Before I went to this gig I had something of a heated discussion with the Cape Town correspondent about my motives for attending. It occurred to me then that as much as I hate being labelled a groupie (guaranteed to get you a swift kick to the shins if you’re within striking distance), there is a flip side to that coin. It must really suck to be an artist and have people assume that the only reason anyone goes to watch you is because you happen to be good looking. So let the record reflect that while I like to randomly look at good looking guys as much as the next girl, I don’t spend money on their CDs or brave Florida Road on a Sunday night to do it!
Ahem. Now that I’ve had my little rant, let’s get down to what actually matters. The first artist to take to the stage in the intimate environs of Society on Sunday night was Baz Corden. Baz looks like one of the guys from Weezer and brings a quiet sense of humour to his performance. You have to really pay attention to what he’s saying but when you take a moment to listen you realise that for such a low key guy, he’s funny as hell. Last week the venue was so full I was practically snuggled into some stranger’s armpit….so it was a relief to have a little more room to breathe and to actually be able to see the stage. The atmosphere was a lot more relaxed with a lot of pretty people slouching artfully on expensive furniture, but the focus was still on what was happening musically. Baz provided some lovely chilled out sounds to lounge to, and his Tom Petty style vocals had some die-hard fans singing at full lung capacity. There’s no denying his remarkable talent and the gentle appeal of his songs, but I wasn’t blown away.
Farryl Purkiss was up next and he had Kieran Smith join him on stage on bass. They started off with a little jam session that, as one friend pointed out, brought to mind mystical Indian cities and yoga gurus. Interesting. And indeed there is something almost mystical about the hold Farryl has over his audiences. The wine glasses were set aside and once again we were transported far away from the dull concerns of the week that lay ahead. That’s part of the beauty of the Vintage Sunday Sessions - you get to cling to the notion that the weekend is not quite over yet, and delay the inevitable slap of reality that faces us all on a Monday morning. What better artist to hold us captive in that optimistic little bubble than Farryl, with his velvet tones and bittersweet melodies. When I first heard of him, he was being touted as our answer to Jack Johnson. And yes, he does have that languid surfer vibe going for him, but there’s a complexity and vitality that he brings to his music which rises above the comparison. He’s also completely down to earth and relaxed on stage, to the point of cracking jokes about doing his friend’s mom. We could all see the crimson glow of said friend’s blush from way in the back. Nice. For the last two songs, the legendary Nibs van der Spuy joined Farryl and Kieran on stage, much to the delight of the crowd. The perfect way to end a lovely show.
And so we wandered out into a balmy Durban night, our ears still filled with the luscious sounds of Farryl Purkiss and thoughts of the Monday morning meeting blissfully relegated to the backburner. What a pleasure.
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