Folk is great, beer is good…

As a teenager I was a regular at the Railway Folk Club in Portsmouth, so news of a Folk Club in Bonn made me curious. Had they changed? Had I changed? No and yes. The air of excited expectancy, caused by no-one, including the MC, knowing what will come is still there – but I no longer turn up with a guitar to get in for free.

The bus to Grauerheindorf jettisoned me at what seemed to be the end of the Universe – except that, contrary to Douglas Adams description, there there was no restaurant. What there was though after intensive examination of the area which took 3 minutes, was a welcoming pub “Gaststätte zum Schutzenhaus” and a welcoming smile from MC/Host of the Bonn Folk Club John Harrison. John has those comforting Folk Club trademarks – a check shirt and a shaggy beard. The latter is usually a sign of someone who will sing acapella songs about whales (the mammal, not the Country) with a finger in an ear for vocal self-tuning during the performance.

Come 7.30 and it’s quite full in the backroom where we are watching Barry Roshto open the show at the piano. There are a couple of songs culled of all things from a wild west paperback about dying out on the prairie and being a wild cowboy. Sung with an enthusiasm only slightly slowed by Barry’s struggling with the words through wearing the wrong spectacles – a problem I wouldn’t have understood as a teenage Folk Club goer but in my ‘dotage’ can now sympathize with. By the time Barry has finished his set I’ve already got a new life slogan – “God is Great, Beer is Good, People are Crazy”. A big Country hit for Billy Currington that is said to sum up the American lifestyle but seems to fit Germany too (although maybe a tweak to “Wine is Good” is necessary?

The duo ‘Petite Fleur’ from Beuel gave us some pleasant Judds style melodies but I was in need of real FOLK music. Thankfully John Harrison came to my rescue and his checked shirt and beard didn’t disappoint. “The man who waters down the workers beer” is a standard I remember from my old Folk Club days. John has a song or two of his own up his checked sleeve too. ‘Zeppelina’ is perhaps the first ever folk song about Rhine in Flammen and it’s impact on Rhinepark Ducks. Oddball, typical folk club, I like it!

By now seats are being brought in from the main bar by as we begin a bit of traditional Irish Folk via a German gentleman clutching his uilleann pipes. An Irish form of bagpipe though thankfully smaller (not sure if the room could accommodate a Bagpipe in full flow!) Watching him get sound out of his instrument was as much fun as hearing the beautiful sound itself.

John Harrison is back onstage, this time with Blues Harp player Paolo. A bit of WC Handy and Bessie Smith to take us down to the Delta. Magic music that I’m pleased to say is still appreciated. Only this week Louisiana Red recieved an award for his Delta Blues CD “Back to the Black Bayou”. Both John and Paolo, like Louisiana Red in Bonn last year, seem to enjoy playing as much as I enjoy hearing them play –  for me an integral part of what folk music clubs are all about.

Which brings me to what for me is THE best element of Folk Clubs. Like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates it’s only when you open the box that you discover whats inside. Since John ‘opened’ this particular musical box at 7.30pm we’d had Country & Western, Cajun, Irish Pipes, Wild West and Delta Blues. Casting my mind back to 7pm though I remembered a young guy walking in with guitar case in hand. John hadn’t expected him and asked “Do you want to play for us this evening”. Now here he was onstage – a part of duo ‘Mike and the Doctor’. Twenty minutes and a couple of slightly rude but very funny songs later and wild applause makes it clear these guys would be welcome regulars.

Yep, you never know what you’re gonna get – but you can be sure it will be fun finding out.
Admission is currently free – (which means I don’t have to bring my guitar!) so check it out.
I love Folk Clubs – maybe you will too?!

MORE FOLK CLUB PICTURES

The Bonn Folk Club meets 1st Friday each month (Next meet: 4 June)
Where: Gaststätte Zum Schützenhaus, Estermannstr. 109, 53117 Bonn
For more information visit the FOLK CLUB BLOG

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