Freedom Sounds Christmas Ball #2

It’s worth to arrive to Cologne on December 14th. That friday night Gebäude 9 club is gonna be full of great music and perfect mood – as a “regular” I can personally vouch for that. Of course lineup is not as extensive as in case of april edition, but you’ll find something interesting here for sure.

It’s gonna get started with a local band, Kapelle#3 – it’s quite mature crew with its roots going as far as 2005.  Ska and reggae in very solid and refined version with great sounding brass section. If a vocalist looks kinda familiar, you might know him from the very first Cologne mento band Los Apartamentos. Up till today Kapelle#3 managed to release a single, two longplays and a recording of “Live at Bex Studio” session, which was accompanied by three videoclips. You can find some of it below. It’s worth mentioning, that precisely on December 14th guys are going to premiere their latest material, album freshly mixed at famous Belgian studio Pum Pum Hotel.

After this warm-up The Meows Meows from Brighton are gonna take over – this band is already quite familiar with Cologne audience. What you’re gonna get here is mostly regular british ska and double female vocal with distinct soul twist. You might hear some garage and rock’n’roll notes too – anyway there should be some proper dancing to those sounds. Two singles, three longplays and countless gigs all over Europe with world famous stars such as Slackers, Aggrolites, Beat or Selecter – that’s what they can show off and all that experience is gonna burst into audience’s ears next weekend  at Freedom Sounds Christmas Ball.

Meow Meows are also gonna take part in the final show of the night. Their brass section is gonna join The Hotknives under quite unusual circumstances. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to introduce this crew, but just as a formality I’ll  mention that they are british scene’s legends, serving melodic, strongly pop influenced , guitar ska with very recognizable keys to audiences all over the world since 1982. Marc Carew, “Bosky” Allen, Stuart Brown, Clemmy -that’s band’s lineup we got used to over the years. However in Cologne they’re gonna be beefed up with the original Hotknive, one of band’s co-founders, Mick Clare. That guy with his guitar only can get the party going all by himself , which I witnessed myself two times already, right there, at Freedom Sounds. Besides Mick has been a frequent guest of this festival for many years and I suspect he kinda feels at home there. I have no doubts, that despite this being his first show with Hotknives for 15 years, he’ll easly fit in with The Hotknives on stage.

It’s worth to add, that Freedom Sounds Christmas edition is also a beginning of Hotknives december mini-tour with Mick. You’ll find all the details below. You might not get another chance to see them live together so if you’re around try not to miss it.

• 15.12 –Leipzig
• 16.12 – Hamburg + El Bosso & Die Ping Pongs
• 17.12 – Berlin

It’s quite important to mention, that two charity organizations will have place at Christmas ball. First of them is Action Speaks Louder Than Words supporting distressed jamaican musicans, sometimes even reggae legends, today in need of financial help for many different reasons. Another one is helpjamaica.org which funds educational projects on sunny island. Laudable causes – it’s worth to charge them with your wallet’s power.

Of course gigs will be followed by allnigther. I can personally assure you, there’s not many places, where you’ll dance your feet off before Christmas better than at Freedom Sounds Chrismas party.