“I’m not usually a fan of coverbands, but I make yours an exception!” were my words to Rope Schmitz after a show some years ago. Since Rope’s passing in 2020 there has been a gap in the local music scene as Sunny Skies disappeared from the scene completely aside from a memorial concert in 2022.

The good news is that the band is coming back! Martin Behr on guitar, Babsi Nitsche – vocals, Andi Altmeier – drums and Andreas Rochnia on keys are joined by Uwe Rodewald on bass from Whiteshake. Martin tells me that the band has been working on adding some “cool new old songs” to the band’s repertoire and giving them a distinctive Sunny Skies rock sound. So when can we hear them? The plan is to get back on the road around next Spring.

There’s no hard and fast decision on having a male singer again, so if you fancy your vocal chords are up to tackling the likes of ‘Highway to Hell’ and ‘Smoke on the Water’ etc let them know. It will be a hard task following the likes of Alex Krienke and Patrick Sühl for sure.

Next year’s Blues Caravan will see an all girl line-up rocking out the Harmonie on 28th January. Laura Chavez should be familiar to all readers here having appeared numerous times on guitar for many a top visiting musician and also playing tracks from her debut release on RUF Records at last years Caravan.

Newcomers in 2027 are Jax Hollow who is a Nashville based singer songwriter and guitar shredder. Also new to the RUF roster is Taylor Newville who hails from Portland Oregon, and from the evidence of online videos, is also a mean guitar player. It looks like an explosive evening of Bluesrock is coming Bonn’s way in 2027. Ticket details HERE

It seems like the clocks have barely waved goodbye to Summertime and here I am enjoying a steaming hot pumpkin soup ‘Around the Christmas Tree’ (Rund um den Weihnachtsbaum) at Moltkeplatz in Bad Godesberg. As it’s still November I prefer to call Ralf Reifenberg’s little village of wooden huts a Wintergarden which wouldn’t bother Ralf too much – “The main thing is that people come here to what would otherwise, outside of marketdays be an empty square, and that they have a good time”. Hot food & snacks are on offer from the Godesberg caterer ‘Kantinchen’ (the pumpkin soup is excellent!). Ralf has his own booth providing beer, wine and of course mulled Glühwein; and there will, as usual, be regular live music on offer.

Ralf’s Winter/Xmas wonderland on Moltkestrasse (opposite Kinopolis) will be open daily until 30 December from Midday until 10 pm closed only on Totensonntag (22 Nov), Xmas Eve and Xmas Day (24 & 25 Dec).

Live Music (beginning c. 7 pm)

There’s not much that can be relied upon in these uncertain times of riots all over western Europe. I’m happy to report though that an evening of solid Bluesrock with a spoonful of Soul from Thorbjørn Risager and his seven man tour-de-force The Black Tornado is still a safe bet in 2026. Good news also for the promoter Rocktimes sake was that The Harmonie was completely sold out too. The band themselves were also full of praise for Bonn with trumpet wizard Peter W. Kehl taking a moment between songs to thank everyone for coming out: “Playing here has become like a homecoming party!”.

After the last Kunst!Rasen Season is before the next Kunst!Rasen Season for Ernst-Ludwig Hartz, Katrin Wurm and Martin Nötzel. To the point where press conferences for the next year get earlier and earlier. This week plans were unveiled for July/August 2027 and it’s only mid-October.

So dear reader, what and who can you expect to find when you walk under the giant, inflated K!R arch next Summer? 3songsbonn reveals all. Well, all that is currently revealable anyway…

Christmas is not far away so if you’re looking for something a a little different for a die-hard Rock fan look no further than Bonhams Auction rooms.

Rick Parfitt of Status Quo’s iconic 1966 Fender Telecaster, as featured in virtually every Quo show including Live Aid and Bonn Kunstrasen 2015 (see picture) is up for grabs.

Just think how much more it would have been worth if the late Quo star who died in 2016 hadn’t ruined the original finish by repainting it…

Put in your bid HERE 😉

Folk Club #172 if you’re counting. Quick calculations will put #100 sometime in 2029 so make a note not to take any holiday that year until the exact date is known. It seems like a long time, but believe me, Folk Club #100 only seems like yesterday. Right now it’s still October 2026 though, and the fact that special guest Canadian Chris Ronald‘s previous releases have achieved top 10 placings on international folk music charts is an indication of how those meek and mild beginnings of Folk Club have grown into a loud and proud organization (loud in the sense of it’s international reach rather than it’s music I hasten to add!)