Oli The Kid Hits Town!

He’s not American, he’s not black, and he’s not old.  Despite these Blues ‘handicaps’ Oli Brown came out onto the Harmonie stage ‘guns blazing’ and quickly shot down all those critics who claim a young, white Englishman can’t play the Blues.

My first sight of 20 year old Norfolk born Oli Brown on Wednesday was a fitting one.  He was leaving the hall after sound-checking.  Hung over each shoulder was a guitar and he was holding them steady like they were in the holsters of a western gunslinger.  A musical Billy the Kid.  Okay,  Billy never wore a belt-buckle with the Batman logo emblazoned on it (as far as I know!) but when it comes to the ‘killer touch’ Oli’s Vanquish signature guitar should have more notches than Billy’s Colt.

Also very un-Tombstone like – Oli thanked me politely for the souvenir Bonn fruit gums I presented him with.  Graham, Oli’s Manager and father, said any food was especially welcome.  This was the first date of a short German Tour and they’d travelled over via Dunkirk and had been up since 3am – Motorway jams however meant they still barely had time to set up and soundcheck in Bonn.  Dinner was on hold until after the show.

Inside the hall there are a number of confused people.  I hadn’t seen seats and bistro tables in front of the Harmonie stage since Louisiana Red was here last year.  Many of the audience today had never seen them here before full stop.  Maybe the Harmonie Management put in the seating out of politeness and the expectancy of a higher than usual female contingent for a Blues show (there are never this many women at Walter Trout!) more likely, this being a Wednesday, they were being conservative about the turn-out. I remember rebellious Thin Lizzy fans throwing seats aside at a Portsmouth concert many years ago.  Here too the audience is rebelling.  Well, sort of…  I see a middle aged (ex-Thin Lizzy fan?) heading up the stairs of the hitherto closed off balcony.  When after five minutes he still hasn’t been forcibly removed, others throw caution to the wind and join him.

When ‘Oli the Kid’ fires off the first notes of  ‘Evil Soul’ at the crack of 8pm the seats are pleasantly full both downstairs and up, but without the swaying mass of heads there seems a lack of atmosphere.  Despite large marketing banners each side of it, the stage seems a bit empty too.  Oli has a mike in the wall corner, drummer Simon Dring is at the back, and bassman Roger Innis is in the other front corner so stage centre is oddly empty, as if  the vocalist had failed to turn up.  As it turns out, the vocalist is most definitely there as Oli Brown proves he is more than just a guitarslinger.  In the course of the show he also manages to not only cover every inch of the stage but also most of the auditorium when he goes on a Buddy Guy style walkabout with guitar in hand.

I’d wanted to see Oli with his own band since last years appearance with the RUF Blues Caravan Tour.  No offence to the Caravan musicians who are superb, but a musician should be judged on their own band.   So I was a bit disappointed to find Bassist Freddy Hollis has just left the trio.  In his place for the European dates is – you guessed – Blues Caravan bassist Roger Innis.  This is a man I would like near me at a nuclear catastrophe.  Innis exudes calmness onstage.  “End of the World? Bummer eh? Stay cool!” would probably be his pre catastrophe advice.  He even remained calm when I mistook him for an American (he’s a Brit) and did I mention he is also a fine bass player who does what all bass players should – keeps the beat rather than beat it to death – which can also be said of young drummer Simon Dring.  Both men keep things simple, allowing Mr Brown to take his signature Vanquish electric (a British Firm I might add) where he wants it to go – whether thats deep into his soul or deep into the audience.

Oli Brown’s music is a curious mixture of boyish charm and enthusiasm with the musical sound of a seasoned veteran.  This is quite amazing when you consider that the first gig Oli did was in March 2007.  This coming June will see The Oli Brown Band playing at the revered Glastonbury Festival – yes, that’s little more than three years of gigging.  Can anyone really be THAT good THAT quickly?  Mike Vernon thinks so.  Mike produced such illustrious names as Eric Clapton’s Bluesbreakers, Freddie King, Peter Green and David Bowie in the 1960’s/70’s until retiring.He was so impressed by Oli Brown’s music that he ended that retirement to produce the new CD ‘Heads I win, Tails You Lose’.  Vernon believes Oli is a part of the future for Blues Music.

Signing autographs after his super show Oli Brown is polite to a degree that you have to admire.  He not only asks who to sign to, he thinks about a few words to add and even asks exactly how names are spelt.  He even showed calm when, asking how to spell a tricky name, he got the answer “with an ypsilon” (Y).  He seems to have a genuine interest in what people say to him.  Ah, I’ve been looking for a word to sum up Oli Brown.  Genuine seems to fit perfectly.  Give him a haircut and any mother would be glad to have their daughter bring him home (whoops, sorry Oli, I promised no hair jokes!).

This boy is going to be enormous – in the words of a song from his new CD “No Diggity!”

Popularity: 29% [?]

The Brew – Strong Stuff

When the mighty Joe Bonamassa pulled the plug on Rockpalast last year it was good news for British trio ‚The Brew’ who subsequently had their entire set broadcast across the Nation.  They made a lot of fans who in turn made for a  crowded but enthusiastic crowd at the Harmonie on Wednesday.

A witty Festival organizer in Holland once referred to ‘The Brew’ as “The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit”.  Maybe that was just a little bit ‘über enthusiastic’ but it’s a pointer to both the band’s identity and it’s driving force so let me introduce this ‘Holy Trinity’:

The Father is Manager Tim Smith and The Son  is his son drummer Kurtis.  ‘The Holy Spirit’ is literally the spirit of the band – guitar virtuoso Jason Barwick.  That Kurtis and Jason are barely out of their teens is something you couldn’t tell from hearing the band on CD though since both have talent beyond their tender years in shovelfuls on their respective instruments.

If you read my report from that previously related to fateful show with Joe Bonamassa in Cologne last year you’ll know that I had lots of praise but also a few reservations about the band;  so one year and one new CD later how do they fare?

A mini tour of Cologne last year explains how the enthusiastic fan next to me has already seen them seven times.  He’s also had Jason sign his guitar – a true mark that someone is a guitar hero and some indication of just how highly rated this youngster is.  I’d seen it before but still it was a jolt to my senses to see Jason Barwick come onstage with the air of a keen to please schoolboy – and weave his guitar magic.  The sound is loud but, in contrast to last weekends at times ear shattering tone that had Crossroads fans running for earplugs, it’s not TOO loud.  In fact it’s perfect for Rock n Roll.

The sound was good last time in Cologne though.  What has changed since then is certainly the songs themselves.  Previous album ‘The Joker’ had a to my ears rather burdensome ‘Prog Rock’ sound out of the early 70’s.  It said “We have a great guitarist in our band, and a hard hitting drummer.  Close your eyes and we could be Led Zep”.    Well, this time around I could close my eyes and they were ‘The Brew’ which was a big step forward in my book.  Except that closing your eyes when ‘The Brew’ are onstage would be to miss half the show.  Had  Barwick’s parents known he would be bounding around the stage with such energy I’m sure they would have christened him ‘Tigger’ instead of Jason.  I came back from last year in Cologne very pleased with a shot of the lad caught leaping in mid-air.  Pleased until I checked the Internet that is and discovered everyone and their dog has a shot like it – even the posters show a grainy black and white airborn guitarist.

Here we come to my major concern about the band last time.  Pete Townsend’s mid-air leap, Jimi’s behind the back guitar, Jimmy’s violin bow, Stevie Ray’s initials on the guitar,  Tommy Aldridge with his bare handed drum solo…  They don’t set fire to the drum cymbal anymore “It caused some problems” was all Jason would admit later.  The point is, they don’t need all this theatre.  They have some excellent material now with catchy rockers like opener

“Every gig has a neighbour”, the CD title track “A million dead stars” and the moving “Kam”.  I’ll even forgive the continued use of a violin bow though on the strength of it’s use on “A smile to lift the doubt”.

A huge leap forward was also noticeable in the vocals from Barwick.  He reminds me physically of a young Gary Moore but the young GM had a singing style to frighten horses with (think ‘Murder in the Skies’ or ‘Fanatical Fascists’).  This was about the sixth straight gig in a row so I hope he uses it sparingly, but that voice is another reason to be cheerful for the future of The Brew and indeed for Rock music.  A thundering version of ‘Voodoo Child’ brought thunderous applause and no one would have condemned them for not coming back for a further encore even though it was only 10:15.  Return they did though  even if the previous number was un-toppable they continued because quite clearly they love playing rock n roll together.

The tour schedule looks pretty daunting with this Harmonie show coming in the middle of ten shows in succession.  There’s a long haul through Poland where the bands last CD was a chart success and not even room until September for the UK or the USA.  If these guys keep improving they will need to invent the 500 week year to keep up with demand.  I just hope the springs in Jasons heels can hold out.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Dana Fuchs

Now in it’s 7^th year at The Harmonie WDR’s Crossroads Festival is always a great place to discover rising talent.  This year was no exception as I caught Blues Rocker Dana Fuchs and Country Roots Rocker Cory Chisel onstage.

WDR introduced its Crossroads Festival into Rockpalast in 2000 but it’s become something of an institution at the Harmonie in Endenich since it moved there in 2003.  It’s where I discovered Novastar – big in Belgium but relative unknowns outside.  Where I first heard  Karl Lagerfeld darlings ‘Moke’ and finally got to hear Eric Sardinas play his killer slide guitar riffs.

This year’s highlight was earmarked early on.  Dana Fuchs made her name in the Bluesrock world in 2007 co-starring in the Golden Globe winning ‘Across The Universe’ – a film centred around the late sixties and the Beatles back-catalogue.  It put her name out there in the States as guitarist and co-writer Jon Diamond told me later.  But ‘Out there’ was The States and it’s only now with the release of her acclaimed ‘Live from NYC’ that Europe is discovering the power of DF’s vocals.

As always at Crossroads gigs there are two acts on the bill and as always the audience passes time arguing over who should be on last.  It would certainly be unfair to dismiss the evenings other act as a ‘support slot’.  Cory Chisel was listed as one of the Bands to Watch in ‘Rolling Stone’ in 2009 – so let battle commence, and may the best man/woman win…

As it turns out Cory Chisel and his band Wandering Sons are first up.  Chisel came to music via Baptist preachers in Wisconsin and admits that ‘The gospel of Johnny Cash’ was also a major influence.  Actually Cory Chisel himself has been a musical influence too as a fan wrote to his forum: “There’s a kid who works at grocery store I frequent… He got into playing music because Cory came to his elementary school class and inspired him. P.S. That same kid couldn’t come to Cory’s show the other night because he was playing one of his own”.
Cory Chisel puts Johnny Cash and his own Gospel past to good use in producing a distinctive Country Roots Rock style that tips its hat very strongly to Tom Waits too – and he includes a fine rendition of Waits’ ‘Rosie’ as an encore to tonights show.

Chisel also owes a debt to Dylan’s musical influence and admits that maybe you can sing almost any lyric in a Dylan way and it sounds profound.  When he actually does a ‘Dylanesque’ number afterwards I am left wondering if indeed he did make it up on the spot -  it was good, and sounded deep and meaningful in that “What was THAT all about?” way of all Dylan’s best material.  It’s an easy going set that is enjoyable without quite catching fire as  Chisel sips red wine between numbers (what would his Preacher Father make of that?) but I suspect the CD is more rewarding.  The band have an easy charm about them but when I find myself thinking more about their hats than their music then I realise I’m not being grabbed by the sound the people under those hats are making.  Nice band, probably a very good CD but…

Dana Fuchs also has her roots in a Baptist Gospel Choir but in her case other family members played Rock music in their New Jersey garage and it shows.  She moved to New York and in a City not short of useful musicians established herself as a regular act in major Clubs.  Then came the ‘Across The Universe’ film and fame, Stateside at least.  Finally interest is happening in Europe, thanks to a live CD, so hearing Dana Fuchs live would seem a good bet and here I am at the Harmonie.

Dana Fuchs is also very popular with cameramen (yes, ‘men’ is definitely the correct term here!).  There’s a row of WDR Video cameras, then a row of photographers and, somewhere behind all these heads are the audience – although if they are able to see anything I’m none too sure since every time DF strikes a Rockmusic pose she seems to be engulfed in seconds by Rockpalast camcorders.  These people must end up with one shoulder six inches deeper than the other with those monsters in tow!  Whilst I have to shoot between the bodies I can at least hear the music at all times.  Last time I saw someone pose so gracefully with long flowing hair onstage it was David Coverdale so I would like to have seen more for longer.

It’s an evening of great rock numbers done proud by a powerful vocal that got Fuchs a part playing Joplin in the off-Broadway ‘Love-Janis’ Musical and rightly so.  ‘Almost Home’ is an anthem about driving – a much loved topic for American songwriters it has a tinge of sadness and longing about it.  This air of sadness floats delicately in the air around many of the songs Dana Fuchs sings and she jokingly admits to it even as she introduces “My love song” which is titled ‘Misery’…

I’ve recently been reading ‘Last Man Down’ by Richard Picciotto.  It’s the harrowing story of what happened on 9/11 in New York as lived by one of its senior Fire Chiefs.  When Dana announces ‘Moment Away’ as her homage to fellow New Yorkers on that awful day it is particularly moving to hear the song tonight.  A woman who recalled kissing her husband goodbye never to see him again.  A song that could easily seem schmalzy but Fuchs carries it off beautifully like it was a star track from Springsteens 9/11 opus ‘The Rising’.  A clue to how Dana Fuchs findes her soul in the song comes later when she dedicates ‘Songbird’ “To my sister who took her own life”.   The family that taught her Rock music in the garage also taught her to dig deep emotionally and that’s what makes Dana Fuchs music so compelling.   That emotion also purs out in the pure rock numbers and created an incendiary finish with ‘Helter Skelter’ and ‘Whole Lotta Love’.

Dana Fuchs is still signing autographs and chatting to fans long after the show is over.  I mention reading ‘Last Man Down’ and she is genuinely moved that fate has me reading it right now since“It’s really ages since I last sung it”   I suggest to Dana that maybe it’s Kismet which has me reading it this very week of her show and I’m thinking that maybe Kismet had her discovered for her role in ‘Across the Universe’ where she met Joe Cocker, who now has her down as support act for his Museumsplatz show this year.  Or maybe someone up there is looking after Dana Fuchs – thats how you start thinking after an avening of gospel inspired Rock I suppose.  Thank the Lord for Music, for Blues and for Dana Fuchs.

Popularity: 36% [?]

BonnExpat at the Tower

There was a special treat in store for visitors to Tuesdays BonnExPat evening at the Deutsche Post Tower – a panorama view of Bonn at sunset.

It takes a lot to get me out when Dr House is on tv, but the promise of seeing the sun setting on Bonn from high on the tallest building along the Rhine was too good an offer to miss.

Regulars to BonnExpat meets will know the hosts choose some excellent locations – recently the Guildhall  was chosen as venue.  This time around our meeting point was the ultra-modern Deutsche Post Tower – with an invitation to visit the 30th floor.

Not surprisingly the attendance was larger than any previous get-togethers despite it being a Tuesday evening.  After a brief but interesting film outlining the Towers creation it was up to floor 30.  The colourful display of  Postboxes from around the world I can take or leave – but the panorama view…  I would love to take that and spread it out under the balcony at home!

Back on the 1st floor there needed to be excellent food to tempt us back from the upstairs panorama and  fortunately there was – although there was some concern about demand outstripping supply with so many more visitors than anticipated (concern from us hungry visitors as well!)  I managed to grab a couple of bagels and glass of Chardonnay before Pedro Munoz, Chief of Staff Corporate Communications from Deutsche Post gave us a chance to hear first-hand about the current state of planning for the prestigious new Beethoven Concert Hall.  It’s now down to two designs: a jewel or a wave to be exact.  both look pretty good as white paper cut-outs but the real thing will be bigger, brighter, and of course a good deal more expensive.  The Federal Government has earmarked 39 million Euros for the project.  Both designs will actually incorporate two concert halls and despite still being at a paper stage of development both have already undergone extensive theoretical acoustic tests (the wonders of technology).

Pedro told us that attention to detail is at such a level that even a protected tree has been accounted for.  They are hoping to avoid the embarassment of one Hall elsewhere referred to by Pedro as being completed only to find the doors were too small to get a grand piano onstage.  The problem was resolved by taking a sledgehammer to one of the walls.   A decision should be forthcoming by years end.  As Brits maybe we should be crossing fingers for the jewel design of Iraq born Zaha Hadid, ranked by Forbes in 2008 as 69th in their list of the Worlds most powerful women.  Her Offices are in London, which would be a good boost for British Architecture .  I rather like Hermann & Valentiny’s wave concept though.   sadly, neither design accomodates the present Concert Hall.  At fifty this year it’s considered too old, they decided.  As a product of 1959 myself I dispute that and although  I was pleased to hear that it’s intended use is not purely for Classical music.  I can’t see the Claptons or Springsteens of this world there  with  1500 seats to offer.

An interesting discussion though, and overall an interesting evening.  My thanks to the people at BonnExpat for arranging it – and please do it again next year on a bright sunny day – maybe we will be able to see that other tall building up the River in Cologne?  Thats a good deal older than fifty but no one is talking about rebuilding it!.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Adenauer’s P(a)lace

For German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer it was a ‘no brainer’ as they say. It was 1949 and he was currently residing in an office at Museum König next to, as he plainly pointed out, apes and giraffes.  Across the road was a Palace…

Adenauer moved in to the Palais Schaumburg as soon as possible. Before he had actually renovated it in fact. Perhaps for this reason his choice of architect proved to be a mistake.    Hans Schwippet from Düsseldorf had modern ideas and the Chancellor didn’t. The awning still standing at the front entrance is testament to the disagreements of the two men. Adenauer declared it as making his beautiful palace look like a ‘cheap petrol station’. His reaction was to always use the original and majestic stone stairway at the back when he wanted to get to his office – oh, and he also sacked the architect.

Much as Adenauer liked working in a Palace he obviously didn’t like living in one.  Despite renting living quarters in a wing of the building it was his habit at the end of a working day to be driven back across the river to his home in the small village of Rhöndorf. Many think it was actually down to the Chancellor having this short drive home that is the reason Bonn became Germany’s governmental home in the first place.

It wasn’t all work for Adenauer in the Palace though. He had a Boccia Lane built in the gardens.  Similar  to Bowls, It was a sport he said that involved concentration and steady nerves without being too stressful.

Perhaps living with Adenauer himself required similar qualities.   He is said to have been a stickler for punctuality and had numerous clocks in his work room. His parting gift to the cabinet was a three sided clock that was placed on the long table at meetings to remind ministers that time should not be wasted and he warned incoming Chancellor in 1963 Ludwig Erhard that he would always have a bad conscience in Office because ‘You will never have time to read all that you need to read in this job”. Erhard took things a little easier it would seem and his first days in the Palais were punctuated by billows of the, under Adenauer ‘Streng Verboten’,  smoke from cigars.

Erhard did though keep most of the style and decoration from his celebrated predecessor. Helmut Schmidt however updated to a more modern (1976) look, by adding heavy bookcases, which was fair enough as it was really Schmidt who got the last real worth out of the Palace as a Chancellor. Helmut Kohl used it occasionally but also had an office in the more modern building nearby which also housed a comfy and modern cabinet room, whilst Gerhard Schröder hardly had time to put a name plate on the table before he upped and moved ‘tent’  to the new Government in Berlin.   Subsequently the Palace has now become something of a museum with numerous rooms marked as ‘historic’ and containing wonderful views on the outside and dusty old desks on the inside. It IS still the Bonn residence for Angela Merkel though (hence the autographed Merkel postcards on the entrance desk for visiting tourists) but really to everyone, and to history, it’s Konrad Adenauer’s Palace (or should that be just ‘place’?)

Popularity: 17% [?]

Heart & Soul – Marktplatz

Everyone knows John Belushi as Jake Blues.  Some might know that Russell Crowe  played him in an Australian Touring version of ‘The Blues Brothers’ during the 1990′s but few know that Jake actually comes from Bonn and his real name is Lothar Distelrath.  I know because I saw him onstage in front of the  Bonn Council Offices just last Saturday.

Under a warm and sunny sky in Bonn’s Marktplatz,  the evening gets underway courtesy of acoustic Rock duo Krysmah.  Formed out of the Deep Purple, Whitesnake coverband ‘Stargazer’.  Detlef Kornath and Frank Nerger take their life in their hands by playing electric hard rock anthems like ‘Smoke on the Water’ and ‘Whisky in the  Jar’  with not a Fender or Gibson electric in sight.   Nerger is an excellent electric guitarist (actually a part of the ‘Heartful of Soul’ Band) so why not play the songs electric? I asked him.  ‘”Acoustic makes it interesting” he smiled back.  I just know that given the chance to play that famous bass riff from Purple I personally would want to play  LOUD and ELECTRIC!  But he has a point.  The songs are interesting somewhat toned down and make me wonder if there is a music genre called ‘Folk Metal’ on the shelves somewhere.

Still getting my head around a German Bruce Springsteen after ‘Bosstime’ last weekend I was about to be confronted by a coverband who were themselves covering the ultimate Blues Coverband.  Heart & Soul were formed by Lothar Distelrath (Jake) and Dirk ZePuntke (Elwood).  Formed in 2002 the band bring their version of the ‘Blues Brothers’ to Parties, Summer Festivals and Street Events but they also have  some prestigious and odd concerts under their collective belts -  Alongside support slots for Kool and the Gang and Bony M have been a Birthday Party appearance for the then German Defence Minister Dr Peter Struck which led to an invitation to concerts for the troops in Sarajevo and Kosovo.

It’s certainly cheaper to be an acoustic duo than go on the road as an eleven-piece band but  ‘Heart & Soul’ don’t skimp on quantity  – or

musical quality as it happens.  They also deliver a fair bit of Rock n Roll Theatre as on ‘Flip, Flop and Fly’ with gaudy Bermuda shirts and comic wigs together with light dance routines as with ‘Shake a Tailfeather’.   But most importanly they know how to play Rhythm and Blues as proved by meaty versions of ‘Messin with the Kid’ and ‘She Caught the Katy’  that simply flip, flop and fly by.    A fair few people are joining in too – including a wheelchair bound gent who seems to have more energy and agility on four wheels than many of us standing.

Typically the concert atmosphere gets better and better as the evening rocks on.  A shame that there is no beer/wine tent as at the summer Garden shows – presumably a nod to the gastronomy providing seats and meals in the surrounding Cafe’s.  With typical Open Air in Bonn timing, just as the crowd is at its largest and the light at it’s most magical, it’s 10 pm and time to stop.  Hopes that the infamous Blues Brothers will treat this rule with disdain – but no – I guess their days of being just ahead of the law are over.  The lesson for tonight was ‘Blues’ my friends, and the Reverends Jake and Elwood left the stage to rapturous applause – Gods work done.

I’d happily book these guys for my Church, Birthday, Wedding or Bar mitzva.

MORE PICTURES FROM THE SHOW HERE

Popularity: 20% [?]

Jazz Connection

Free Jazz is all around in Bonn, Or so it seems these days. The Rheinaue Season is well underway and the Sommergarten Sunday shows in Museumsplatz are also a regular (fortnightly) attraction. In the end what to see or not to see depends very much on the weather. Friday threatened rain so I headed to Sundays show next to the KAH in Museumsplatz.  You’ve guessed it… the rain arrived on Sunday.

The musicians from Jazz Connection though were so nimble on their feet they could easily have dodged between the raindrops.

Jazz on the Roof wasn’t, as it happens  threats of a downpour meant the show was moved and the General Anzeiger ‘tent’ pitched up in front of the rather grander ‘tent’ that is the Museumsplatz Stage. Actually this turned out to be a good thing because Jazz Connection like to ‘roam around’ during their sets. During any given number a sax player or trombonist is likely to ‘take off’ for a walk round the audience, instrument in hand.

For you non-Jazz buffs out there a bit of detail and classification: Jazz Connection hail from Breda in Holland and play under the ‘sub-section’ of Jump Jive. It’s a title I’m familiar with through an excellent Joe Jackson record from way back that centred around the Music of  Cab Calloway and Louis Jordan who along with Ellington and Basie was one of the prime movers of Jazz and Swing in the 1940′s.  Jordan has been dubbed the King of Rythm & Blues which is maybe why I like his Jump Jazz style so much and why I also enjoy the music of Jazz Connection.

It’s an energetic style which is a refreshing alternative to the aging face of jazz that tends to dominate the beer gardens these days.  In keeping with this the band itself is comparatively young too – with only trumpet player Jurgen Feskens sporting a full head of white hair  (okay, trombonist  Peter VanSteen has no hair at all so we’re not talking teenagers here, but young at heart and fit they all are).

There is of course a large helping of Jordan classics – ‘Jack, You dead’, a surprisingly low key version of ‘Is you is, or Is You aint my Baby?’ and of course a storming version of the Jordan classic  ‘Caldonia’.  Quirky songs like ‘Nosey Joe’ and ‘Feets too Big’, classics like ‘When You’re Smiling’ and ‘Just a Gigolo’ and even a surprise offering of Van Morrison’s ‘Moondance’ – well maybe not such a surprise since they played a set of Morrison numbers here two years ago, the project ‘A Morisson Feeling’,  is now available as a (very enjoyable) CD in it’s own right.

The band could give The Jackson Five a run for their money where synchronised instrument playing/dancing is concerned.  One trombone going left as the trumpet goes right and hell would break loose.  It’s a dangerous life playing Jump Jazz for this band!  Everything though seems, as always when it’s done well, effortless and by the shows end I’m thinking this is one of the best acts I’ve seen at a Sommergarten show – and I’ve seen plenty.  If they come down your way don’t miss Jazz Connection.  And if you don’t start tapping at least one foot after the first song then – ‘Jack, you dead!’

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICTURES

Popularity: 28% [?]

The Last Curtain

Now it’s fact – The Metropol Cinema/Theatre will soon be only a footnote in the history of Bonn. Despite a petition with around 46000 signatures the Bundesverwaltungsgericht (BVerwG) Leipzig has decided that the Metropol has no protection as a Listed Building because of renovations made to it.

The Metropol is/was Germany’s last Cinema built in Art Deco Style still standing and saw in it’s long history some of the greatest german Movie Stars not just on it’s screen but also as guests – Zara Leander and Claudia Cardinale amongst them. It became a listed building in 1984 after plans had been revealed to knock it down in favour of a shopping complex. All seemed well until the owners filed for insolvence and the only ones interested in buying the building were property developers for shops.

The Local people formed an initiative ‘Rettet Des Metropol’ and gathered some 46000 signatures. Goodwill was not enough though. What was needed, but not forthcoming, was interest in using the building for Cultural use.  In the end, despite lots of talking, no one would put their money down.

Last August the High Court in Münster judged that major repairs made after 1987 to the building were so far reaching that they constituted total renovation. However true to the original the repairs were, they are no longer the original walls so to speak – and you cannot, they decided, restrain people from knocking down copies of originals.  The renovators it seems were caught between Devil and deep blue sea:  Making the Cinema safe and usable for patrons involved extensive repairs – including the addition of a lift.  These repairs in effect destroyed the one thing that could later save the building – it’s historic authenticity.

Now the dust has again settled on the old wooden Metropol Stage (or copy thereof?) and Thalia are expected to turn the inside into a bookshop. If you don’t know what one of those looks like then walk round the corner to Bouvier – there is one there already. Or take a train to Neumarkt in Cologne and you can even find a genuine  Thalia there.

Don’t go looking for an Art Deco Cinema anywhere in Germany though – there isn’t one.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Elli/MiaoMio CD’s and Parties

Bonn’s own all girl band MiaoMio and Cologne’s Elli both had new discs to sell and both offered a ‘CD Release Party’. Visions of making smalltalk with a plate of cocktail sausages in one hand and a champagne flute in the other made me curious, so I shaved, showered and hit the big City twice this month.

Long time readers of my concert reports here on English-network might remember my enthusiastic review of a young lady who supported Anne Haigis at the Harmonie a couple of years ago. Since then Anika Auweiler’s career has been steadily building momentum. Her first CD the largely acoustic ‘Lauf’ (‘Run’) appeared recently with top local musician Jens Filser more than ably supporting on guitar, but whilst ‘Lauf’ is a very agreeable folk/pop mix it’s The Indie Pop band MiaoMio fronted by Anika which is receiving a lot of attention and praise at present and which recently presented it’s first ever CD Release at Kult41 on the Hochstaden Ring in Bonn.

Cult41 is a bunker of a building close to the main Railway line and a main road intersection in Bonn Centre. I get off of the tram and it immediately starts raining. When I greet Anika in the aptly termed ‘winter-garden’ my hair is dripping rain on the floor and the leaking roof is dripping rain on my head. My hopes of a canape or even a small thimble of Bollinger also drip away, but as I’d promised my stomach something special this evening I help myself to a licorice black cat from the dish on the bar, order a ‘Bio Kölsch’, head inside’ and take up position beside the concrete stage, or below it to be precise since it is raised several feet above floor level (no danger of fans rushing Robbie Williams onstage here)

MiaoMio

To put it politely, IndiePop isn’t quite my area of musical expertise ( impolitely, I have NO IDEA quite what IndiePop is) Support band Kassette were bright and poppy with a somewhat whacky presentation that made them charming. Anika and band quietly took the stage and then put in a smoothe and solid performance for the evening. Since their first show at Klangstation two years ago they have grown in confidence, stage presence and musicianship, and with Anika’s voice and songs they have a head start on a good many wannabe successful bands. Add a bit of the promised ‘band coaching’ to the lot of talent they already possess and watch them fly up the IndiePop chart – although I’m not sure if there is one.

It’s clearly going to be a busy rest of year for Anika, Sarah Brasack (keyboards), Eva Marxen (Bass) and Sarah Tauscher (drums) – but having seen them a couple of times now, spoken to them and most importantly, heard their first CD, I think this could be the start of something big for the girls and hopefully for Bonn’s young music scene too. Not long after forming, the band secured a prestigious place on the live stage at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Bonn. This year they won out against fierce competition from 70 bands in the NRW wide ‘popupNRW’ band competition to be selected for advice and coaching in the music business. Just as importantly, their success guarantees them slots at some major festivals and concerts in the NRW area.

My verdict on the CD ‘MiaoMio: Intelligent songs concealed behind a pop backing. They require engaging brain and ears together but are well worth the effort. For ultimate tingling of the spine though try Anika’s solo ‘Lauf’ CD.

Final note on the evening – dress down for the next CD Presentation event, which is…

Elisabeth Erl, better known to the music Biz as Elli and best known as the winner in 2003 of DSDS (Deutschland Sucht Den Superstar). Elli’s CD Release Party is at the MTC Club near Cologne South Station, but being next to a railway station is where the similarities with Kult41 end. For a start it was SUNNY this time and students were sitting outside of pubs and clubs the length of Zülpicherstrasse. Inside MTC though there were still no canapes or champagne flutes to be found – in fact it was difficult to find anything in the pitch darkness. Do students have special optical abilities now that I didn’t have when I was propping up bars at Portsmouth Polytechnic? I recognize Elli herself in the gloom purely because of the trademark ‘pork-pie’ hat on her head. Said hat was actually stolen during a concert recently but returned to the local television station who duly filmed its eponymous return to Elli’s head the next day.

So Elli quite clearly has a bit of media spin already on her side – not least due to her appearances with Dieter Bohlen. The new CD ‘Human’ though is a result of time spent in America and away from Bohlen. Lyrics are all in English and it is clearly a very commercial platter. “The first CD that’s really me all the way through” as Elli describes it – although the booklet credits assign the music and lyrics to others with the rather mysterious additional assignation each time of ‘Elisabeth ‘Elli Erl – Manuscript’.

Both support acts are worth a mention: ‘AlexAmsterdam‘ were a quirky keyboard/guitar duo who actually came from Düsseldorf (The name ‘AlexAmsterdam’ sounded good explained their guitarist – who surprisingly is actually named Alex) later. Still more interesting was the set by Adrienne – a feisty girl with acoustic guitar and thoughtful lyrics from Los Angeles who’s band ‘The Rescues’ have made several musical appearances on episodes of ‘Greys Anatomy’. Also notable in an odd way was that it was the men (from AlexAmsterdam) who had the long hair, and the women (both Elli and Adrienne) who had short hair and tattooed arms.

And so to Elli‘s performance itself. Things got off to a jerky start musically with Adi the guitarist – Elli later admitted to changing the set order without telling the poor man. When soon after a broken guitar string caused delays, her showmanship talents came to the fore and she had the audience singing acappella for a couple of minutes. In fact the most memorable aspects of the evenings show for me were the excellent power Pop songs from the new ‘Human’ CD, in particular ‘Shadows’ , but most of all Elli’s control of the audience. Anyone talks whilst she sings and she calls out ‘Schnauze!’ (‘shut up’, as she explained to Adrienne who wondered what she was saying). These were fans of course and all was spoken and taken in good humour.

My verdict on the CD ‘Human’: Great vocals and well crafted pop/rock songs. maybe a bit too ‘hit formula’ structered for my taste but then I’m not the target audience. A very listenable./enjoyable disc.

On the crowded midnight train back to Bonn I found myself thinking that my very first CD Release shows were total contrasts to one another, with two up and coming acts that could each do with a mix of the others talents to add to their own. The songwriting and band atmosphere of MiaMiao and the showmanship/commercial appeal of Elli duly sprinkled onto both bands, leave to simmer and add a glass of champagne – on second thoughts, strike the champagne, it’s a myth along with the cocktail sausages on sticks. This might be called Indie/Pop but really it’s Rock n Roll.

MiaoMio

Elli

Popularity: 67% [?]

Bonn Marathon 2009

Around 22,000 weary legs found their way around the Rhein-Energie-Marathon circuit in Bonn on Sunday.

The 11,000 or so owners of said legs had a day of sunshine which was better suited to those watching than those actually ‘doing’.  Not surprisingly then there were no records broken.  Mens winner Joash Mutai spent most of his race alone without even a pacer for company.  John Kitui, Mutai’s likely hardest opponent and winner in 2006, had been unable to obtain a Visa in time for the Race.  His other likely challenger, Richard Ngolepus,  hobbled out with a foot injury after 25 km.   Womens’ winner, 25 year old kenyan  Rosina Kiboino,  was a surprise however, winning in only her second Marathon and first outside of Kenya.  Favourite, Moldavia’s Valentina Delion who won in 2005 and 2006 finished second and just missed out on a hat-trick of wins.

Here a gallery of images.  Some of them winners who made it onto the podium – others just winners who made it round the course!

Marathon Images

Popularity: 41% [?]

« Previous Page — Next Page »