing in the Photo-pit with a monitor blasting music directly into my ear for half an hour. There’s a plastic duck sitting on top of a backstage speaker that I’ve now ‘shot’ three times with my camera just to pass the time. Roadies shuffle back and forth onstage; we’re half an hour late and no band. Fans I’d spoken to on the train from Cologne were enthusiastically talking about the Band but I had the impression that a show stood or fell on the physical condition of singer and renowned drinker Shane MacGowan. Now, as MacGowan finally took the stage I feared his appearance didn’t bode well for the evening.

The song ‘Streams of Whiskey’ seemed appropriate as he rocked hesitantly from foot to foot, hands gripping the mike stand which seemed as much a means of support as a means of amplification. Ostensibly about Brendan Behan, but the slur in MacGowans voice gave the lyrics an ironic twist.

“Is that really the lead singer?” I was asked by a non-plussed photographer. “Has he had a stroke?”* Asked another later. His face seems odd. The only comfort I could give was the words another spectator had given me to the. same vexed questions – “I’m sure he will get better”, and, amazingly, he was right. Following a promising version of his own ‘Pair of Brown Eyes’ MacGowan left the stage. The band played a lively jig and it should have been better without MacGowan’s faltering participation – but it wasn’t.   You see, The Pogues without MacGowan are just another Irish Pub Band. A good one to be sure, but good doesn’t sell millions of discs or get you a Tour Stage playing to thousands of people. It’s a lesson that was learned as far back as 1999 when The Band tried to make a go of it without their main man. Drunken defiance is an integral part of the Pogues charisma. The plastic beer glasses that regularly fly across the audience in front of stage are a testimony to that. The fans understand. Plenty of bemused faces that say “Well, that’s Shane, bless him. He’ll come right in the end”.

By the time MacGowan has been back and sung ‘Kitty’ and ‘Sunny Side of the Street’ it starts to seem that all those positive thinkers are going to be right. Ultimately the fans know the Man and I hope he appreciates the trust they put in him to get it together onstage.

Certainly, by the time he gets to Eric Bogle’s ‘Waltzing Matilda’ the voice is loud, if not always clear. Stories of MacGowan having new teeth prove to be a little confusing since whilst he certainly doesn’t have the set that frightened small children from his past (seemingly an accident with a brick wall from many years ago). Indeed he doesn’t seem to have any upper teeth for the show that I can see. Maybe that accounts for the slur in his voice? His participation in events has improved though and, whilst this is by no means the angry sounding young man from the eighties his vocal chords can still pack an almighty punch. The crowd are more than willing to help out as they chant “and mother wakes me early in the morning” and clap enthusiastically along. ‘Thousands are Sailing’ goes down well without MacGowan but truth to tell it’s only when the Man himself is onstage that the fission of expectancy/threat/tension is present. With Ewan Macoll’s ‘Dirty Old Town’ he would be hard pressed to disappoint of course. It’s a number that has become almost synonymous with the Band through MacGowans sneering vocal. “I’ll cut you down, like an old dead tree” he threatens, and one can almost see the axe in his hands.

‘Bottle of Smoke’ with its breathtaking tempo was a number where I thought he would falter, but the man was by now in his stride and so was the song, glorious as ever. ‘The Deathbed of Cuchulainn’ was further proof that MacGowan was back on form. Who could resist a line like ‘When you’ve pi**ed yourself in Frankfurt and got sick down in Cologne’ sung in Bonn? Not something you would hear from a Bläck Föös concert for sure.

After barely an hour MacGowan was announcing the last number and thanking everyone for coming. Usually I would assume this was a short break before encores, but tonight, who could be sure? The fans could of course. They know their Man. Encores, including a favourite of mine from an all time favourite disc (yes, I bought it many years ago on plastic!) ‘Sally MacLennane’ off of ‘Rum, Sodomy & The Lash’ and of course ‘Irish Rover’. Spider Stacy had by this time put down his tin whistle in favour of hitting himself over the head with a tin plate (can you get these in specialist instrument shops, along with washboard waistcoats I wonder?

So there we have it. The Band made it to the end of the show and rather than run out of gas it’s main man actually seemed to step on the gas pedal. The many wearers of green T_shirts went away with smiling faces. They believed Shane MacGowan would deliver on the night and the enthusiasm of the lady I spoke to on the train down to Bonn was well founded. I think it’ll be a great show, you’ll enjoy it” she had said. They have faith in their band these Pogues fans. It’s an optimism that seems to almost radiate onto the stage, and could prove a life saver for The Pogues and especially their main man – someone with a style you don’t meet everyday.

MORE PHOTOS

* Fellow Pogue Phillip Chevron has since pointed out to me ‘Shane has not had a stroke’ – “But even if he was suffering from six life threatening illnesses, people would say he was drunk”

Popularity: 19% [?]

Museumsmile Festival on Memory Lane

I caught this lady drummer onstage at the Museumsmile Festival in Bonn this weekend, without the regulation drummers short sleeved ‘muscle shirt’ and sneakers.

‘Die Madämchen’ are a Ladies Chamber Orchestra that was founded in 1984 in Cologne by Dorota Lesch.  Their musical roots are in Chicago Ragtime so maybe I am slipping in a plug for something Bluesy in here again.  A little different though all the same.

Altogether much of the music on offer at this years Museumsmile Festival was a trip down memory lane for anyone from the 1930′s upwards. Robert Kreis with highlights from his travelling Chanson Show.  Witty songs from a time when innocence was a challenge for many a songwriter.  If you couldn’t write about Sex directly then you could write about the size of your cactus and your Beau’s poodle.   As Kreis, Javan born but living in Holland sadly concluded, 80% of the writers and performers were Jewish and the Nazi Regime all but destroyed the genre.

Robert Kreis

Down the road a little at the ‘Haus der Geschichte’ there was modern music.  Well, comparatively speaking anyway.  The Band ‘Fun’ were playing hits from the sixties (although I suspect Dell Shannon’s ‘Runaway’ even clips into the fifties).  The black suits and string ties were as much a fashion statement of the times as the feather boas on the heads of ‘Die Madämchen’ and the same love of the music was plain to see in the faces of the performers.

‘Fun’ going back to the Sixties – yeah, yeah, yeah!

So my weekend reminded me that good music never dies, and never will as long as people like these love it enough to keep it alive.

Long may that continue to be the case and thank you all. Ladies & Gentlemen for your abilities and your enthusiasm for our musical heritage!

Popularity: 25% [?]

GA-Sommergarten 2011

Due to the current ‚Max Liebermann Garden’ built on the KAH roof, this years ‚GA-Sommergarten’ Concerts have a new home. Concerts will now be held in the Kastaniengarten in Rheinhotel Dreesen. The Sommergarten season starts on 5 June with Simon Holliday & Band. One not to miss should be the very popular Genesis coverband ‘Still Collins (17 Juli)

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Popularity: 19% [?]

Folk at GoVinum

If you missed the Folk Club on Friday you can still catch many of the acts in Bad Godesberg.

The Godesberger ‘Wein & Bierstube’  GoVinum is offering live Folk Music this month and

regulars at Bonn Folk Club will recognize the names here so I don’t need to tell you a fine time will be had by all!

 

Photo courtesy of John Hurd

 

”LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC ON TUESDAYS”

Begin: 7:30pm

Entrance: Free

 

A Bit of Blues

17.05.11

John Harrison (GB) guitar, dobro, harp, vocals (England)

Paolo Pacifico (IT) harp, vocals (Italy)

 

Folk

24.05.11

with Thomas Steffens (Düsseldorf)

Jazz & Chansons

31.05.11 

 

with ”MeoNeo” Claudia Huismann & Werner Krotz-Vogel

 

GoVinum

Godesberger Wein- & Bierstube

Max-Franz-Straße 1 ( Ecke Burgstraße)

53177 Bonn-Bad Godesberg

0228 33 68 98 78

govinum@gmx.net

Popularity: 14% [?]

Meeting the Mayfolk

May is traditionally an important time in the Folk Calendar.  In England Maypoles are danced around, in Germany they are hung high from the sides of houses.  This makes it rather difficult for Folkdancers to do their thing.  Maybe that’s why there were no Maypoles in the Gaststätte zum Schützenhaus on Friday.  I must admit though I can’t quite imagine Barry and John hopping around with bells on their trousers.  Best that they stick to what they do best – and that of course is, play music and entertain.

I missed last months Club, and as usual, everything has changed in the meantime.  The tables have been moved around into two long rows and the walls have been repainted.  The red colour oddly gives the feeling that they have also been rebuilt and someone got the scale wrong.  Everything looks smaller.  Before I had the chance to measure my footfalls from entrance to back wall, John had quietly summoned everyone to attention with a customary ‘Ladies & Gentlemen’ (Which if you live within two miles of the Gaststätte you will probably have noticed as the time when your window frames shook).   John Harrison had done his historical homework and found a suitable lyric for the occasion – Dave Webbers charming  ‘Hail the first of May’

‘We shall sing and dance the day

And follow the Hobby Horse

That brings the May’

It’s also a busy time for birds of course as they build nests and families.  Not without it’s dangers, as John recallls in his sad pion to bird mortality ‘Zeppelina’.  Before we all took our guns in search of thieving Magpies, John took his Dobro and bottleneck for ‘Albert Mcshah’ which were also put to good effect on Son Houses classic ‘Walking Blues’.

Danny Kreschmar’s ‘Machine Gun Kelly’ was certainly not a jolly May song, it’s subject being one of Alcatraz’ most notorious inmates.  No guns were fired though and everyone survived to hear Barry Roshto calm things down with his trusty piano.  Although from the front it looked like he was actually getting notes out of a white woollen blanket – this warming up the piano thing all seems a bit like Joe Bonamassa and his ‘guitar for every song predilection’   (‘God is great, beer is good, musicians are crazy?’) As always, Mr Roshto was good for a surprise though, and singing a song written by Henry VIII in a high falsetto without a safety net ranks as something he will have some trouble topping.  We were all waiting for his pitch to falter – but it must be said, splendid stuff!  Splendid contribution also by wife Christiane on Violin.

Now Thomas Steffens had me in a quandry last meet.  I couldn’t place his voice but it reminded me of someone.   In the event I spent his set wracking (wrecking?) my brain for exactly who.  Thomas’ theme for the evening was the Railway so his opener was  the 1960’s song  ‘500 Miles- The Railroaders Lament’ The second was an older ballad entitled  ‘900 Miles’ so I’d gone 1400 miles in total when the name ‘Ewan MacColl’ came to me.     He didn’t sing any MacColl though but instead chose an all time favourite of mine – Eric Bogles And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda;  a song guaranteed to bring a lump to the throat.  If any song could stop wars this would be it.  Sadly no song, however mighty, can.  A bit of ‘High Noon’ in the shape of ‘Do not forsake me oh my Darling’ and a return to the railway theme with ‘Freight Train’ brought a very entertaining set to an end.  Maybe a bit of Ewan MacColl next time?  ‘My Old Man’ would be great.  I have a feeling ‘Bogles ‘No Mans Land’ would sound great from Thomas Steffen too.  Certainy someone I enjoy hearing very much.

Meoneo were next up.  That’s Claudia Huismann and Werner Krotz-Vogel to be exact.  A duo that have played here several times and therefore regulars will have had the chance to see them bloom from the slightly nervous early appearances to a fully fledged and confident powerhouse of an act.  Claudia’s outgoing stage personality and strong voice being perfectly counterpointed by Werner’s delicate flamenco style guitar backing (it’s easy to get so wrapped up listening to Claudias voice that you forget the quality of the backing)  ‘I’m Calling You’ was great, but highlight had to be the finger-clicking syncopation of ‘Don’t Wait Too Long’.  Jazz at a Folk Club?  Is that allowed?  Well, very thankfully yes it is!

Rheinfolk Gave us a selection of German language songs for May but a few surprises along the way too.  ‘Maypole Song’ was a logical title for this evenings Folk Club but it’s origins are a bit more unexpected.  It was written and used in 1973’s offbeat thriller film ‘The Wicker Man’.  A well deserved encore had us all tapping toes and glowing with a feeling of gentle anarchy as the band played Neil Young’s ‘Rocking in the Free World’.

In the spirit of this Folk Club there was a spontaneous sing/play along.   Thomas Steffen sat facing the others onstage like a conductor with a guitar for a baton and those ‘onstage’ played whatever instrument came to hand – and when none came, they used their hands themselves to clap.  Smiles everywhere, none more so than on the face of Mr Harrison – which I’m pretty sure said “Now this is what Folk Clubs are all about!”

On that note I’m sure it was with a somewhat heavy heart that he brought down the curtain on the evenings music with the now traditional finisher ‘Jock Stewart’.   Have no fear though, FolkClub will be back again next month.  Same time, same place.  Delving deep into the roots of music, causing listeners to scurry about on google in search of new found musical gems and there will also be saxophones.   But no Maypoles or Morrismen unless they turn up on the night wanting to play.  Ever seen a Maypole sing?  No, but I once saw a horsefly…

Coda:

As I write this it’s 10pm and I can hear The Hooters singing ‘500 Miles’ several miles away live on the Rheinaue.     Why do I feel a bit peeved at a Folk Club having to put away its acoustic guitars sans soundsystem at 10pm?

SLIDESHOW FROM FOLKCLUB

Popularity: 18% [?]

Museumsplatz Concert Season 2011

Today saw a press conference take place at the Kunsthalle to introduce the coming Concert season at Bonns Museumsplatz.

No Elton John, or Liza Minnelli this year, but whoever thought that the financial restraints after those heady (and expensive) years gone by would mean a boring season of has beens and never will be’s has been proved decidedly wrong.  There are some ‘Big Hitters’ still set to play.

Martin Nötzel from ‘Kult Event’ promised a very varied calendar this year:  Buena Vista, Brazilian with Sergio Mendez, traditional German with Bläck Fööss, Italian Rock with Gianna Nannini, Folk with Hannes Wader, Jazz with Til Brönner, for the Irish there’s the marvelous ‘Pogues’ .  You want a musical? how about the British production of ‘Hair’?  or comedy? there’s TV comic personality  Kaya Yanar.  Oh, and if you want Blues and Rock you are definitely living in the right Bundesstadt this year: BB King with Ana Popovic, Joe Bonamassa with ‘Black Country Communion’ and, on 10 July  Greg Allmann with  Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi (what a week for Blues Lovers that promises to be!

My recommendations are certainly The Pogues with the irrepressible Shane Mcgowan – man of many words and few teeth.  ‘Rum, Sodomy & the Lash’ is still an all time favourite disc of mine.  Gregg Allman has made an excellent new CD ‘Low Country Blues’ and with Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi alongside has two of America’s most influential and popular modern Blues stars.

Of course there would be no modern Blues Stars without the original Blues Stars and they don’t come any better than Mr BB King.  Now well into his eighties; BB won’t be doing a two hour set but a dozen songs from the King are worth a hundred from just about any other musician in the genre.  Not that anyone will have grounds to complain about the music on that evening as Promoter E.L. Hartz promised that unlike BB’s last appearance here there would be only one special guest so we can look forward to a full set from Ana Popovic  and her great band (of whom I need say no more – you all know I’m a fan!).

A ‘Geheimtipp’ for the Season from Martin Nötzel is French Jazz/Pop singerIsabelle Geoffrey.  The lady better known as Zaz, has had an album at nr 1 in France for 9 weeks and her career is gaining momentum by the day.  The  “Piaf of the Blues” says Rolling Stone Magazine.

Yes, I can safely say that from July to September Summer will most definitely be here in Bonn!

Concerts at 5 April 2011 (more are promised!)

17.06. UNHEILIG
18.06. BLÄCK FÖÖSS
19.06. PASIÓN DE BUENA VISTA
07.07. THE POGUES
08.07. SCALA & KOLACNY BROTHERS
09.07. TIL BRÖNNER
10.07. GREGG ALLMAN
11.07. B.B.KING
14.07. BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION
19.07. BONNER WIRTSCHAFTSGESPRÄCHE
20.07. SÉRGIO MENDES
23.07. ART OF CYCLING
26.07. HAIR
27.07. GIANNA NANNINI
30.07. HANNES WADER & KONSTANTIN WECKER
06.08. KAYA YANAR
19.08. ZAZ
20.08. ICH & ICH
26.08. TEXAS
27.08. ELEMENT OF CRIME
29.08.-07.09. LANGE FILMNÄCHTE
02.09. DIETER THOMAS KUHN & BAND
09.09. JULI & BOSSE

FULL CONCERT DETAILS

Popularity: 18% [?]

New Music Website

Regular visitors to our Music category will in future have a website completely dedicated to concerts, CD reviews, interviews, news and more. It’s called ’3SONGSBONN’ and will be taking over the bulk of music information.

Please check out the new site at 3SONGSBONN for all the latest news and reviews.

Just added is a review of the beautiful and talented Ana Popovic in Koblenz recently: Ana Popovic at Cafe Hahn

An interview with German guitar star Henrik Freischlader follows soon.

Of course English-Network will continue to bring you news and views so those of you who want less music – you got it – and those who wanted MORE music – you got it too!

Popularity: 11% [?]

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