A definite perk to being the owner of the only alternate club in Durban is that when its your birthday, you get to book loads of really cool bands and feel really popular when hundreds of people show up for the party. It felt a little strange rocking up at Burn at 5pm and not being able to find a parking but an afternoon of bands on the roof before a night of retros hits on the dance floor was definitely one of the better ways I’ve spent a Saturday in a long time.
We arrived purposefully late, so as to avoid Clock Struck June, who were pretty horrible when we saw them at Sibaya. We’d also thought we would miss The Kiff but that wasn’t to be. They are too jazzy/funky for my taste and their nonsensical songs all start to sound the same after a while. They do have a kickass bass player though – I think when he leaves the band shortly it may be the end for them. Basically these guys just provided the background music as we settled in for the long night that lay ahead.
Next up were Bhora, legends of the Durban nu-metal scene. Unlike The Kiff, they adhered to the unplugged theme of the day, and I enjoyed them far more than I ever have before. Although all that nu-metal screamy stuff is not really my thing, Bhora are indisputably excellent at it. Unplugged, we were able to get more of an idea of the harmonies behind their songs and it made for a thoroughly enjoyable set.
The AK Massive took to the stage next and wowed the audience with their new material. I’m loving the indie feel of their latest songs and a bunch of us were up and dancing despite it being acoustic. These guys have notoriously bad luck and true to form the electricity tripped half way through their set. They handled it with characteristic humour and the crowd really seems to love interacting with this band.
What can I say about Fire through the Window that I haven’t already said? Sinead & Marc’s vocals just blend together perfectly like champagne and orange juice, and they have an effervescence on stage that makes them impossible not to like. Their songs are sweet and fun, and tend to get stuck in your head for days (although fortunately not in a torturous Rihanna – Umbrella kind of way!). Their debut album is out now so try and get your hands on it if you can.
Peter the band slut from Fire through the Window basically just stayed on stage because next up was an acoustic version of Squeal, comprising Peter and the legendary Dave Birch. Given that Squeal was the band that initiated me into the wonders of South African music, I was very, very excited about this performance. Dave has a voice as smoky as a blues bar and as smooth as melted chocolate – there is no denying that this man is one of the best vocalists to ever come out of this country. It was brilliant to be swept away on the nostalgia of old Squeal hits like Runners and this was certainly my favourite performance of the evening.
The final act of the evening was Francois van Coke of Fokoffpolisiekar fame. Sigh. As far as I’m concerned, this man is just cool incarnate. I don’t really know what it is about him that makes this so, since he rolled into Burn in his trademark stovepipe jeans with his boxers hanging out at the back, unkempt hair and bloodshot eyes. If my friends’ opinions are anything to go by, he’s also not particularly endearing on stage. But then again, maybe that’s it in a nutshell – he is ‘bad boy syndrome’ all wrapped up in a rock star package. Whatever it is, when he steps onto the stage, he owns it, even when he’s playing unplugged. He made his thoughts on this issue quite clear, and I have to agree with him – there is just too much energy in his music to tame it into an unplugged set. My friends looked baffled as I sang along in Afrikaans – it must be my bilingual brain…I don’t even notice the difference. To me, it’s all about great, sardonic lyrics delivered by someone who patently doesn’t give a damn what anybody thinks about him and is just up there making thought provoking music rock. For all the people who were embarrassed to be Afrikaans after Bok van Blerk rode onto the scene…take heart, Francois is taking the power back!
And that was the end of the band portion of the day’s entertainment. The sensible woman would have gone to get some supper before hitting the dance floor but the great tunes just kept coming and once again the wheels came off. Oh well. I learnt some valuable lessons, such as it is in fact possible to spend 10 hours at Burn, and also that my friend Scott deserves an Oscar for his performance as fake boyfriend – the things us girls have to do to chase away the men that bite!
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