For the UK’s best-known music magazine ‘Classic Rock Magazine’, Danny Bryant is a “National Blues Treasure“, a title that the exceptional guitarist has earned through hard work and tireless touring. Only 42 years old, Bryant has made a name for himself on the European blues scene for almost two decades, playing over 2500 club and festival gigs for his many fans, and is regarded in the industry as one of the best of the best.

His new studio album “Rise” was recorded earlier this year at Chapel Studios, UK and produced by Grammy winner Ian Dowling (Adele and others). Stylistically, Danny Bryant remains true to himself and offers an exciting mix of blues, rock and singer-songwriter, but has opted for a slightly more modern sound in the production, which makes the Brit sound fresher than ever. “My label and I agreed that everyone wanted a more heavily produced, more layered sounding record without compromising my sound,” explains Danny Bryant.

To hear Danny’s sound on a live stage you only need to make a visit to Bonn Harmonie on Wednesday. Even better, the first person to email 3songsbonn@gmx.de and tell me who produced the new Danny Bryant album ‘Rise’ will be on the guestlist for free entry with a companion! Please title the email ‘Danny Bryant Competition’ and may the best live music fan win!

If you miss out on the competition tickets are available HERE

He’s young, Italian, good-looking, with a great voice and a charismatic presence. Christian Meringolo. All this perfection is hard to take for the lesser, non-Italian, mortal males amongst us. He even handles somewhat exasperating audience requests from thin air with consummate ease. “Can you sing Happy Birthday as you promised to?” asks one lady mid-concert, “Because we have to leave in a minute!”. “So you want me to sing something for you so you can leave and don’t have to listen anymore?” is Christian’s winking reply. Of course he obliges.

You think it can’t get more challenging? “Could you sing a Kölsch song?” Christian is relieved as he knows a couple. Then comes the sting – “A Christmas Kölsch song?”. Aha! I thought. That’s stumped him finally. But of course, he is not only a good-looking Italian etc, he knows a suitable song from Bläck Föös. Joking aside – Christian is always a pleasure to see and hear on a stage. Whether with a full electric band, solo, or as today in a duet form with drummer Timur Tiglu also braving the cold. Songs in English, German, Italian, and Kölsch. What more could you want? I bet someone in the audience would think of something… Nice one Christian (and Timur) and thank you KuKug eV for arranging this evening.

Still to come Unter der Zeder:

09.12.2023 – Gospelchoir ‘Sounding Joy’ 4pm – 7pm with Sounding Brass from 6pm

16.12.2023 – Kleines Theater Allstars Advents Konzert 4pm – 7pm

All concerts free entry but please put money in the hat!

KuKug Website

My only encounter with the late Shane MacGowan was not of the close kind. It was 2012, after The Pogues had played Tanzbrunnen in Cologne and I had arranged an interview with Pogues accordion player James Fearnley who had just published a book on the Band. To quote Fearnley in the interview “I rang Shane up to tell him that I was finally writing a book about us and that I would probably be on the unstinting side, he said: ‘I don’t give a fuck about that.’“. The atmosphere backstage was not, you won’t be surprised to hear, particularly cosy. The doorman had told all the fans who asked for autographs outside that Shane had already gone back to the hotel – those astute enough to point out they could plainly see his reflection in the mirror inside were answered with a tired “Do I have eyes in the back of my head?” Until the next fan asked and got the same answer.

“Let’s go to work!”. They were the trademark words of the great Rory Gallagher before his legendary live performances. Julian Sas walks onstage and says those words, not verbally, but in the very way he picks up his battered white Strat and plugs in the jack cable. It’s been a long while since Sas gigs were smattered with Gallagher covers – the flying Dutchman has so many great songs of his own to choose from now – but that work ethic remains the same. It’s the 20th time that ‘Mr Music’ (Bernie Gelhausen) has presented Sas here at Bonn Harmonie and you can be sure of only two things – it will be full, and it will be great!

The programme for Unter der Zeder (Kleines Theater Bad Godesberg) from Saturday to Xmas. Great music, great people, and mulled wine too. Not quite ready to call it Christmas yet – but Happy Advent everybody and hope to see you under the Cedar tree!

What better way to warm the hearts of music lovers on cold and wet Bonn Winter evenings than posters advertising next year’s Summer open-air concert season at Kunst!Rasen? The Season is currently set to kick off with Taylor Swift’s favourite band ‘The National’ from Brooklyn. Okay, so Swift is a bit biased since National Bassist Aaron Dessner produced her “Evermore’ and ‘Folklore’ discs as well as being a co-writer, but they should get the Season off to a flyer. More details on the Kunst!Rasen website