Once, long ago, when I was all bright eyed and full of optimism, my boyfriend at the time declared Splashy Fen to be his weekend with the boys. Every year, I would pout and plead, and every year he would swan off into the mists of Underberg, returning smelly and dirty, full of tales of the wonderful bands he had seen. It’s a wonder we lasted as long as we did. The point of this is not to explain my current state of abject cynicism and commitment phobia, but rather, why I never got to see the phenomenal Matthew van der Want at any of the many Splashy Fens he played at. And then, when he returned to Durban a few years ago, my friends chose that day to get married. Inconsiderate. While the bride is smaller than me, I weighed up my odds, and realised she could probably take me….so decided against forgoing the reception in favour of the gig. It was a tough call. All this adds up to the fact that last night’s gig was a long time coming for me!
Matthew van der Want released his first album Turn On You in early 1996. With song titles like Jesus Goosestep, I’m pretty sure he realised it wasn’t destined for overnight commercial success. Which might explain why there were only 16 people at the gig last night. And no, this is not me exaggerating in another indictment of Durban’s general apathy. I counted. Yet I think the 16 of us who braved the rain and ignored the international siren call of Katie Melua (who actually cares how many bicycles there are in Beijing, really?!), were some of the luckiest people around last night. I’m not entirely sure Matthew enjoyed the intimacy of the gig (and I really hope he wasn’t getting a door deal!), but it certainly made it a very special experience for the audience. We got to boss him around and tell him when to take breaks, and how many songs to play, for starters.
It’s not easy, being the lone man on the stage, just him, his guitar and his voice – no band to hide behind, no stage antics to provide bravado. You either have it or you don’t. And the fact that during each song, the audience were held in place, like butterflies pinned to a collecting sheet, barely daring to breathe, is testimony to the fact that if anybody has it, Matthew does. He does dark and twisty in a way that makes me feel better about being the cynical bitch I am. His cutting insights into matters of the heart, and satirical take on the music industry have probably made him a few enemies, but anyone with an ounce of self respect or taste should not be able to deny the talent behind the fuck off attitude. He says what he thinks, but he does so with such frightening beauty that you can’t look away. It was a gig that was definitely worth the wait. And as I sat in the plush surrounds of The Zulu Jazz Lounge, watching Matthew bleed poetry underneath an alarming stuffed kudu head, I thought how lucky we are to still have musicians in this country who don’t feel compelled to play it safe to please the masses. His song Turn On You (my favourite) could be as much about what we do to our musicians with our Americanised expectations, as it could be about love:
”I feel so close to you, only a million miles away.
I look for someone else in you.
I find things worth keeping…I throw them all away
I’m on my own when I’m with you,
I turn you on I turn on you
And I don’t know what’s wrong with me,
The sting in my tail is all you feel”
I wish more people had made the effort to go to last night’s gig and experience an exquisite talent – but at the same time, a selfish little part of me is glad those of us who were there had it all to ourselves.
Matthew has a ‘best of’ CD out at the moment, which can be ordered off his website www.vanderwant-letcher.com
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Counting Crows & Flat Stanley - ICC Arena, Durban, 08.06.08
There are some bands that capture the memories of a certain period in your life. The merest sound from bands such as these unleashes a torrent of Technicolor nostalgia. The Counting Crows are one of these bands for me, which is one reason this was my fifth trip to see them live. Of course the other reason would be the outstanding performance they deliver every time.
I was moderately surprised at the choice of Capetonians Flat Stanley as the support act. In theory, their style of gentle pop rock was in keeping with the tone of the evening. But for the most part they lack complexity, despite having an inordinate number of band members on stage, and I found their performance to be lacking in sparkle. The crowd appreciated fontman Andrew‘s humility and the band’s big hits like Treading Air were well received. If you’re looking for pleasant local pop-rock, these guys are certainly on top of their game. I just felt they needed to up that game somewhat in order to provide worthy support to a band of the Counting Crows’ calibre.
The Counting Crows released their seminal album August and Everything After in 1993. Their sound did not quite fit the grunge mould that was taking the scene by storm at that stage. Yet their manic depressive brand of country rock struck a chord, and August and Everything After sold millions of copies at whirlwind speed. Cut to 2008, and they have just released their 5th studio album, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings. The album is an amalgam of rockier songs and more melodic numbers, based on the theme of Saturday night sinning and Sunday morning repenting.
The band has visited SA twice before, in 1999 and 2004, and amazingly enough always includes Durban on their itinerary, despite our reputation as being the only city that never sells out. Anyone who has listened to their live recordings will realize that they do not believe in performing exact replicas of the songs on the albums. They wend their way through the songs, taking the odd detour into what appears to be improvised territory, adding lyrics from other songs or making up new ones as they go along. This may be annoying to those who only know the radio hits, but for the true fans, it makes every gig a new and rich experience. Add to this the fact that Adam Duritz is a man in perpetual motion, one moment leaping off the monitors, the next crooning as he lies spread-eagle on the floor, and you’re in for a magical performance. Despite having visited us before, they did not make the mistake so many big bands make of only focusing on their new material. The 90 minute set contained fairly equal representation of all their albums, and even included the guaranteed crowd pleaser Mr Jones, which after 15 years, they must be heartily sick of playing. You’d never think it to watch them though.
My only complaint about the evening was the strangely low volume….I never want to be able to hear every conversation being held in the nearby vicinity while I’m trying to watch a band. Having a quiet performance tends to detract from the atmosphere of a show, and add to this the usual lacklustre response of the Durban audience, and you’re left with a tough crowd. Nonetheless, when the last song faded away, the folks of Durban called for more. And of course, the Counting Crows obliged.
Just before the final song of the encore, Adam Duritz shared some touching words with the crowd, spurring us on to take heart against the recent problems our country has been suffering. It was heart warming to see an artist take an interest in the country he was touring, without coming across in a smarmy Bono ‘heal the world’ kind of way. And that is the essence of what appeals about this band – genuine emotion and sincerity infuses everything they do. It’s hard not to like them.
I was moderately surprised at the choice of Capetonians Flat Stanley as the support act. In theory, their style of gentle pop rock was in keeping with the tone of the evening. But for the most part they lack complexity, despite having an inordinate number of band members on stage, and I found their performance to be lacking in sparkle. The crowd appreciated fontman Andrew‘s humility and the band’s big hits like Treading Air were well received. If you’re looking for pleasant local pop-rock, these guys are certainly on top of their game. I just felt they needed to up that game somewhat in order to provide worthy support to a band of the Counting Crows’ calibre.
The Counting Crows released their seminal album August and Everything After in 1993. Their sound did not quite fit the grunge mould that was taking the scene by storm at that stage. Yet their manic depressive brand of country rock struck a chord, and August and Everything After sold millions of copies at whirlwind speed. Cut to 2008, and they have just released their 5th studio album, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings. The album is an amalgam of rockier songs and more melodic numbers, based on the theme of Saturday night sinning and Sunday morning repenting.
The band has visited SA twice before, in 1999 and 2004, and amazingly enough always includes Durban on their itinerary, despite our reputation as being the only city that never sells out. Anyone who has listened to their live recordings will realize that they do not believe in performing exact replicas of the songs on the albums. They wend their way through the songs, taking the odd detour into what appears to be improvised territory, adding lyrics from other songs or making up new ones as they go along. This may be annoying to those who only know the radio hits, but for the true fans, it makes every gig a new and rich experience. Add to this the fact that Adam Duritz is a man in perpetual motion, one moment leaping off the monitors, the next crooning as he lies spread-eagle on the floor, and you’re in for a magical performance. Despite having visited us before, they did not make the mistake so many big bands make of only focusing on their new material. The 90 minute set contained fairly equal representation of all their albums, and even included the guaranteed crowd pleaser Mr Jones, which after 15 years, they must be heartily sick of playing. You’d never think it to watch them though.
My only complaint about the evening was the strangely low volume….I never want to be able to hear every conversation being held in the nearby vicinity while I’m trying to watch a band. Having a quiet performance tends to detract from the atmosphere of a show, and add to this the usual lacklustre response of the Durban audience, and you’re left with a tough crowd. Nonetheless, when the last song faded away, the folks of Durban called for more. And of course, the Counting Crows obliged.
Just before the final song of the encore, Adam Duritz shared some touching words with the crowd, spurring us on to take heart against the recent problems our country has been suffering. It was heart warming to see an artist take an interest in the country he was touring, without coming across in a smarmy Bono ‘heal the world’ kind of way. And that is the essence of what appeals about this band – genuine emotion and sincerity infuses everything they do. It’s hard not to like them.
The Powerzone Roadshow – Burn, 19.04.08
It’s been a while since I’ve been to a gig at Burn – the club has changed ownership, and for a while there the emphasis seemed to be on metal bands. Luckily for the less hardcore amongst us, the balance is being regained. Saturday was a friend’s birthday party, which started with the rugby at 11:30 (and the less said about dirty cheating Aussie refs the better!!), so needless to say by the time we rolled in to Burn we were somewhat worse for wear. Most of us managed to maintain an upright position though, bolstered by the lure of Perez…except for the birthday boy who was discovered taking a power nap at a table. Bless.
One Sock Thief opened up the night’s events to a rather lacklustre audience. However, their poignant indie sound, rife with haunting keyboard melodies and rich vocals, soon managed to draw the bar flies onto the dance floor. They unfortunately only got to play 5 songs due to time constraints and a late start (something about a roadblock…damn that KZN zero tolerance!), but they were definitely my surprise hit of the evening. They’ve managed to get the blend of grinding guitars and pretty piano just right, and at times there was the slightest scent of Muse in the air. Definitely a band with the potential to go far.
Next up was The Black Hotels, another indie staple on the local scene. What a pity these guys can’t seem to cultivate a stage personality. Their music is fantastic, their technical ability superb. But they look as if they’d rather be watching paint dry than playing in front of a crowd of fans. Bored doesn’t begin to describe it – even a yawn would be some display of emotion that we as the audience could tap into! The first time I watched them, I wrote it off to the whole indie indifference thing on stage. But after a few more shows, I simply can’t keep making excuses for them, as much as I love their music. Move around, crack a comment, do something to give us a hint that being on stage is not equivalent to the Spanish Inquisition torture chambers. Otherwise I may as well just stay at home and listen to the CD.
I recently read a review of Coke Fest which described Crash Car Burn as the best thing happening in the local scene at the moment. What a pity that would be if it were true. Let’s face it, they’re pretty much just Tweak with a new name and new songs (which amazingly enough sound remarkably like Tweak). Don’t get me wrong, I used to love Tweak back in the day…I even own 2 of their CDs. In fairness to me, the first time I saw them at Woodstock 2, they were dressed as possums and jumping off the speaker stacks. It was love at first sight. I am such a sucker for a good stage act. And their songs were fun, in a kind of teenage angsty punk pop way. But the novelty wore off after a while…probably after I let go of my teenage angst (not a good thing to hold onto when you’re in your twenties…). Now, I will grant Crash Car Burn this – their lyrics have matured slightly…they no longer sing about house parties being crashed by the FBI (thank god!). But the sound is still the same, without the fun stage act, and with the exception of Get Away (which I almost like and has been stuck in my head since Saturday night), their songs are virtually indistinguishable from one another. I think I may have nodded off on my feet during their set…but that could have been the wine-sours-jager combination working its charm.
While we’re talking about back in the day, Perez thundered onto the scene in early 2001 and took no hostages as they made a name for themselves in local music. Within a few short months of their first gig at Splashy Fen, they were signed to Powerzone, receiving extensive airplay for their first single Wasted Out, and playing to sold out venues across the country. I’m pretty sure South Africa has not seen a meteoric dash to success like this either before or since. And like a brightly burning flame that cannot sustain itself, by 2003, they were announcing their split. Hordes of fans were crushed – me especially since I was living in Ireland at the time and missed their final tour. I cannot put the magic of those early shows into words. Perez had an indefinable chemistry on stage and a sound that was phenomenal. Their ability to draw on the diverse vocal talents of Matt Wilkinson and Nic Olsen, both on lead guitar and vocals, gave them a sound that was exquisite and unique. Across the country, people were falling in love with their songs. I’m not going to lie…they’re the only band that’s ever come as close to toppling the Springbok Nude Girls from their number one spot in my heart. So when we heard last year that Perez were reforming, there was a collective happy dance. And now I almost wish I hadn’t been around for those heady early years. My expectations of this band are beyond high – I know what they are capable of and I’ve seen their inordinate amount of talent in action many, many times. The talent is still there, there’s no disputing that. And the fans haven’t gone anywhere either, because the dance floor of Burn was groaning with those who had come out to see their Durban boys in action again. But they’ve lost a little of their magic and it breaks my heart to have to say it. If I’d never seen them before, I would think they were amazing. Instead, I am forced to compare their new persona with what came before and it comes up slightly lacking. Nic sings less than he did when they first played, which is a real pity. The almost nasal quality of his voice is the perfect juxtaposition for Matt’s deeper tones and it’s a shame not to use this to their full advantage. Also, Matt no longer plays guitar, leaving their sound less full, less rich. Their new songs lack the lyrical complexity of their early work and in some cases border on monotonous. But that prodigious talent is still there and they hold the audience captive for the full set. If nothing else, you have to stand in awe of four musicians so remarkably gifted. Will I watch them again? Of course. I just need to put my old memories aside and work on building new ones.
One Sock Thief opened up the night’s events to a rather lacklustre audience. However, their poignant indie sound, rife with haunting keyboard melodies and rich vocals, soon managed to draw the bar flies onto the dance floor. They unfortunately only got to play 5 songs due to time constraints and a late start (something about a roadblock…damn that KZN zero tolerance!), but they were definitely my surprise hit of the evening. They’ve managed to get the blend of grinding guitars and pretty piano just right, and at times there was the slightest scent of Muse in the air. Definitely a band with the potential to go far.
Next up was The Black Hotels, another indie staple on the local scene. What a pity these guys can’t seem to cultivate a stage personality. Their music is fantastic, their technical ability superb. But they look as if they’d rather be watching paint dry than playing in front of a crowd of fans. Bored doesn’t begin to describe it – even a yawn would be some display of emotion that we as the audience could tap into! The first time I watched them, I wrote it off to the whole indie indifference thing on stage. But after a few more shows, I simply can’t keep making excuses for them, as much as I love their music. Move around, crack a comment, do something to give us a hint that being on stage is not equivalent to the Spanish Inquisition torture chambers. Otherwise I may as well just stay at home and listen to the CD.
I recently read a review of Coke Fest which described Crash Car Burn as the best thing happening in the local scene at the moment. What a pity that would be if it were true. Let’s face it, they’re pretty much just Tweak with a new name and new songs (which amazingly enough sound remarkably like Tweak). Don’t get me wrong, I used to love Tweak back in the day…I even own 2 of their CDs. In fairness to me, the first time I saw them at Woodstock 2, they were dressed as possums and jumping off the speaker stacks. It was love at first sight. I am such a sucker for a good stage act. And their songs were fun, in a kind of teenage angsty punk pop way. But the novelty wore off after a while…probably after I let go of my teenage angst (not a good thing to hold onto when you’re in your twenties…). Now, I will grant Crash Car Burn this – their lyrics have matured slightly…they no longer sing about house parties being crashed by the FBI (thank god!). But the sound is still the same, without the fun stage act, and with the exception of Get Away (which I almost like and has been stuck in my head since Saturday night), their songs are virtually indistinguishable from one another. I think I may have nodded off on my feet during their set…but that could have been the wine-sours-jager combination working its charm.
While we’re talking about back in the day, Perez thundered onto the scene in early 2001 and took no hostages as they made a name for themselves in local music. Within a few short months of their first gig at Splashy Fen, they were signed to Powerzone, receiving extensive airplay for their first single Wasted Out, and playing to sold out venues across the country. I’m pretty sure South Africa has not seen a meteoric dash to success like this either before or since. And like a brightly burning flame that cannot sustain itself, by 2003, they were announcing their split. Hordes of fans were crushed – me especially since I was living in Ireland at the time and missed their final tour. I cannot put the magic of those early shows into words. Perez had an indefinable chemistry on stage and a sound that was phenomenal. Their ability to draw on the diverse vocal talents of Matt Wilkinson and Nic Olsen, both on lead guitar and vocals, gave them a sound that was exquisite and unique. Across the country, people were falling in love with their songs. I’m not going to lie…they’re the only band that’s ever come as close to toppling the Springbok Nude Girls from their number one spot in my heart. So when we heard last year that Perez were reforming, there was a collective happy dance. And now I almost wish I hadn’t been around for those heady early years. My expectations of this band are beyond high – I know what they are capable of and I’ve seen their inordinate amount of talent in action many, many times. The talent is still there, there’s no disputing that. And the fans haven’t gone anywhere either, because the dance floor of Burn was groaning with those who had come out to see their Durban boys in action again. But they’ve lost a little of their magic and it breaks my heart to have to say it. If I’d never seen them before, I would think they were amazing. Instead, I am forced to compare their new persona with what came before and it comes up slightly lacking. Nic sings less than he did when they first played, which is a real pity. The almost nasal quality of his voice is the perfect juxtaposition for Matt’s deeper tones and it’s a shame not to use this to their full advantage. Also, Matt no longer plays guitar, leaving their sound less full, less rich. Their new songs lack the lyrical complexity of their early work and in some cases border on monotonous. But that prodigious talent is still there and they hold the audience captive for the full set. If nothing else, you have to stand in awe of four musicians so remarkably gifted. Will I watch them again? Of course. I just need to put my old memories aside and work on building new ones.
Fire through the Window & The Redflecks – The Willowvale, 04.04.08
The Willowvale Hotel is definitely the hottest place to be in Durbs if you’re an indie hip kid or just want to watch a really great band. It certainly seems to be the only venue around that isn’t focussing primarily on metal (no fingers pointed). So off we skipped on Friday night to catch my pick for awesome Durban band of the moment, and their American friends.
I think there was another band playing, since we saw some dudes sitting around in matching suits (although that’s not really out of place at the Willowvale) – but we must have missed them, catching another show at Thunder Road first. By the time we arrived The Redflecks were about ready to go on. The band has been doing a whistle-stop tour of South Africa, hailing from Nashville, and I had to giggle at a comment someone made on their myspace page, fearing for their safety. They are made up of Ben on guitar, Amy on vocals and Nicole on bass/keyboards/all other percussion type things. Nicole used to play bass in Nemesis, the band Marc from Fire through the Window once fronted, so I guess that’s the connection. They took to the stage in a hail of bad early 80’s glitter and headbands, which should have been a sign that this was not going to be a good start to my Willowvale experience. Their sound has been described as electro-rock, reminiscent of Blondie. To me, they sounded like the unfortunate bastard offspring of The Breeders and Portishead…and they didn’t really get the good genes. Amy would appear to have a really good voice, which was one redeeming feature, but alas it was drowned out in pseudo-psychedelic synth wank. There wasn’t much exciting going on onstage and I found most of their songs boring and repetitive. Not quite a poke in the eye with a sharp stick but close enough. One of my friends did really enjoy them…he described their sound as ‘raw’. Ahem. Enough said.
All was not lost though, because Fire through the Window, as always, pulled the magic out of the bag. They are flawless and I would be heartily surprised if big things do not happen for this band. If you haven’t heard them by now, you clearly never listen to 5fm/watch MK/pay attention to the hype surrounding a band of this calibre. Best you remedy the situation ASAP. Their songs are pretty without being cutesy and manage to capture that fine balance between being rock enough to have some street cred, while still being easy enough on the ear to merit extensive radio play. Sinead is by far one of the most natural and down to earth people I’ve ever seen on stage – she reels the audience in with her little stories and the sense that she’s just having a chat with us. There’s also a palpable sense that her and Marc are having a great time up there, and they’re hoping the audience will join in. Which is exactly what they did on Friday night…to the point of near mayhem. To say that I never expected to encounter a violent mosh pit at a FTTW gig would be the understatement of the decade. So imagine my surprise when I found myself in the middle of just that, as well as nearly on the receiving end of a kick to the head from a crowd surfing fan. Eventually I had to bail to the side of the stage – there’s only one band I’m prepared to shed actual blood for – while the frenzy continued unabated for the duration of the show. The band has some great new material, with the same sing-along-able quality of all their songs. But I think the new highlight of their show is their rendition of the Kings of Leon’s Four Kicks. It takes a lot of balls to tackle a Kings of Leon song – the band has a cult following and an unusual style. FTTW more than do this song justice and the crowd were begging for it almost from the start. As they break out into the cover, Sinead suddenly goes from wide eyed sweetheart next door to a husky voiced sex kitten who looks as likely to scratch as purr. The fans are enraptured and the mosh pit goes wild. They wrapped it up with a collaboration with the Redflecks gang and certainly left the stage on a high note.
Given the rather youthful appearance of most of the patrons at the Willowvale that night, it came as no surprise really that the venue was almost cleared out by 12am – must stick to those curfews you know. I myself was quite happy to have an early night, with a bound to be raucous wedding to attend the next day, and drifted home on the happy buzz that always follows a FTTW show.
I think there was another band playing, since we saw some dudes sitting around in matching suits (although that’s not really out of place at the Willowvale) – but we must have missed them, catching another show at Thunder Road first. By the time we arrived The Redflecks were about ready to go on. The band has been doing a whistle-stop tour of South Africa, hailing from Nashville, and I had to giggle at a comment someone made on their myspace page, fearing for their safety. They are made up of Ben on guitar, Amy on vocals and Nicole on bass/keyboards/all other percussion type things. Nicole used to play bass in Nemesis, the band Marc from Fire through the Window once fronted, so I guess that’s the connection. They took to the stage in a hail of bad early 80’s glitter and headbands, which should have been a sign that this was not going to be a good start to my Willowvale experience. Their sound has been described as electro-rock, reminiscent of Blondie. To me, they sounded like the unfortunate bastard offspring of The Breeders and Portishead…and they didn’t really get the good genes. Amy would appear to have a really good voice, which was one redeeming feature, but alas it was drowned out in pseudo-psychedelic synth wank. There wasn’t much exciting going on onstage and I found most of their songs boring and repetitive. Not quite a poke in the eye with a sharp stick but close enough. One of my friends did really enjoy them…he described their sound as ‘raw’. Ahem. Enough said.
All was not lost though, because Fire through the Window, as always, pulled the magic out of the bag. They are flawless and I would be heartily surprised if big things do not happen for this band. If you haven’t heard them by now, you clearly never listen to 5fm/watch MK/pay attention to the hype surrounding a band of this calibre. Best you remedy the situation ASAP. Their songs are pretty without being cutesy and manage to capture that fine balance between being rock enough to have some street cred, while still being easy enough on the ear to merit extensive radio play. Sinead is by far one of the most natural and down to earth people I’ve ever seen on stage – she reels the audience in with her little stories and the sense that she’s just having a chat with us. There’s also a palpable sense that her and Marc are having a great time up there, and they’re hoping the audience will join in. Which is exactly what they did on Friday night…to the point of near mayhem. To say that I never expected to encounter a violent mosh pit at a FTTW gig would be the understatement of the decade. So imagine my surprise when I found myself in the middle of just that, as well as nearly on the receiving end of a kick to the head from a crowd surfing fan. Eventually I had to bail to the side of the stage – there’s only one band I’m prepared to shed actual blood for – while the frenzy continued unabated for the duration of the show. The band has some great new material, with the same sing-along-able quality of all their songs. But I think the new highlight of their show is their rendition of the Kings of Leon’s Four Kicks. It takes a lot of balls to tackle a Kings of Leon song – the band has a cult following and an unusual style. FTTW more than do this song justice and the crowd were begging for it almost from the start. As they break out into the cover, Sinead suddenly goes from wide eyed sweetheart next door to a husky voiced sex kitten who looks as likely to scratch as purr. The fans are enraptured and the mosh pit goes wild. They wrapped it up with a collaboration with the Redflecks gang and certainly left the stage on a high note.
Given the rather youthful appearance of most of the patrons at the Willowvale that night, it came as no surprise really that the venue was almost cleared out by 12am – must stick to those curfews you know. I myself was quite happy to have an early night, with a bound to be raucous wedding to attend the next day, and drifted home on the happy buzz that always follows a FTTW show.
My Coke Fest – New Market Race Course, 21.03.08
It was with a heavy heart that I realised I would have to miss Splashy Fen for the second year in a row. I do love that one weekend a year where I get to roll around in the muck and be all outdoorsy. But nothing on Splashy’s line-up came even remotely close to the lure of Muse and Chris Cornell, despite my passion for the local bands.
Lonehill Estate started off the day, and I won’t lie to you…we missed them on purpose. I find them a bit of a yawn, though they do have one prettyish song on the radio. We probably could have watched most of Crash Car Burn but we had to trek about 1 km from the car and then we were too busy mustering the troops to pay them much attention. We’ve heard it all before anyway, when Tweak were around back in the day. Its not that I dislike Crash Car Burn, they are very skilled little punk popsters, but their songs start to sound a bit samey after a while. Very catchy though, I’ll give them that.
It pretty much goes without saying that Wonderboom was the local highlight for me. Those boys really know how to own a big stage and were full of energy as usual. The sound was a bit iffy from time to time, but it didn’t detract from yet another stellar performance. In fact, I’d be prepared to go out on a limb and say they had a lot more charisma on stage than some of the international acts – like Good Charlotte, who just looked pissed. More on that later.
The final local act was Prime Circle. I actually love this band and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen them that they just didn’t hold my attention. Not their fault though – the sound was abysmal. You’d think that at an event of this calibre they could get it right, even for the local acts who traditionally get half lights half sound. Apparently not. So I don’t judge Ross and the gang for a seemingly lacklustre show. I will say though, that I don’t really see the need for the recent inclusion of a keyboardist in the band. That’s just a matter of personal preference though.
Horror of horrors, but the sound problems continued throughout 30 Seconds to Mars’ set. I have heard that the sound was fine in the golden circle, but I do think concert organisers need to ensure sound quality is optimum for all the people who have forked out to come to the show. We may have paid R200 less but there were lots more of us! Anyway, this was definitely one of the draw card bands for many people – a friend of mine only bought her ticket when they were announced. I think they’re very good, and from what I could hear of them, they put on a great performance. I am a bit anti the whole emo thing though. Its all been done to death. But they are without doubt one of the best emo bands on offer and I did enjoy them. I think Jared Leto gave the security some palpitations by mixing with the great unwashed in the audience, and then by climbing the rig like a little chimpanzee. Loads of energy, loads of passion…unfortunately loads of guyliner. Sigh. You were so pretty before Jared!
Next up were the Kaiser Chiefs. What an incredible band. I may have been Ruby Ruby Ruby-ed to death by various radio stations but these guys are infectious indie rock at its finest. I did notice though that many people around us did not seem to be enjoying them as much as we were and didn’t seem too familiar with even the biggest of their hits. Maybe the Jo’burgers don’t do indie. Whatever – our little Durban enclave was hopping around like kernels in a popcorn machine. The Kaiser Chiefs were down to earth in true Brit style and seemed genuinely thrilled to be playing in the homeland of their namesakes. I loved their bouncy performance and they were definitely the surprise hit of the show for me. And happily enough the sound miraculously recovered just in time for them.
Good Charlotte strolled on next and basically looked pissed off their heads. Complimentary drinks at the Hilton anyone? Maybe they just look like that all the time though, what do I know. I enjoyed their show and they have some very sing-along-able songs but they didn’t have the same enthusiasm that the Kaiser Chiefs displayed. The highlight of their set was definitely their cover of The Cure’s Love Song, which they more than did justice to. Had to have a little giggle at the kids around us looking blankly at the band when they said it was a cover. Clearly not Cure fans.
Chris Cornell is just one of those musicians that makes me glad to have been around for the birth of grunge. His inclusion on the bill was probably what swayed me in terms of booking the flight and buying the ticket. Some of my friends were nervous that he was going to appear sans backing band and start doing his solo songs with the mere assistance of an acoustic guitar. But I had faith and it was justified. Chris came out rocking and didn’t stop for an hour. He played songs from all his musical projects, but it was the Soundgarden songs that really blew me away. I never thought I would have the opportunity to see Spoonman or Black Hole Sun performed live. The absolute highlight of the entire concert for me was when Chris was chatting into the mic and just casually said ‘Feel the rhythm with your hands’ – cue much screaming from me – and then broke into Spoonman. I get goosebumps every time I think about it. Apologies to the friends who were deafened by my wild screaming and who have video footage with nothing but me yelling on it. Whoops.
While Spoonman was the highlight of the day for me, Muse was far and away the best band of the day. There is a reason they have won numerous best live act awards and we were privileged to witness their magic. To be honest, I knew I liked Muse and I knew I really wanted to see them…but I had no idea how amazing it was going to be. I should have paid more attention to my friend who saw them in London and rates them as the best live band she’s ever seen. I might have to agree now. As I was watching them I found myself wondering ‘is it natural for one person to be so phenomenally talented???’ Matt Bellamy is awe-inspiring. He is all over the stage, singing, playing numerous instruments including guitar and classical piano, and generally just taking the breath of his audience away. If I wasn’t so busy singing along and jumping up and down, I would have been standing there with my mouth hanging open in wonderment and adoration. More goosebumps.
The last act of the very long day was Korn. I’m not really a fan of angry ‘my parents were mean to me’ music, but Korn are probably the best of the genre. We only got to see a couple of songs as the lift club leader was even less of a fan than me and practically dragged us out by the hair in abject disgust. They seemed to get a great reception from the crowd though and I’ve heard rave reviews from those who stuck around to watch. I will say this though, despite fear of being kicked in the head – it is kind of wanky the way Korn fans wear kilts just because Jonathan Davis does. Seriously guys.
And that was the end of that. In general, it was a very well organised event, with the exception of the initial sound problems and the power cutting during 30 Seconds to Mars. Its great to see such high profile bands making their way to our shores, and a pity the media paid more attention to Paris Hilton being in the country than they did to the bands. Can’t wait to see who we get next year…
Lonehill Estate started off the day, and I won’t lie to you…we missed them on purpose. I find them a bit of a yawn, though they do have one prettyish song on the radio. We probably could have watched most of Crash Car Burn but we had to trek about 1 km from the car and then we were too busy mustering the troops to pay them much attention. We’ve heard it all before anyway, when Tweak were around back in the day. Its not that I dislike Crash Car Burn, they are very skilled little punk popsters, but their songs start to sound a bit samey after a while. Very catchy though, I’ll give them that.
It pretty much goes without saying that Wonderboom was the local highlight for me. Those boys really know how to own a big stage and were full of energy as usual. The sound was a bit iffy from time to time, but it didn’t detract from yet another stellar performance. In fact, I’d be prepared to go out on a limb and say they had a lot more charisma on stage than some of the international acts – like Good Charlotte, who just looked pissed. More on that later.
The final local act was Prime Circle. I actually love this band and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen them that they just didn’t hold my attention. Not their fault though – the sound was abysmal. You’d think that at an event of this calibre they could get it right, even for the local acts who traditionally get half lights half sound. Apparently not. So I don’t judge Ross and the gang for a seemingly lacklustre show. I will say though, that I don’t really see the need for the recent inclusion of a keyboardist in the band. That’s just a matter of personal preference though.
Horror of horrors, but the sound problems continued throughout 30 Seconds to Mars’ set. I have heard that the sound was fine in the golden circle, but I do think concert organisers need to ensure sound quality is optimum for all the people who have forked out to come to the show. We may have paid R200 less but there were lots more of us! Anyway, this was definitely one of the draw card bands for many people – a friend of mine only bought her ticket when they were announced. I think they’re very good, and from what I could hear of them, they put on a great performance. I am a bit anti the whole emo thing though. Its all been done to death. But they are without doubt one of the best emo bands on offer and I did enjoy them. I think Jared Leto gave the security some palpitations by mixing with the great unwashed in the audience, and then by climbing the rig like a little chimpanzee. Loads of energy, loads of passion…unfortunately loads of guyliner. Sigh. You were so pretty before Jared!
Next up were the Kaiser Chiefs. What an incredible band. I may have been Ruby Ruby Ruby-ed to death by various radio stations but these guys are infectious indie rock at its finest. I did notice though that many people around us did not seem to be enjoying them as much as we were and didn’t seem too familiar with even the biggest of their hits. Maybe the Jo’burgers don’t do indie. Whatever – our little Durban enclave was hopping around like kernels in a popcorn machine. The Kaiser Chiefs were down to earth in true Brit style and seemed genuinely thrilled to be playing in the homeland of their namesakes. I loved their bouncy performance and they were definitely the surprise hit of the show for me. And happily enough the sound miraculously recovered just in time for them.
Good Charlotte strolled on next and basically looked pissed off their heads. Complimentary drinks at the Hilton anyone? Maybe they just look like that all the time though, what do I know. I enjoyed their show and they have some very sing-along-able songs but they didn’t have the same enthusiasm that the Kaiser Chiefs displayed. The highlight of their set was definitely their cover of The Cure’s Love Song, which they more than did justice to. Had to have a little giggle at the kids around us looking blankly at the band when they said it was a cover. Clearly not Cure fans.
Chris Cornell is just one of those musicians that makes me glad to have been around for the birth of grunge. His inclusion on the bill was probably what swayed me in terms of booking the flight and buying the ticket. Some of my friends were nervous that he was going to appear sans backing band and start doing his solo songs with the mere assistance of an acoustic guitar. But I had faith and it was justified. Chris came out rocking and didn’t stop for an hour. He played songs from all his musical projects, but it was the Soundgarden songs that really blew me away. I never thought I would have the opportunity to see Spoonman or Black Hole Sun performed live. The absolute highlight of the entire concert for me was when Chris was chatting into the mic and just casually said ‘Feel the rhythm with your hands’ – cue much screaming from me – and then broke into Spoonman. I get goosebumps every time I think about it. Apologies to the friends who were deafened by my wild screaming and who have video footage with nothing but me yelling on it. Whoops.
While Spoonman was the highlight of the day for me, Muse was far and away the best band of the day. There is a reason they have won numerous best live act awards and we were privileged to witness their magic. To be honest, I knew I liked Muse and I knew I really wanted to see them…but I had no idea how amazing it was going to be. I should have paid more attention to my friend who saw them in London and rates them as the best live band she’s ever seen. I might have to agree now. As I was watching them I found myself wondering ‘is it natural for one person to be so phenomenally talented???’ Matt Bellamy is awe-inspiring. He is all over the stage, singing, playing numerous instruments including guitar and classical piano, and generally just taking the breath of his audience away. If I wasn’t so busy singing along and jumping up and down, I would have been standing there with my mouth hanging open in wonderment and adoration. More goosebumps.
The last act of the very long day was Korn. I’m not really a fan of angry ‘my parents were mean to me’ music, but Korn are probably the best of the genre. We only got to see a couple of songs as the lift club leader was even less of a fan than me and practically dragged us out by the hair in abject disgust. They seemed to get a great reception from the crowd though and I’ve heard rave reviews from those who stuck around to watch. I will say this though, despite fear of being kicked in the head – it is kind of wanky the way Korn fans wear kilts just because Jonathan Davis does. Seriously guys.
And that was the end of that. In general, it was a very well organised event, with the exception of the initial sound problems and the power cutting during 30 Seconds to Mars. Its great to see such high profile bands making their way to our shores, and a pity the media paid more attention to Paris Hilton being in the country than they did to the bands. Can’t wait to see who we get next year…
Paul E Flynn & the Seeds of Doubt, Greenhouse Effect and Munkinpure - Back2Basix, 28.02.08
When 2008 dawned on us, I promised myself (and Visa) that I would seriously curtail my trips to Jo’burg to watch bands. I managed to fool myself for a few weeks, tops. I suspect Visa knew it was a hoax all along. Oh well, there’s something to be said for living on gigs and toast.
For those of you who don’t know (and you should hang your heads in shame unless you’ve just awoken from a 15 year coma), Paul E Flynn is the frontman of iconic South African rock group, Sugardrive. His solo album Fields has been in the works for a while now and it seems that with the collaboration of the Seeds of Doubt (Sean Strydom, Donovan Campbell and Paulo Rego), we can look forward to buying it in April. Flynn has arguably the most distinctive voice in the country, and it’s the kind of voice that sends quivers racing along your skin. Add to this the skilled musicianship of the rest of the band, and I think Thursday night was by far one of the best gigs I’ve been to in months. They have a slightly country sound but definitely not in a dodgy, Stetson wearing kind of way - although Paul did do an alarmingly accurate rendition of the redneck dance on stage. Too much time in Ireland perhaps. They were still rock enough to get me and the usual gig partner-in-crime up and dancing, and they had fantastic rapport with their audience. All in all, we had an awesome time (and not just because of the free wine that came with the burgers which apparently only I was drinking!), the band looked like they were having loads of fun, and we were also taught a novel use for onions. My kind of show.
The support acts had a lot to measure up to, and Greenhouse Effect were the smarter of the pair, in that they played first. They are a funky looking group of guys and the hip kids in the crowd definitely seemed to be lapping them up. A drummer is replaced by a dj with a drum machine, which definitely added to their trip-rock sound. All in all, I really enjoyed them, and hope to get to see them again soon. Alas, by the time Munkinpure took to the stage, they didn’t have much of an audience left. Not that we had left, just that most people had adjourned to the bar after the main act. What can I say, the lure of the shooter was simply too strong. I did peep around the door once or twice during their set and they seemed pretty good. Mental note to self - must resist the shooters and watch the band instead next time. I’m disappointed in myself.
So all in all, a good time was had by all. Some might say too good a time, considering the lethal combination of wine and tequila that was on the menu. Certainly my beautician, who recently told me that the space between my eyebrows represents my liver and is crying out for mercy, would suggest it….who knew my liver was such a tittle tale! Anyway, I maintain its all relative…after all, what seems excessive to a Benedictine monk is veritably chaste by Paris Hilton’s standards! I’m somewhere in between I think…
For those of you who don’t know (and you should hang your heads in shame unless you’ve just awoken from a 15 year coma), Paul E Flynn is the frontman of iconic South African rock group, Sugardrive. His solo album Fields has been in the works for a while now and it seems that with the collaboration of the Seeds of Doubt (Sean Strydom, Donovan Campbell and Paulo Rego), we can look forward to buying it in April. Flynn has arguably the most distinctive voice in the country, and it’s the kind of voice that sends quivers racing along your skin. Add to this the skilled musicianship of the rest of the band, and I think Thursday night was by far one of the best gigs I’ve been to in months. They have a slightly country sound but definitely not in a dodgy, Stetson wearing kind of way - although Paul did do an alarmingly accurate rendition of the redneck dance on stage. Too much time in Ireland perhaps. They were still rock enough to get me and the usual gig partner-in-crime up and dancing, and they had fantastic rapport with their audience. All in all, we had an awesome time (and not just because of the free wine that came with the burgers which apparently only I was drinking!), the band looked like they were having loads of fun, and we were also taught a novel use for onions. My kind of show.
The support acts had a lot to measure up to, and Greenhouse Effect were the smarter of the pair, in that they played first. They are a funky looking group of guys and the hip kids in the crowd definitely seemed to be lapping them up. A drummer is replaced by a dj with a drum machine, which definitely added to their trip-rock sound. All in all, I really enjoyed them, and hope to get to see them again soon. Alas, by the time Munkinpure took to the stage, they didn’t have much of an audience left. Not that we had left, just that most people had adjourned to the bar after the main act. What can I say, the lure of the shooter was simply too strong. I did peep around the door once or twice during their set and they seemed pretty good. Mental note to self - must resist the shooters and watch the band instead next time. I’m disappointed in myself.
So all in all, a good time was had by all. Some might say too good a time, considering the lethal combination of wine and tequila that was on the menu. Certainly my beautician, who recently told me that the space between my eyebrows represents my liver and is crying out for mercy, would suggest it….who knew my liver was such a tittle tale! Anyway, I maintain its all relative…after all, what seems excessive to a Benedictine monk is veritably chaste by Paris Hilton’s standards! I’m somewhere in between I think…
Myepic & Shaun Morgan – Burn, 21.12.07
So on Friday night I decided to take a little trip to my local sauna…a.k.a Burn on a summer’s night with fans thronging in to see the front man of Seether. I think anyone who even went near the dance floor was sweating like a commercial sex worker on payday but I’m pretty sure everyone would agree it was worth it. And hey, think of the saving in gym fees.
Anyway, before I digress any further, I was pleasantly surprised to discover on arrival that Myepic were supporting. These guys are great, and not just ‘cos they buy me shooters! Jeff’s vocals are really unusual and their performance is always full of intensity. Because Shaun Morgan was playing unplugged, Myepic obviously had to go the same route, which I think was a little weird for them. They pulled it off really well but you could tell they were just itching to rock out on stage, and frankly they didn’t let the acoustic set up hold them back from doing just that. Definitely one of the most underrated bands in the country as far as I’m concerned, and well worth watching out for.
For once Durban didn’t let apathy get the better of her, and people were crammed onto the dance floor a good 30 minutes before Shaun Morgan was due to start, trying to make sure they got a good spot…or any spot at all for that matter. For those of you who may have been living under a rock, or recently arrived from the planet Neptune, Shaun Morgan (a.k.a Shaun Welgemoed) is the lead singer of grunge rock supergroup, Seether, formerly known as Saron Gas when they were still living on SA soil. I don’t think I have ever seen Burn so packed before, and for once even the jocks turned up. There was an air of sweaty anticipation as the crowd waited for the prodigal son to return….and I think I can say with relative confidence that no one was disappointed by his performance. I did think the set up was not really conducive to 500 people trying to watch an acoustic set, since as soon as you got further back than the front two rows, all you could see was the fairly lights on stage and maybe, if you were lucky, Shaun’s forehead. Perhaps some tables and chairs a’la the old MTV unplugged format would not have gone amiss…but then I guess you wouldn’t have been able to cram 500 people into the room. Nonetheless, Shaun’s performance was heartfelt and beautiful, and the crowd couldn’t get enough. He also got Grant from Myepic to join him on stage for one song, which was a really nice touch, and Grant definitely pulled it off with aplomb. At one point the audience burst out into Happy Birthday, as Shaun just happened to be celebrating the big day, and I have to admit I was touched to see how moved he looked. He came across as humble and genuinely pleased to be playing before South African audiences again. And they were clearly genuinely pleased to have him.
All in all, it was a fantastic evening of music designed to make us proud to be South African. I definitely can’t wait to catch Seether at Kenton-on-Sea for New Year’s Eve, and if you live in Cape Town, you’d have to be a complete fool not to catch Shaun at one of his upcoming unplugged gigs!
Anyway, before I digress any further, I was pleasantly surprised to discover on arrival that Myepic were supporting. These guys are great, and not just ‘cos they buy me shooters! Jeff’s vocals are really unusual and their performance is always full of intensity. Because Shaun Morgan was playing unplugged, Myepic obviously had to go the same route, which I think was a little weird for them. They pulled it off really well but you could tell they were just itching to rock out on stage, and frankly they didn’t let the acoustic set up hold them back from doing just that. Definitely one of the most underrated bands in the country as far as I’m concerned, and well worth watching out for.
For once Durban didn’t let apathy get the better of her, and people were crammed onto the dance floor a good 30 minutes before Shaun Morgan was due to start, trying to make sure they got a good spot…or any spot at all for that matter. For those of you who may have been living under a rock, or recently arrived from the planet Neptune, Shaun Morgan (a.k.a Shaun Welgemoed) is the lead singer of grunge rock supergroup, Seether, formerly known as Saron Gas when they were still living on SA soil. I don’t think I have ever seen Burn so packed before, and for once even the jocks turned up. There was an air of sweaty anticipation as the crowd waited for the prodigal son to return….and I think I can say with relative confidence that no one was disappointed by his performance. I did think the set up was not really conducive to 500 people trying to watch an acoustic set, since as soon as you got further back than the front two rows, all you could see was the fairly lights on stage and maybe, if you were lucky, Shaun’s forehead. Perhaps some tables and chairs a’la the old MTV unplugged format would not have gone amiss…but then I guess you wouldn’t have been able to cram 500 people into the room. Nonetheless, Shaun’s performance was heartfelt and beautiful, and the crowd couldn’t get enough. He also got Grant from Myepic to join him on stage for one song, which was a really nice touch, and Grant definitely pulled it off with aplomb. At one point the audience burst out into Happy Birthday, as Shaun just happened to be celebrating the big day, and I have to admit I was touched to see how moved he looked. He came across as humble and genuinely pleased to be playing before South African audiences again. And they were clearly genuinely pleased to have him.
All in all, it was a fantastic evening of music designed to make us proud to be South African. I definitely can’t wait to catch Seether at Kenton-on-Sea for New Year’s Eve, and if you live in Cape Town, you’d have to be a complete fool not to catch Shaun at one of his upcoming unplugged gigs!
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