Bläck Föös

In the organizer's words:

The Bläck Fööss are as much a part of Cologne as the cathedral and are always welcome guests in Monheim am Rhein. The band has 54 years behind it, with between 200 and 250 gigs a year, which makes them an integral part of Cologne's cultural scene. In the meantime, 44 albums and more than 450 songs are the proud result of more than half a century of musical creativity. The band's contribution to the preservation of the Cologne language is generally recognized and many songs from their vast repertoire have long since become evergreens. Some even have the status of folk songs and are firmly part of the Cologne song repertoire.

In 2022, the band celebrated its 50+2 anniversary in front of more than 20,000 spectators with three sold-out concerts on Roncalliplatz in the shadow of Cologne Cathedral. At the 2022/23 New Year's Eve concert in the Lanxess Arena, the last Fööss veterans, Bömmel and Erry, bid farewell to the band after 52 years. Gus drummed until the end of the 2023 carnival season and then handed over his drumsticks to Alex Vesper after 29 years as drummer of the Bläck Fööss. In its 55th year, the band is now rejuvenated, Bläck Fööss 2.0, so to speak.