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% [?]

Julian Sas – Musical Master of Mystery

Julian Sas really is a mystery.  You would have needed a shoe-horn to get any more bodies into the Harmonie on Saturday evening – so how come he’s not mentioned in the same breath as Mr Joe Bonamassa or Mr Walter Trout when it comes to Bluesrock guitar heroes? How come he plays such mean Blues and remains such a friendly guy?  How come he still has another day job?  And above all – How come he plays like he’s loving every moment night after night?

Bonn is, as Julian admits during the show, a ‘second home’ for himself, Bassist Tenny Tahamata and drummer Rob Heijne.   If you live near Bonn and love rock music then you will have visited the ‘Mr Music’ shop in the City Centre and  found it impossible to miss the posters that went up for this years show – barely after the last cable was packed away following last years great gig.  Posters for next year, the bands 10^th in Bonn, will undoubtedly be at the printers even as I speak.  It’s another conundrum – how does Sas get the attention here in Bonn that others can only dream about?

It doesn’t hurt that the owner of the said shop is a die hard Rory Gallagher fan of course.  It’s also true that when Sas plays his Gallagher cover ‘I Take What I Want’ dedicating it to “One of the greatest ever”, his version  does Rory proud and indeed, Julian Sas could make a good living playing covers of the genial Irishman as ‘Nearly Gallagher’, ‘Glory Rory’ or some other name (although given the number of Gallagher cover bands in existence even these improbable names are probably already gone).  Thankfully he doesn’t do this as it would be a criminal waste of talent – Julian Sas is very simply one of the best Blues-Rock guitarists in the world and on Saturday he played the second best guitarists set that I’ve seen in at least the last five years.  (to beat Jeff Beck’s amazing performance of playing notes without seemingly touching his Fender strings, Sas would have had to play solos with both hands tied behind his back).  It’s no surprise then that Sas was recently voted best Blues-Rock guitarist from the Benelux Countries in a recent poll.

“We’re gonna play for a few hours,  we’ll have some old favourites and a bit of jamming in there too” smiles Julian almost from the off – and then there is no looking back. Whether a Gretsch, a Fender or a Gibson.   Whether played with fingers or with a pick.   whether a haunting ballad like ‘Blues for the Lost & Found’ or a righteous Rocker like “Take What I Want”;   Julian and his band attack every song as if it might be their last – as if some disgruntled promoter has threatened to pull the power plug on them suddenly, painfully,  and forever. In amongst the smiles and the grooves Sas shows appreciation for the people who have shaped or followed his career.  Rory of course, but local ‘heroes’ like Bernie at Mr Music and Music Photographer ‘Eckie’ Pech who died recently.  Each gets a dedication during the show.

As always, big Rob ‘Animal’ Heijne almost towers over his drumkit as if it’s a tonka toy he’s about to destroy.  I’d reckon by the aggression on his face at times that he gets through a new drum head every show and possibly a whole new drum every week.  Bassist Tenny Tahamata on the other hand looks as if he’s seen it all before and bought the Tshirt too, but the grin that cracks over his face when he meets Sas’ eyes gives the game away – he’s having as much fun as they, and we, are this evening.

This was the bands ninth appearance in Bonn over the years and many of the audience have seen all nine shows.  As a result, there is a cameraderie as much offstage in the audience as on it.  ‘Rorys Friends’ Fansite Head Karl-Heinz is here as always, and as always the Gallagher Tshirts almost outnumber the Sas ones.  Peter, Fansite Head of Julians German Website is here too, and so is Mr Music Bernie Gelhausen whose Shop arranges the Shows every year.  They’ve all seen Julian Sas a good many times over the years and they are all in agreement – he’s playing better than ever.  Usually with a rocker who has a just become a father (Mother/Ana Popovic!) I’d say it was the calming influence of fatherhood.   Julian though was always calm.  Whatever the reason though Julian Sas is following ever closer in the giant musical footsteps of  Rory Gallagher and one day some kid will go onstage dedicate a tune to “One of the greatest ever” and he will be refering to a Dutchman.

Before that happens though I look forward to many, many more killer concerts at the Harmonie to brighten the November nights.  Now, Julian is back on 26 November 2011.  it’s time  I headed down to Mr Music for my ticket…

LINK TO MORE PHOTOS

Popularity: 29% [?]

3 J’s – 3 Different Blues

The three J’s – maybe that should be the three G’s as three different generations of Rock Blues guitarists took the Museumsplatz stage by storm on Monday.  Jimmy Bowskill, Joe Bonamassa and Jeff Beck.   We sent two J’s to cover the event.  John Harrison provides the words and John Hurd the pictures at this one off musical event with a past master, a current icon and a tip for future fame all under one hot Bonn Tent.

Sometimes less words = more understanding:

Proof of that is Jimmy Bowskill.  Still only 19 and Canadian, but playing with a passion that most people will either never ever know, or have long since lost! If the blues have a future it is intrinsically here, raw, emotional and practiced with both skilful feeling and innovational talent.

Jimmy’s been straight back to the source and listened to Robert Johnson and Son House, he’s worked his way through the old Delta blues players as a young boy and expresses his contemporary feelings in a modern way, but you can still hear the old masters’ voices coming through when he plays.

Mid-set he swaps his Gibson Les Paul for a twin necked Gibson and lets rip on the 12 string arm, because it’s a fun thing to do. Jimmy enjoys playing and this comes through in his music.

His instrumental rendering of Summertime on a Fender Telecaster, audaciously tuning the guitar to a minor key and then playing bottleneck slide was both visually and audibly mind boggling, he didn’t tune it just two frets down to Dm, he tuned it 4 frets down to Cm, Jimmy likes a fatter sound and he certainly gets it with his instrumental ‘Tour de Force’ that prepared us mentally for Jeff Beck later in the evening.

“Gold in its native state is but dull, unornamental stuff, and only lowborn metals excite the admiration of the ignorant with an ostentatious glitter. However, like the rest of the world, I still go on underrating men of gold and glorifying men of mica.”

-Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910)

Twain might have been at tonight’s set by Joe Bonamassa when he wrote that.  Bonamassa is good.  Very, very good in fact.  But he comes across tonight as possessing more quantity than quality, with uncountable notes that seemed tapped out like morse code on a railway station with a telegrapher one hundred years ago.  He changes guitars like he has to, but he doesn’t really.

Joe is certainly a great polished professional showman, with the shades to match, but I missed a feeling, a raw simple gutsy feeling, that comes sometimes through the axe of a great player when everything falls magically into place and the soulful sounds totally enchant the listener.

Sometimes less words = more understanding(reprise):

Jeff Beck of course doesn’t sing a lot, but then he doesn’t have to.  He lets his snow white Stratocaster cry, then he lets it gently weep, and then he lets it sing for him.  It sings like a nightingale.

He doesn’t throw plectrums into the audience either.  Why? Because a hard cheap piece of far eastern manufactured plastic would reduce his feeling.  His strings are gently stroked by the skin of his thumb and his naked finger tips. This gives him a much a warmer sound than most of his peers and this and his almost unique use of the tremolo arm on his guitar contributes to the lead guitar sound which is Jeff Beck. I think Hank Marvin of the Shadows was the last guitarist I saw actively using the tremolo.

His music is driven by passion rather than aggression, fire rather than anger, love rather than desire.

Sheer boots and braces music – which oddly enough is how he is dressed tonight:  White calf length boots and, due to the heat shirtless under the white waistcoat, grey braces hanging like pendants -almost as if he’s only half out of bed, and, totally nonplussed before dispatching the young whippersnappers, pretentiously nipping at his heels, who walked the same boards earlier in the evening.

If ever there were an apprenticeship for blues guitarists it would be the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck was lead guitarist as was Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton left because it was becoming too commercial and losing its blues roots.  What a schooling!

Jeff Beck doesn’t just play songs, he carefully selects them, and then wears them like a tailored suit.The fact that he doesn’t sing would be a drawback to lesser men. He has a knack more recently of picking songs where the melodies and the words are already in the heads of his audience. He merely plays a wonderful instrumental and triggers the latent words to spring into being in the listener’s mind.  Short and simple: A genius!

He simply plays, and the words are in our heads, found, addressed and mysteriously activated after just a few bars.

Early in the set he, in a rare moment of explanation, said that the next piece “Corpus Christi “ was an old carol from 1660, the white haired man next to me aspired, “why doesn’t he play some blues?” Blues are supposed to make your eyes water! You can find the blues anywhere, even in the body of Christ.  Jeff really did square the circle as the tears welled in my eyes.

Then such a wonderful bass solo with harmonics and goose pimples.  “People get ready” is a great gospel song from Curtis Mayfield and is somehow even more heart rendering, when the only words are self supplied.

In “Rolling and tumbling” some wonderful vocals from Princes former bass player Rhonda Smith, as if almost an after thought to her superb bass playing.

Jeff Becks interpretation of “Somewhere over the rainbow” led us like the Pied Piper down the yellow brick road.  And later “Day in the life” from the Beatles Sgt. Pepper album came to life, despite of, or perhaps because of, the lack of vocals.

The mystique in Jeff Beck’s music is what he does not sing, his guitar simply knocks wordlessly on the mind’s door, and invites everybody in.

Review: John Harrison

Photos: c.John Hurd

John Harrison is MC and Regular Guest at the Bonn Folk Club



Popularity: 45% [?]

Rooftop Royalty

The KAH Rooftop ‘ Sommergarten’ show was a bit different last Sunday.  For the first time Rock music was on show – and it attracted not only lots of visitors but also lots of glorious sunshine.   With a band called  The Queen Kings onstage you would expect lots of loyal subjects at their Garden Party – but where are the caviar sandwiches?

Status Quo cover bands have it easy:  Simple songs and simple arrangements that sound good in an arena or in a garden tent.  But Queen –  Masters of larger than life performances in mega arenas?  Try playing Bohemian Rhapsody in a tent, or on a roof even.  Queen Kings did.

Crazy?  Maybe not.  All it needs is ‘A kind of Magic’ and they have it.

I could spend a lot of time and computer screen arguing whether Queen Kings succeed in recreating Freddie & co onstage.  To Jan it simply doesn’t matter.  Jan you see is just a small boy.  He ran in front of the stage and danced.  Jan doesn’t know who Freddie Mercury is or was,  Jan doesn’t care.  All Jan knows is that ‘Crazy little thing called love’ makes him want to dance – and so he does.  That’s what really matters.

The original Band were so much larger than life that it’s easy to forget the strength of the music itself.   Mirko Bäumer and his Band put that right.  Here is ‘Rhapsody’ and ‘We are the Champions’ in plain shirts, jeans and sneakers.  Waiting with my Nikon to catch Bäumer striking  Freddie Mercury poses requires a lot of patience and when they do come they seem natural rather than put on.  I mean, how can anyone sing ‘We are the Champions’ without at least the slightest strutting walk and jutting jaw?  The words demand it.

Whilst there’s no doubting the quality of the Band – both Rolf Sander (bass) and Matthi Schmidt (drums) were in demand for Germany’s version of the Queen musical ‘We Will Rock You’ – It’s fair to say that to truly appreciate Queen Kings complete Show visually you need a spotlit stage and enclosed space to manage the sound perfectly.  Sunshine and small children are not quite what Freddie, Brian, Roger and John were about – maybe Jan though would disagree?!

Popularity: 38% [?]

The Curtain is Up!

There was  no escape.  The World Cup was once again upon us with it’s flag draped cars and days of crowds around any electrical appliance that broadcasted a picture.  To celebrate the Bonn Guildhall also had a new face to celebrate:

Popularity: 31% [?]

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

Popularity: 27% [?]

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