Best CD – Spin Doctors

Everyone does it, so why not 3Songs?  A ‘Best of’ list for 2013 that is.  Here are my picks of what was hot (or not) in Bonn this past year.  I know there are shiploads of gigs and CD’s that I didn’t get to hear this year so please feel free to add your own hits and misses to the articles comments box.

Best video: Gabbi Young and other Animals – All in this Together

Best CD – Spin Doctors ‘If the river was whiskey’

Farewell: Philip Chevron of The Pogues

Philip Chevron in Cologne last year

Favourite Photo: Katie Melua, Kunst!Rasen

Favourite Photo – Katie Melua

Best live show – Katzenjammer (Kunst!Rasen, Bonn)

Most spectacular show: Deichkind – Kunst!Rasen

Deichkind take the stage out to the Kunst!Rasen audience in eye-popping style

Best live song – Moment Away (Dana Fuchs, Harmonie, Bonn)

Best Band – King King

Best female singer – Dana Fuchs

Best Live Song and Female Singer – Dana Fuchs

Best male singer – Ian Gillan

Best Venue – Harmonie

New Venue – Kunst!Garten

Biggest disappointment – Graham Parker

A low point in the year musically was the seeming arson attack that left Kunst!Garten in ashes – but a high point also has to be how much Bonn has stood behind the organizers, culminating in the Christmas Gala concert with Wolfgang Niedecken, Konrad Beikircher and others making it quite clear to those in authority that we in Bonn won’t just sit back and accept the erosion of our music culture in this City.

So there you are.  You will have your own favourites I’m sure and that’s great because you’re Taking an interest and taking the time to support music in Bonn.

What will the new Kunst!Rasen set-up deliver in 2014?   Just Unheilig booked so far but the promise of some great music to come.

At the Harmonie there is a lot to look forward to already.  Blues Caravan is set to bring one of the UK’s hottest young acts to town in the shape and guitar licks of Laurence Jones.  Thomas Ruf describes the youngster as a ‘Triple A Artist’: A guitarist, A singer and A songwriter.  Bernard Alison, Vdelli and Dr Feelgood are also down for return visits.  Making their Harmonie debut will be the mighty King King as a part of the WDR Crossroads festival in March – I recommend buying tickets very early for that one!

Bonn Folk Club keeps on picking up pace and developing it’s own inimitable style.  It’s even setting new standards with a YouTube Channel and offering every musician a chance to keep a video of their performance.   The very popular Astatine are back in April and there will be great music from people and places you might never have ever heard of if it weren’t for John Harrison and Co.

 Lots to come then and lots to be announced in the coming weeks that is sure to keep Bonn firmly on the musical Roadmap of Germany.

(Rock n) Roll on 2014!