Bläck Fööss frontman: “We will get the party started”
A large opening party will be held this year on the eve of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 at the LANXESS arena in Cologne on Friday, 31 May. Up to 6,000 people will be expected, when the participating team, their fans and the people of Cologne come together for the start of European handball’s highlight event. The musical highlight of the evening’s diverse entertainment programme is the open air concert by Bläck Föös.
 Bläck Fööss are the “Rolling Stones of Rheinland”. They have been together since 1970 and while Mick Jagger and Co. brought blues rock to London, Bläck Fööss were filling the concert halls of Germany with their dialect songs. Kafi Biermann (pictured in the centre) is one of the youngest band members after joining in 1995.
Before becoming the band’s frontman, Kafi was a strength and conditioning coach at 1. FC Köln. He previously worked at the hockey team, Kölner Haie, and worked as a lecturer at the German Sport University.
ehfCL.com: Given your sporting past, how much does it please you that Cologne is the capital of European handball for a weekend?
Kafi Biermann: It is great to see how Cologne becomes the focal point of world class handball once a year. It is the place for best players, most passionate fans and fantastic organisation. As a sport student, I previously played handball and I like the sport a lot. The people of Cologne and the surrounding area are handball enthusiasts, which is why it is a pity that it is not going so well with VfL Gummersbach and we do not have a top team in Cologne at the moment.
ehfCL.com: The LANXESS arena turns into a melting pot of international handball fans once a year. How do your concerts compare?
Kafi Biermann: You cannot compare an event such as this with our concerts. We develop a base which is varied from song to song and can sometimes go in a romantic direction or a partying direction. Handball goes straight to the point with goals, goals, goals. Therefore, a handball event is clearly more turbulent and more hectic than a Bläck Fööss concert.
ehfCL.com: Cologne will be the place to be for all handball fans on 1 and 2 June. The visitors are looking forward to a brilliant event, but also seeing the city of Cologne. Can you explain the welcoming hospitality of the locals to us?
Kafi Biermann: The mentality of the people of Cologne is simply very open. They are generally very happy for everyone to visit their city, regardless of where they come from. The whole of Cologne will warmly welcome everyone, it was like that in the past and it has always been the same. That is also the reason, why so many handball fans come back after visiting the event once.
ehfCL.com: Your concert will be the absolute highlight of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 Opening Party. What can people look forward to at the concert?
Kafi Biermann: On one hand, we will be singing typical Cologne songs, which will touch everyone’s heart, whether they come from Cologne or not. Additionally, we will also play some real party songs. We will get the FINAL4 party started.
TEXT: EHF / cor
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