I have been known to go and watch international bands just so I can see the opening local acts – I went to Lenny Kravitz to see the Nudies, I went to Offspring to see, um, yes, the Nudies, and frankly I enjoyed Wonderboom far more than Live at that particular concert. So I don’t think it was any surprise to my friends when, despite the fact that I only know about 2 Mad Caddies songs, I opted to go to this gig primarily to see Fuzigish. The fact that I ended up loving the Caddies turned out to be the cherry on the top of a great evening.
Unfortunately, annoying work circumstances meant that I arrived late and missed most of Sibling Rivalry’s set. This band is, however, a Durban staple so I have seen them a number of times before. They’re one of those bands I neither like nor dislike. They play solid punk, and to me are just a teeny bit generic. They do have a lot of personality on stage, and since this was an all ages affair, there was a crazy skipping circle going on in front of the stage. Scary stuff. One other thing I will say about this band is that they have been going strong for ages, and they really make the effort to uplift the local music industry, organising festivals and encouraging up and coming bands. For that they will always have my support.
Right then, on to Fuzigish. I have been to loads of Fuzi gigs, and each one of them has been heaps of fun, this one being no exception. I stayed in the stands to avoid the crazy skipping circle which by this stage had escalated – there’s something unsettling about getting beaten up by a boy half your age – and then promptly annoyed everyone behind me by being one of those people who jump up and down and dance around in the seating area. Like I’ve said before, I’m not good with sitting at gigs. Fuzi played a great mix of old stuff and new tracks off their latest album, Roll with the Punches, and they had the crowd in a frenzy. This is a band that just oozes personality on stage and the audience gets swept up in their energy and enthusiasm. Of course, Big Willie whipped out the beer funnel, much to the delight of the crowd. He seems to spend a lot more time running amok on stage now that Ampie Omo has joined the band, and as always looked as if he had had a few goes at the funnel himself before they came on – just one more thing that makes this band really entertaining to watch. Ampie Omo still kind of freaks me out a little bit, and I think maybe I preferred the band before he joined, but he’s growing on me. Maybe a haircut would help. I dunno. Anyway, I digress. It was an awesome show by one of my favourite bands, and that alone made the somewhat steep entrance fee worthwhile.
The Mad Caddies hail from Santa Barbara in California, and have been doing their thing since 1995. They play a really cool blend of punk, rock and ska and have real character on stage. Their frontman was quite witty, which I always appreciate in a band, and they genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves up there. I think that makes all the difference to whether an audience has fun or not. There’s nothing more boring than watching a band that looks like they have better places to be, and you definitely could not accuse the Caddies of this. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if it was just where we were standing, but the sound for the Caddies didn’t seem as crisp as that of Fuzi (they were using a different sound guy) so I had a hard time making out what the vocalist was saying. Nonetheless, what I could hear, I really liked, and if it wasn’t for inconsiderate people getting married this month, I would have forked out the extra cash for their CD.
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