With the excellent news recently that Bonn will be allowed to continue with it’s Open Air Venue the Kunst!Rasen,  promoters Ernst-Ludwig Hartz and Martin Nötzel will have a busy time ahead planning and booking.  Maybe readers of ‘3SongsBonn’ can help them out?  Who would you like to see down by the Rhine in Gronau next year?  What changes to the Kunst!rasen Site would you welcome? 3Songs makes some (not always completely serious) suggestions for 2013.

After a meeting with Lord Mayor Jürgen Nimptsch  last week the go ahead was finally  given to plan next years concerts.  In an interview to local Newspaper ‘General Anzeiger’ the Promoters Ernst-Ludwig Hartz and Martin Nötzel made it clear that in the main everything went to plan with this years eight concerts at Kunst!Rasen.  A hiccup in the beer requirements for a thirsty 9000 Jan Delay concert visitors was quenched in time for the next show and plans are afoot to maybe move the Stand (Tribune) so that those seated won’t need binoculars to catch Lou Reeds smile in future.

As a photographer I’d like the stage a little lower (or the ‘Pit’ a little higher!) but the length of the audience area probably requires the extra height and, with fond memories of Patti Smith acknowledging boats ‘floating through the trees’ below her, I’m sure it is a definite plus for performers.  I think The Pogues would have needed to stand on the roof of their Cologne Stage recently to get a similar view of Father Rhine at the Tanzbrunnen.

Zaz fires up the Kunst!Rasen audience

I’d like too a return to the ‘one price fits all’ system that existed at Museumsplatz.  Or at least a two tier price system on the occasions where a ‘Front of Stage’ policy is utilised.  Getting there early and seeing people who paid exactly what I paid arrive an hour later and get a better view of Bob Dylan’s hat  was irritating ( I’d foolishly left my Opera glasses on the Chaiselongue at home)   Maybe a shuttle-bus back to the Main Station would be nice for big selling shows too.  It might help relieve parking congestion if people could get back easily to Bonn’s ‘main-drag’ for Bus and Bahn.  It would also deposit them nicely in the City Centre to avail themselves of Bonn’s thriving nightlife (okay, that’s a work in progress)

The promoters state categorically that there are no plans for a ‘roof’ over any part of the audience – open air should be ‘what it says on the can’.    What Open Air Festival worth its salt hasn’t had it’s share of naked fans wrestling in the dawn mud?  Maybe I’m being pessimistic.   Let’s be more positive and instead recommend more ‘shelter from the Sun’ around the arena periphery.  If not, then may I be first to request a franchise to supply official ‘Kunst!Rasen’  parasols (waterproof, of course).

This year popular offstage – next year onstage? – Wolfgang Niedecken

A great view from a comfy seat and a reliable bus home are all secondary to the most important theme –who should we be watching?  The Olympics closing ceremony in London didn’t throw up any ‘must see’ for next year.  I can’t imagine the Spice Girls will still be talking by then, and although The Who are always worth a bus ride those windmill arms of Pete looked like they would need a strong sea breeze rather than Rhine fresh air to rotate in their old 1970’s frenzy.   The Rolling Stones?  They probably haven’t forgiven Bonn for not getting back to them last time they asked about playing here.  Maybe Springsteen would be up for it?  A break from bleak Nebraska?  I’d love to see Hugh Laurie do his Blues here – I’m sure Cuddy would happily give him the evening off from Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital.   Zaz of course with her ready smile is welcome back any day, ideally the day after a concert by Godfather of sad refrains Leonard Cohen.  Also welcome back for another ‘Farewell Tour’ would be King of the Blues Mr BB King, with the wonderful Ana Popovic supporting again of course.

I’m sure that, like me, you are eagerly awaiting news of the next Kunst!Rasen Season and hoping your own particular favourite Artists will be on the list.  Let me know who YOU want to see in 2013.  Maybe if we get enough votes Posh, Scary and Co will stay together for us.  Is that what you want?  What you really, really want?  Let us know by commenting below…