Fanbase Music Mag Issue 24

Up next was the epic Bittereinder. I had heard a lot about this band since moving to Pretoria. I wasn’t quite prepared for what I experienced. Move over Jack Parrow and Die Antwoord - there is a real Afrikaans rap band in SA. The dynamic three piece fronted by Jaco and with Peach and aldfkjaklsdj on the decks, the crowd were whipped into a verbal frenzy. I couldn’t keep up with what was being sung until Desmond and the Tutus frontman, Shane Durrant joined the group on stage to sing the current single “Kwaad Naas”. Overall the group are tight, fast paced and amazing. However I’m not if I should mark them down or up as Peach reminded me a lot of a lab mouse in a science coat. #youdecide Desmond and the Tutus and Zebra and Giraffe have kind of morphed into one performance in my mind.

There was nothing spectacular about either of their performances. Unfortunately both bands are kind of overkilled in Gauteng. You’ve seen one of their shows, you’ve pretty much seen them all. Both cranked out the crowd favourites while throwing in new tracks. The tried and tested method. Zebra & Giraffe were tighter than I’ve ever seen them which was something to be said?

The real reason I even bothered to get out of bed was for The Narrow. Having seen them live about 10 years ago, my nervous energy was rife as I was bouncing around backstage with the guys... We were then promptly thrown out as the band had a little diva moment because the other bands were bringing hordes of people backstage to try sneak a peak of The Prodigy.

Standing in front of one of my ultimate SA bands, as the first note was struck, the goose flesh broke out on my arms and I just stood there in awe. For a band that has been going for as long as they have, it’s really impressive to hear how tight they are. We’re talking almost album sounding, auto-tuning, amazingness here.

The band performed to a 5000 strong crowd who I think at least three quarters knew more tracks than just Lonely Lonely and sang along to the high intensity performance. The band gave it everything they had, Hanu screaming his way through 45 minutes of performance that flew past. As the band broke into Lonely Lonely, I had to stop myself from crying as all the Burn nightclub and long ended friendships were brought to mind.

The Prodigy are one of those bands a person either likes or dislikes. I fall into the latter group of people. I think their performance was cr*p.

However people have raved about the performance.

Don’t get me wrong, they are true performers.

Choreographed lighting, loads of guitar changes, barely a break between tracks, if you had come to see The Prodigy, you got a show and a half.