Concert report from Kristof Scheller – Harmonie Bonn 22.12.2026

It tends to be the case that every time someone plays two shows in subsequent years in the Rhineland it becomes considered a ‘Tradition’. In the case of guitarist Stefan Stoppok (vocals, guitar, cajon), however, one must speak of a repeat offender: once again he was a guest at the Harmonie in Endenich, together with American musician Tess Wiley, shortly before the end of the year. The Hamburg musician with roots in the Ruhr region has been on a kind of permanent tour for decades and is certainly one of the best and most creative guitarists in Germany, stopping at nothing when it comes to plucked instruments (add ‘Thueringische Waldzitter’ to the earlier list). In addition, being joined by Tess Wiley on vocals, guitar, violin and piano gave the songs an interesting ‘Texas meets Ruhrgebiet’ air – not to mention giving Stoppok the opportunity to find yet another fresh edge for his music this time around.

With his steadfast refusal to give in to commercial hits you won’t hear Stoppok on everyday German radio. His is a loyal fan base similarly disinterested in eschewing intelligent and thoughtful lyrics in order to create a pop tune and chart success. There’s certainly no need to win over this evening’s audience – they already know him so to speak, and would disagree with his opening song lyric “Am schoensten ist es immer anderswo” (‘Schoene Gruesse’). It’s always better somewhere else? Not for these fans it isn’t! – at least for the next two hours.

Stoppok, often on the road with his rock bandmates, has chosen to do a string of intimate gigs and with Wiley is doing a short but whirlwind tour this Winter, visiting 22 cities in around a month. The programme is colourful and varied, with older hits (‘Wetterprophet’, ‘La Compostela’, ‘Aus dem Beton’) alternating with songs from newer albums (‘Lass sie rein’, ‘Mal Dein Herz an’, ‘2 Wunderschoene Augen’). Wiley also contributes two of her own songs, demonstrating a talent for powerful ballads. In this rich programme (exactly two hours including encores), Stoppok also manages to slip in a few critical political comments without turning the evening into a political song recital.

Overall, both musicians come across as delightfully authentic and relaxed. Unfortunately, even two hours seem too short for such compelling music. Fortunate then that Stoppok has started that tradition we mentioned earlier and Bonn fans can already make a note in their diary for 22 December 2026.

Whatever sort of year 2025 has been for you, 3songsbonn hopes you have a great Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful New Year packed with great music!

Kunst & Kultur Bad Godesberg (alias KuKuG) joined the Kleines Theater in Bonn to celebrate the end of their theatrical and musical year in style with a very happy santa as my picture above shows. You can make the Kleines Theater’s proprieter Frank Oppermann as happy as Santa with a donation towards the much needed theatre roof repairs – more details HERE

Santa’s wasn’t the only happy face though on an afternoon/evening with a tombola and events that offered something for everyone – from small children, to teenagers, to adults. As always, it’s been a wonderful year in Bad Godesberg for theatre and music in the Kurpark – with plans for a wonderful 2026 already well underway. Merry Christmas to all involved at Kleines Theater and KuKug.. See you in 2026!

It’s December, and with Christmas just around the corner; thoughts for Bonn Folk Club regulars turn to – Dotty’s Sportsbar and Simon Kempston. For the fourteenth or maybe even fifteenth time (even my own reports don’t go back that far) Dundee’s finest exponent of melodic acoustic folk music was in town. Once again with a promised new disc, but also this time with the hidden extra bonus of a fellow Scot to share guitar duties, in Glaswegian Paul Tasker.

A new label, a new record, a new solo career and a wedding. For a guy who’s been in and out of hospital in 2025 Laurence Jones seems to have a lot on his calendar. In actual fact, it’s his way of taking it easy…

Laurence Jones first appeared on my musical radar, as many a blues performer has, via RUF Records. A young Brit playing the Blues. He quickly became one of my favourite Blues artists, not just for his excellent music, but also for being an all-round nice guy (in the company of other nice guys like Wayne Proctor and Roger Innis I should mention!). It was only later that I discovered Laurence had Crohn’s Disease. Having a similar disease myself (Ulcerative Colitis) I was always amazed at how the guy toured with what can be a very debilating illness.

Sadly, it proved to be too difficult to keep a band on the road with this year’s health problems. Laurence lost three stone in weight and, as he puts it: “sometimes I wouldn’t get out the house for months then all of a sudden I’m on stage, performing with a lot of pressure to hundreds and thousands of people and really my body couldn’t take it being seriously inflamed”. The result is that December 11th saw an emotional farewell for the Laurence Jones Band in Northampton. 2026 will see a less frantic solo acoustic tour that is currently gently spaced out and mainly within the UK (currently also two stops in Holland).

A new acoustic CD ‘On My Own’ is in the starting blocks for release in January and, true to Laurence’s intentions to get out of the musical Rat-race, he has even created his own record label in memory of his Grandad and biggest supporter Ron Redcliffe. “The vision is to own my own music, putting artist welfare first!!! Something this industry lacks behind the scenes… it’s only taken me 15 years but good things come to those who wait and it’s all about timing and the universe coming together. I’ve learnt when things are natural and not pushed they naturally progress into something beautiful”

So a new career, a new album, a new tour, and a new label. I seem to also remember reading something about marriage next year – Amy Eftekhari will be supporting Laurence on next year’s tour and beyond.
Sounds like Mr Jones has good reason for singing the Blues with a deserved smile! 🙂

Here’s a taster of the new Laurence Jones. Sounds very tasty indeed!

In July Le Clou released a new EP titled ‘Adieu’ and goodbye it really is this year for Bonn’s favourite Cajun Band when on 4 December Bonn Harmonie will see them playing their very last official gig. Last night with Yves Gueit, Johannes Epremian and Steve Crawford was then an evening to savor as they stopped off for a house concert in Bad Godesberg, and judging by the smiles of the three gentlemen, they are determined to enjoy every last moment of their time on stage together.

For the uninitiated, Cajun Music has its roots literally in the swamps of the American South. Situated around the Mississippi Delta, it’s no wonder that there is a strong cross-over to the Blues at times, but the Cajuns also brought their very own musical sound to the region when they arrived there from France, some two hundred years ago, and this is the basis of Le Clou’s music.

Main singer, fiddle player and guitarist Johannes Epremian isn’t a Cajun. In fact his early passport stated his nationality as ‘undefined’. Born in Germany of an Armenian Father with whom he spoke French, Johannes discovered the music of the swampland early on. Virtually overnight his classical violin became a Cajun fiddle and he’s been an integral part of Le Clou since 1982. Johannes makes a point of staying true to the music he loves by regular visits to Louisiana. We spoke after the show of our mutual admiration for the late Willy DeVille, and Johannes remembered seeing Willie playing on a front-porch in Louisiania. The music is clearly running though his veins.

First an admission: I’m not able to go into detail about the lyrics of what was played this evening. Most songs are in ‘Louisiana French’ dialect. Even though Johannes does decsribe the basis of what he will be singing before the songs, it doesn’t really matter too much – the melodies and enthusiasm carry listeners quickly into their magic. Titles like ‘Adieu’, ‘Criminel’ and ‘Chocolat’ are pretty self-explanatory in content anyway. ‘Griffon’ on the other hand made for interesting discussion: Johannes describes the lyrics as describing someone who steals from the rich to give back to the poor – but not like Robin Hood. I only find the term referring to a breed of dog online, so the controversy remains open. There were more pressing things to consider anyway, like the need to dance to these jaunty melodies whilst seated in tight rows of chairs in a small room.

Johannes himself was certainly the one most to blame for causing this dilemma – with his lively fiddle melodies. Yves Gueit on the other hand was there to calm us all down again. A founder-member of the Band, white haired Gueit looks like he’s seen it all since the group’s mid-’70’s formation. When things begin to get too frantic he merely plucks one of many flutes from a stand that’s almost as tall as he is and calms things down instantly. But don’t get the feeling he wants to stop those toes tapping for too long though, as there is also a Cajun-Accordian at his feet.

Scotsman Steve Crawford makes up the rhythm section in the absence of a drummer, with acoustic guitar and backing vocals – even getting to sing one of his own songs during the evening. He’s a man worth listening to in his own right as anyone who has caught his shows with Sabrina Palm will testify. Currently he is also to be heard with blues-harpist Spider McKenzie.

Johannes and his National Duolian Resonator guitar were my stars of the show though. I’m not usually an equipment nerd but this instrument screams history and authenticity. At their time of manufacture in the mid to late 1930’s these were National’s budget models at a mere 32 US Dollars. The sound and history make the guitar in 2025 deserving of a couple of 0’s after that price tag though. Ah yes, there was one song that I recognized – ‘Jambalaya’. Johannes introduced it as the most famous of Cajun songs even though it stems from Country & Western legend Hank Williams who ‘borrowed’ the tune and title from a Cajon release by Chuck Guillory before replacing the original lyrics concerning a lost love with those of a found love – for Cajun cooking.

If my review has given you an appetite for the music of Le Clou then you don’t have much time left to hear it live onstage. The Band’s very last show will be at Bonn Harmonie on 4 December. Together with Gero Gellert on bass and Ralph Schläger on drums they will be closing the fifty-year existence of Le Clou with style I’m sure. “There were no quarrels or ‘musical differences'” Johannes was keen to point out. “The time seems right to finish now”. His evident enthusiasm when he plays and sings gives me great hope though that there will be Cajun music in Bonn for a good while yet.

So people, December 4th, Bonn Harmonie. LeClou will be going out dancing for sure!