Arno Carstens & Kasia – Society, 04.11.07

Every year Society hosts the Levis Vintage Sundays around this time and they always seem to be a roaring success. So much so that I had nightmares on Saturday night about whether I was going to get there in time to secure a good spot, given that I had to work on Sunday. You may think this is just one more piece of evidence in the case for my neuroses, but the previous two years saw us pinned in one position from 7pm onwards as the crowds thronged around us and made getting to the bar or bathroom an expedition worthy of screening on National Geographic.

I must admit I felt a little silly when we got to Society and there were maybe 20 people there. But clearly all the chilled out Durbanites were just getting off to a late start, because by the time Kasia took to the stage, the venue was teeming with people. I’ve seen Kasia’s name on the line up at Splashy and the like a couple of times, but I’ve never really made the effort to go and watch her. On this occasion she was accompanied by Dave Birch of Squeal legend, who is also responsible for recording her recently completed album. Kasia has loads of personality on stage and was relatively entertaining to watch. She also has a very pretty voice, well-suited to the folksy music she makes. In fact, she sounds as if she should be performing in theatres as the star of a musical, or in dimly lit piano bars, draped over the aforementioned instrument in a slinky cocktail dress. However, after a while, the songs started to get a bit samey & I was more entertained by her quirky performance than by her music. Of course, Dave Birch was, as ever, outstanding.

Next up was the reason everyone had dragged themselves out on a Sunday night (although it is always nice to drag the weekend out….even if you pay for it come Monday morning). Arno Carstens and Albert Frost took to the stage to show off an almost illegal amount of talent. While Arno may not play guitar in the Nude Girls, it is clear he is more than comfortable to be doing so during his solo efforts. And of course Albert Frost plays so well it leaves even the most blasé reaching for the asthma pump to catch their breath. The only downside of these gigs at Society seems to be that they are primarily attended by the pretentious ‘we’re only here because it’s cool to be here’ set, which leaves for a bit of a lacklustre crowd response. That being said, maybe I am being unfair because there was lots of raucous cheering and clapping between songs, I just find it impossible to sit perfectly still and watch with a blank face. It does take a certain kind of band to be able to hold that level of attention for over an hour, and Arno and Albert pull it off with effortless grace. Luckily for me, there was a pocket of zesty people where I was standing, who were also singing along and whoohooing their lungs out, and the guys on stage responded to this with enthusiasm. I might have been the only one dancing though. Ahem, anyway. Every time I watch Arno solo, it seems to me that the line between SNG & New Porn is growing more & more blurred. Gone is the dulcet toned, adult contemporary radio friendly style, and in its place are far more of the growls and screams that characterise the Nudies. Naturally, I love it! There is no doubting that the pair are having loads of fun on stage (not only because Arno keeps asking for shots of Jager!) – they stamp and whirl their way through their set with nuclear energy. Let me not forget to give Gavin Minter credit for playing drums using essentially his hands and a box. The first time I saw this I was transfixed – the man must be in agony by the end of the night! The band played a mix of material off their first and second album, as well as a new song, hopefully off a forthcoming album, and I have to say, I just enjoy them more and more each time I watch them.

So, all in all, it was a great evening – the perfect way to round off the weekend in fact. And well worth the sleepy head on Monday morning.