Another month has gone a knocking, and I am pretty stoked that Niva is celebrating it’s first birthday this month. To be honest, earlier in the year I could not have imagined looking back on my first year and calling it successful and a leap in the right direction. The truth is that I have taken a lot for granted this year in regards to Niva, sometimes expecting a little too much to happen all too quickly. Pretty much of the same can be said about the NRRGG..I mean, where did the time go? Six months old already and it feels like just a month or two ago when I started coming up with a concept for the magazine, I guess that the sayings are true, “time starts to fly in your 20’s”, or “time flies when you having fun”. Bit of both I guess. On the front cover this month we have hooked up Johannesburg based rockers Wrestlerish. With the band’s success with their new album called ‘Towns’ hitting the local playlists, I thought it would be awesome to celebrate Niva’s first birthday celebration with them. The band will be doing some shows in Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Somerset West later in the month. Come out, party with the Niva crew, and enjoy one hell of a band! Niva is not the only birthday that is worth celebrating this month as Mercury turns nine years young! It’s going to be one hell of a month in the local scene so I definitely would suggest to save, borrow or loan cash to head out to some of the hot shows that October has on offer.
Nick Owen Writers & reviewer’s: Justin John, Nick Owen, Ciska Esterhuizen, Andriques Du Che, Clinton Koordom and Slippery Lizard. Contact and comments: nowen@nivarecords.com
Advertising queries: gigguide@nivarecords.com
The NRRGG is now also available online at www.nivarecords.com
Before we get going, I must confess that it was in fact my girlfriend who introduced me to Wrestlerish, before this they were merely the band playing cool catchy songs on the radio. After a while, and a little bit of frustration, I researched everything I could find about the band (thanks Google). It was in fact only then, after researching facts about the band, that I became a fan of Wrestlerish. With Wrestlerish having been formed by Werner Olckers (vocals and guitar), Jacques Du Plessis (keyboard and vocals), David Grevler (bass) and Gavin Flaks (drums), their previous release called ‘The Rude Mechanical’ was really their break through to where they have arrived at today. The critically acclaimed album was nominated for 2 SAMA’s earlier in 2011 with the band also being able to strap 2 MK nominations to their belts. Not bad considering it was their debut album, and we all know how unforgiving the South African music scene can be. April turned into the bands ‘turning of the tides’ when they were signed by record giants, Sony Music. This opened up a pretty few doors for the band with them quickly hooking up with the Grammy Award winning producer and engineer, Darryl Torr. The band’s second album called ‘Towns’ was released country wide in August. With the album carrying the same sort of feel if compared to that of their previous release, the new album definitely blesses my ears with killer production! Other than the production, not to be sounding like a dick here, but I still preferred the range of songs on the first album, not that I am for one second saying that the new album is rubbish or anything, there are a good couple of songs that I usually (ok, always) crank the volume and move my head or at least tap my foot.
By Nick Owen Photo: Southern Pulse
With the band having paid their dues to venues and other bands over the years leading up until now, when they started getting bigger so did the shows. Wrestlerish started by smashing the local places in JHB and PTA, but how it has even grown from there, with a healthy amount of country wide tours, playing some of South Africa’s major festivals such as Oppikoppi, Splashy Fen, Rocking the Daisies, Rocking the Gardens, Ramfest, Oppiaarde and one I have honestly never heard of before, Magic in the music with M-Net. With the band having shared the stage with International artists and local artists such as Johhny Clegg, Mango Groove, Valient Swart and so many more, it is really incredible to see how the band’s fan base has grown since the beginning of it all. I feel it is safe to say that Wrestlerish can be a band of mass appeal. Taking a few steps back now to 2010, Wrestlerish accomplished a shit load off their debut album with songs being play listed on 5FM, campus stations and other stations around the country. Around about this time, the band were probably super stoked when 3 of their music videos found their way and rotation pattern on the MK charts. Later in the year Wrestlerish were asked to appear on an episode of 7de Laan. (Not exactly Rock&Roll, but good none the less :->) The bands First release ‘The Rude Mechanical’, has had countless critics agreeing that the band is in store for a very bright future. The band has also been honoured by having many positive reviews and comments both in print, and online. With this band obviously been working their asses off for the past while, and achieving all of the above mentioned, they carried on pushing for something different and did so when their concept for their music video ‘Sleep’ turned into action. The band released South Africa’s first ‘crowd sourced’ music video. The video was recorded over December 2010 using a shit load of fans to hold over 900 photos frames of the band to create a ‘stop frame animation.’ I will be sure to bring you, the reader an update on their upcoming Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Somerset West tour in next months edition! Here are the details for the shows:
15 15 19 21 22
October - V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre - 5pm to six pm - Free October - Nameless Pub, Somerset West - R30.00 October - Aandklas, Stellenbosch - R30.00 October - ROAR, Observatory - R30.00 October - The Assembly, Cape Town - TBC
Five guys, four bands, one big money making machine. Trying to map out the guys from Fokofpolisiekar and the spin off bands that the members have formed is like trying to draw a redneck family tree. A lot of the branches lead up instead of down, some of them form a loop and in the end your aunt is also your sister. But, it’s only once you understand how Fokofpolisiekar, Van Coke Kartel, aKing and Die Heuwels Fantasties fit together that you can appreciate how hard these five musicians have worked to build the empires that they have today. Fokofpolisiekar formed in April of 2003 and became South Africa’s first real Afrikaans punk band. The members – Francois Badenhorst, Johnny de Ridder, Hunter Kennedy, Wynand Myburgh and Jaco Venter – were well known in the local music scene due to their involvement in other bands. Soon after forming, they released their first EP titled As Jy Met Vuur Speel Sal Jy Brand. Hemel op die Platteland made music history when it became the first Afrikaans song to be playlisted on 5FM. Their first full length album, Lugsteuring, was released in 2004 and they followed with their second EP, Monoloog in Stereo, in 2005. During 2006 they released both their third EP, Brand Suid Afrika, and their second full length album, Swanesang. Their last EP was released in September 2008 and was titled Antibiotika. In 2009 a documentary about the band, Fokofpolisiekar: Forgive Them for They Know Not What They Do, premiered at the Encounters International Documentary Film Festival and won the Audience Award. With every album they released, the band showed growth and maturity and what started out as raw punk has ended up in alternative rock. The Antibiotika EP has strong influences of the band’s other projects aKing and Van Coke Kartel. Since their very beginning Fokofpolisiekar has been surrounded by controversy and scandal.
Many radio stations refuse to say their full name and refer to them as Polisiekar. The Christian community in particular has expressed much outrage and condemnation of the band members and their song lyrics, labelling them “antireligious”. After a bar fight in 2004, the band earned a reputation for fistfights breaking out at their live performances and in some instances, like the launch show for Lugsteuring, the band has had to jump into the audience to break up fights. The band’s controversy and media attention reached its peak in April 2006, when Wynand Myburg wrote “fok god” on a fan’s wallet. Newspapers, radio stations and television stations were flooded with letters and phonecalls expressing disapproval and shock. Afterwards, the band asked the public to forgive them as that would have been “…what Jesus would have done”. Brand Suid Afrika’s music video also grabbed attention with its hints at homosexuality, racism and alcoholism. Despite all of the negative publicity and public outcries for the band to be banned from venues and radio stations, they still managed to gain a large following and have become one of the most popular bands in recent South African history. They are still one of the most requested bands on MK. In March 2007 they announced that they would be taking a break and said that the members want to focus on their own separate projects. Wynand Myburgh and Francois van Coke went on to form Van Coke Kartel along with drummer Justin Kruger. Their debut album was released at the end of 2007 and their follow up album, Waaksaam & Wakker, was released at the end of 2008. Jaco Venter and Hunter Kennedy formed aKing along with Hennie van Halen and Laudo Liebenberg. Dutch Courage, their debut album, was released in February 2008 and many people are of the opinion that this is the most successful of all the Fokofpolisiekar off shoot bands. Hunter Kennedy, Johnny de Ridder and Pierre Greeff formed Die Heuwels Fantasties,
who released their first EP in 2008 and a full length album in March 2009. Van Coke Kartel has become one of the most successful Afrikaans rock bands in South Africa. Waaksaam & Wakker, their second album, won a SAMA for Best Afrikaans Album. Some of the international acts they’ve played with include Muse, 30 Seconds to Mars, Korn, Chris Cornell, Good Charlotte, Billy Talent and The Used. Die Heuwels Fantasies’ first album was released in March 2009, but before the album launch they released two tracks for free download on Last.fm, which attracted thousands of listeners. Their songs reached number one on many campus radio stations and their first music video spent three weeks at number one on the MK chart. The band received a nomination for Best Video at the MK Awards before they even played a single gig. Their limited-release USB flash drive EP, Pille Vir Kersfees, was released in 2008 and sold out within weeks. Wilder as die Wildtuin, their second studio album, was released in March 2011. aKing was formed in November 2007 by Hunter Kennedy, Jaco Venter, Laudo Liebenberg and Hennie van Halen. Dutch Courage, their first studio album, was released in 2008 and was followed early in 2009 by Against all Odds. aKing has shared the stage with international acts such as Panic at the Disco, Snow Patrol and Oasis. Hunter Kennedy left the band early in 2010, and in March 2011 they released their third album, The Red Blooded Years aKing, Fokofpolisiekar, Van Coke Kartel and Die Heuwels Fantasies often play together under the project name VanFokKingTasties. Love them or hate them, these four bands and the five members of Fokofpolisiekar have shown that the way to make it in the South African music industry is through hard work, good music and having the balls to say exactly what the fuck you want. By Ciska Esterhuizen
& Die Seisoen Na Somer
This month Niva Records turns one and, take it from someone who sees everything that happens behind the scenes, it’s been one hell of a difficult, eventful, successful and frustrating year. As many of our readers know, I’m Nic’s girlfriend and very involved with the happenings at Niva and the Niva Rock&Roll Gig Guide. It’s hard to believe that a full year has passed since the first show at Purple Turtle and I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that Niva has grown in leaps and bounds and surprised us all. So, for nostalgia’s sake (and for those who have no idea who Nic is), here’s a recap of the year that was Niva: Niva introduced itself to the Cape Town music scene at Purple Turtle, with Joint State being the first band ever to perform at a Niva event. Nic, his family, his friends, his neighbours and everyone on his Facebook friend list pulled through to check out what Nic has been rambling on about for the previous three months and Turtle was packed. Promo girls, Niva lanyards, stickers, t -shirts and shots accompanied good music with a feeling of excitement and anticipation. The start of 2011 saw the Niva crew camped out at Rock the River with two of the bands performing and everyone else getting horribly drunk. The beginning of 2011 also brought Niva an Audiosure sponsorship and made it the first company in the Western Cape to be sponsored with the new Albion range of amps. A LLK clothing and 911 Energy Drink sponsorship soon followed. By February Niva had managed to host the Niva Adorned Fest in Tableview, a 12-hour, under 18 festival with a BMX competition and 12 bands performing. Having never hosted a festival before, the only thing that went wrong were the Fuzz shutting it down at midnight. Not too long after we saw the first annual Niva Battle of the Bands which consisted of 3 rounds and a total of 24 bands. My Flawless Ending took the crown over all other. During April Niva assisted Southern Gypsey Queen with the Cape Town leg of their album launch tour and at the end of that month the first edition of this very magazine you are reading now was distributed to the public. The cover featured My Flawless Ending and immediately got Cape Town talking. During April Niva also proudly supported My Flawless Ending and Paul Bothner at Rock the River Easter Beast and soon after presented their first Afrikaans Aand at Nameless Pub with Die Seisoen Na Somer and Gee Oor. May saw the highlight of the year with Niva bringing down Johannesburg based Dance, You’re on Fire! for a 5 day tour and CrashCarBurn for 2 shows. Shortly before the CrashCarBurn shows Niva also signed a partnership deal with Point Blanc Sound Solutions for live sound as well as recording and mastering. June hosted another first – the first annual Niva King of the Stage New Band Search, which was aimed at allowing smaller bands the opportunity to perform at a good venue, to a good crowd with the winning band stepping into a contract. Blues-rock band The Mysticcs took top honours with My Friend’s Bread coming in second. As the winter chill finally grabbed hold of everyone, July and August were quiet months in terms of live shows, but the team at Niva kept pushing their bands into radio interviews, better slots, new venues and reputable competitions. Niva was proud to see My Flawless Ending win the ROAR leg of the Emerging Sounds Challenge. The boys will be representing in Johannesburg at the Finals then touring for the next 10 days. During October Niva has organised you some killer shows with Wrestlerish, Reburn, and many, many others. There will be tons of prizes from Paul Bothner and Niva. Grab your friends and come have a few beers with us as we celebrate the fact that it’s a year later and Niva is still here, fighting hard to bring rock and roll to every single fucking venue, radio station and person. Oh, and Nic, on behalf of every venue owner, promoter, musician and drunk guy leaving a Niva show at 4 in the morning: Well done, you’re fucking doing it! By Ciska Esterhuizen
t 8 Oc rday le Satu t r u le T Purp t Saturday 8 Oc the Bands
e Battle of Paarl De Vill
Friday 21 Oct ROAR/Gandalf’s
Wedne sday
19 Oct Aandkla s with
WRESTLERI
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Oct Saturday 29 Pub Nam eless with
REBURN
THE MYSTICCS INVASION! Local blues rockers The Mysticcs have been making some big waves recently. They formed in March 2011, initially as two guitarists and a drummer, no bassist. A few short months later they won the Niva King of the Stage New Band Search and signed to Niva Records in July. Since then the band has grabbed every opportunity they can get, playing all over Cape Town and even recently opened for Taxi Violence at a show at Purple Turtle. The band took a break in August and came back having lost a guitarist, but gained a bassist. These boys mean business and judging by frontman Ebi Johnston’s perfect little bowtie, they won’t stop until they’ve got the whole of Cape Town shouting “Encore! Encore! Encore!” Catch The Mysticcs opening for Wrestlerish and Reburn during October at Aandklas on the 19th and at ROAR on the 21st. Also go support them as they battle their way to the top of the Paarl De Ville Battle of the Bands on the 8 th of October.
Reviews 7th Son Album Launch @ Zula 3 September
By Slippery Lyzard
Just like the good old days, Long Street was loud, packed and filled with hot chics and Nigerians trying to sell me drugs. As tempting as all of this was, I was there to attend the highly anticipated album launch of local rockers, 7th Son. The stage area remained closed until around about 10pm, and when the doorman opened the door, like a swarm of honey-hungry bee’s, supporters stormed inside. I was sure to get a good spot close up against the stage. The first act was The Little Kings, who I haven't had the pleasure of watching before. But when I heard a couple of people talking about the band having travelled overseas, I was just that little bit more hyped up for their performance. They ignited like a Zippo at a petrol station with rock infused intros with hints of a good ska vibe. It was a tight performance with dual vocals across the gender bar complimenting each other like a fine wine. It’s also good to point out that the band looked as if they were at home on the stage, with supporters definitely feeding off their energy and originality. Next up to hit the stage with their style of ‘raga muffin afro rock crossed with contemporary pop with lashings of hot funk’, The Rudimentals. Their performance was outstanding! Tight, well orchestrated but a lot shorter than I had hoped for. With these guys known for playing 7 or 8 minute renditions of their songs, the only bummer was that they were forced to cut their set short due to the time, or so I assumed. The headliners were up next, releasing their new album called ‘Rude Rock Shakedown’. They started with welcomes to their fans and they were on their way. As with The Little Kings, 7th son possesses a style that is also heavily influenced by a ska/reggae vibe...it took me places! These guys knew their shit, definitely no amateurs at this game! It was a fun, rebellious teenager sort of sound that really got the younger portion of the crowd jiving. I was pretty jealous seeing how many girls were moving over to the left of the stage, closer to the backstage area. Boo-hoo for me! Haha! 7th Son put on a very professional set of songs, satisfying even the most bewildered of onlookers such as yours truly. All in all, the event turned out to be a great success...a perfect line up of bands at what seemed to be the perfect venue.
Cape Town +27 83 774 3404 tyronmunnik@pointblanc.co.za
The Nameless Pub Main Road, Somerset West Tel: 072 555 2356
The Assembly 61 Harrington Street, District 6 Tel: 021 465 7286
Purple Turtle Cnr Shortmarket Tel: 021 424 0811
1st - My Japon Skree Vryheid, Die Gunstons, Autumn of August 8th - The Jesse Jordan Band and The Undefined 14th - Afrikaans Rock Night with Dutch Phobia and Pre-Motief 15th - Wrestlerish, Joint State and Chasing Friday 21st - Cover Night with the Rubberduckz 22nd - My Flawless Ending, Gravity Wins Again and My Friend’s Bread 28th - Live MuthaFM broadcast with Nic E Louder 29th - Reburn, The Mysticcs, Chasing Friday, The Creepshows, Pik Swart and Ethan Storm 30th - Pik Swart
1st - Deconstruction presents Ulterior (UK) with The Wild Eyes & The Frown 4th - Pecha Kucha 15 7th - Discotheque: Riot Squad, ILLtastic, Candice Heyns & Plaigarhythm 13th - Music Network with The Dirty Skirts, Taxi Violence, Machineri, Louise Day, Goodluck and Pascal & Pierce 14th - Discotheque: Musical Chairs (JNB), Jam Jarr, George Daniel, JakobSnake & Battle Beyond the Stars 15th - Rocking the Daisies Afterparty: Ashtray Electric, New Holland, The Plastics, Peachy Keen and more 21st - Discotheque: PH Fat, Richard the Third, Das Kapital, VGA and more 22nd - Miller Music Series Presents Wrestlerish and Friends 28th - Discotheque: Halloween Edition with Sedge Warbler, Kennedy, Blush N Bass, Audiophile 021, Funafuji and more 29th - Halloween: aKing, City Bowl Mizers and Friends
1st - The Stremes, T Earl Grey and Croqu 5th - Cy.Str and Fing 12th - Supernova Stu 15th - Woodstock Ma and The Plastics 19th - Cy.Str and Fri 22nd - Obsessie Me 26th - Wedding DJs Sideshow 29th - Walk with the Infantera and Warins
Every Wednesday - See You Next Wednesday
1st - Grindfest 2011 Slate, Wakato, With Reason, The First D an Empire, Messiah The Impalement The Diaries, Sonnet for a 7th - Ark Synesis, Ye 8th - The Inside Job, 14th - The Sleepers 15th - Firethorn, Ryp 21st - Wrestlerish, R Ending, The Mysticc and Downonthefirst 28th - 3rd Minute Eff 29th - Halloween: My Woodstock Mafia, Su Moscow, Imperium o Guns Full Ammo and
Perigators 381 Crescent Road, Pringle Bay Tel:082 457 9403 1st - Johannes Basson 8th - Tina Delacovias 15th - Tuesday’s Gone 22nd - The Lentil Collective 29th - Piano Ben & Miso Markovina
Aandklas 43A Bird Street, Stellenbosch Tel: 021 883 3545 1st - Potjiekos Competition 12th - Die Tuindwergies & Naas Veld 15th - My Flawless Ending, Die Seisoen na Somer and The Creepshows 19th - Wrestlerish, Reburn and The Mysticcs 29th - Ekhouvanjou,okay?
Bohemia Victoria Street, Stellenbosch Tel: 021 882 8375 2nd - Akelian Circus 23rd - Wrestlerish unplugged 30th - Akelian Circus
Pakalolo 2nd - Stanley and Allstars 7th - Ripcord 14th - Stereozen 16th - Charly 19th - Dutchess 21st - Acid Blues
Bertie’s Mooring Harbour Island, Gordon’s Bay Tel: 021 856 3343 2nd - Natasha Meister 7th - Ann Jangles 9th - Boulevard Blues Band 14th - Gian Groen Band 16th - Gerald Clark & Band 21st - Jesse Jordan Band 23rd - Albert Frost Trio 28th - Van Coke Kartel Unplugged 30th - Boulevard Blues Band
Every Monday - The Every Tuesday - Fun Every Thursday - Ek Hip Hop Every Friday - Mung
ROAR/Gandalfs/ 299 Lower Main Observatory Tel:
Every Tuesday - Fuc Every Wednesday Every Thursday - Ga
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The Bone Collectors, uet and Shortstraw gers in the Sky udent Nights afia, The Business
ends t Als Ram Jam and DJ
Wicked, Bullet Script, sane
Acoustic Turtle nny Bones Comedy apa Underground
us Fungus
/Pandemonium Road, : 083 330 0700
with Arc Reactor, Dawn, Playing with escent, Descent of Complex, Damnatia, eory, Death Row a Dead Countess es Sir! Mr Machine , Fingers in the Sky and guests ptosis and guests Reburn, My Flawless s, My Friend’s Bread
fect and guests y Flawless Ending, uiderbees, Black of Man, Withdawn, All d Les Colour Red
ck the Recession Basscore, DnB andalf’s Ladies Night
SEPTEMBER 2011 www.nivarecords.com
Mercury Live and Lounge 43 De Villiers Street, Zonnebloem, Tel: 021 465 2106
Zula Sound Bar 194 Long Street, Cape Town Tel: 021 424 2442
1st - Homegrown Drum & Bass 6th - Classics feat DJ’s Azhul & Falko 7th - Party in Lounge with DJ Ray Awsum 8th - Party in Lounge with DJ Ray Awsum 14th - Mercury’s 9th Birthday Party feat Taxi Violence, Junkyard Parade and DJ’s Sideshow & Ray Awsum 15th - Rub a Dub 20th - BluesTown Sessions 21st - 7th Son and Isochronous 22nd - Private Function 27th - BluesTown Sessions 28th - Bicycle Thief, Holiday Murray, La Vi 29th - Sailor Jerry Presents Horror Halloween with Bason Loubsher, Machineri, The Great Apes, Dead Lucky, DJ’s Peachy Keen & Marshall One
1st - Vusa and Zoe’s Birthday Bash feat Teba and the Chamions, Crosby, Mr DJ, DJ Juice, DJ Dubmaster China, The Boogieman and Elusive Moose 5th - Heaven Underground 7th - No One’s Ark 8th - Love All Party 12th - Les Colours Red 13th - Die Tuindwergies and Naas Veld 14th - Hot Water 15th - Don’t Party 19th - Scarlet Hill 20th - Bikamara and Samson 21st - Girl’s Night Out 22nd - iKhaya Fest 26th - Skelmbosch 27th - Southpaw and Each Teach One 28th - Party People
Every Monday night - Student night Every Tuesday night - LMG Pub Quiz
Every Monday - Comedy Evening Every Tuesday - Too Broke To Party
Hidden Cellar Dorp Street, Stellenbosch Tel: 021 855 4183
Rocking the Daisies at Cloof Wine Estate, Darling
13th - Geheime Skaduwee, Haatspraak and Pre-Motief 14th - Red Robbins and Rolling Thunder 25th - Jam night
Daddy Long Legs Art Hotel Cape Town 1st - Tribute to Johnny Cash featuring Taxi Violence, Sixgun Gospel and Longtime Citizen 14th - Sixgun Gospel
Die Boer 5 Chenoweth Street, Bellville Tel: 021 979 1911 15th - Boulevard Blues Band 19th - Arno Carstens and Albert Frost 27th - Robbie Wessels 28th - Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival
7th - Foto Na Dans, RTD All Stars, Gazelle, Jack Parow, Mix & Blend 8th - Peachy Keen, aKing, Tumi & The Volume, Prime Cirlce, Band of Skulls and Lark 9th - Hot Water, Jon Savage & The Nomads, Shadowclub, The Graeme Watkins Project and Just Jinjer
Other 11th - Mr Cat & The Jackal at The Waiting Room 15th - Wrestlerish at the V&A Waterfront Ampitheatre 25th - Stonecollar Acoustic at The Waiting Room 26th - Natasha Meister at Die Oude Bakkerij
Zula Bar Woodstock Mafia EP Launch
The Nameless Pub Saturday 24 September
A great gig usually begins with a classic venue, and The New Zula turned out to be perfect for the EP launch of one of my favorite local bands, Woodstock Mafia. The upstairs are was packed with people as eager as I was, just waiting for their souls to mesmerized by the riffs of three fucking rad bands. Opening the event on the night was Wolftown, with me quickly after the start asked the lead singer, Sarah Pope if she would have my babies! They were that awesome! They warmed up the souls of the crowd with some classic, attitude filled clean and dirty rock tunes. This is one those bands I'd watch twice in one night if I could. Next up were the EP launchers Woodstock Mafia, who simply seemed to hi-jacked the band wagon on the night by breeding a new language...these guys rock!! Their set consisted of stage dives and smoking in no-smoking zones, I mean.. what's better than jumping into a crowd, smoking a ciggie and then still continue to melt the face of all the supporters? Nothing! Riffing their way through their set, this post-grunge rock n' roll band is enough to make you wake up a day late. To finish off the event, they invited The Great Apes to pull in for a jam with the word ‘great’ being an understatement! Despite a power trip or two, the Apes definitely taughg me a thin or two when it comes to a super tight set! All in all it was a great gig with good sound at a good venue with awesome bands. By Justin John.
Let me start off by telling you that I am completely the wrong person to be writing this review. I am totally and utterly in love with My Flawless Ending and in my eyes they can do no wrong. I think they are all amazing musicians who write perfect songs and the only fault I can find with them is that none of them have signed/ rubbed/grabbed/kissed any body part of mine. Yet. The Flawless boys started off the night with a most of the Nameless crowd stuck to their seats, but by their third song they had managed to gather a small group, which later turned into a bigger group, which ended with people buying the band drinks for the rest of the night. Again Flawless lived up to their name with an energetic set, great crowd interaction and pure rock n roll oozing from every pore. Next up was Johannesburg rockers Southern Gypsey Queen. Now, if you knew SGQ way back when, you’re still expecting something that your mother would listen to. I don’t know about yours, but if I saw my mother rocking out to this, I’d be extremely worried. Frontman Gareth is all about skinny jeans and tattoos and vocalist Tammy is the perfect female bassist – a tiny little bombshell that would as soon punch you in the face as bake you a malva pudding. My kind of girl. Despite their set being cut short, Southern Gypsey Queen delivered an amazing set of which the crowd favourite was definitely their cover of 99 Red Balloons. Southern Gypsey Queen are in the area every couple of months and if you missed them this time, then make an effort to go see them next time they play at a venue near you. By Ciska Esterhuizen
Purple Turtle 24 September A massive line up of The Mysticcs, Ice Cream and the Chocolate Sticks, Saintfearless, Reburn and Taxi Violence was she show of the night on the long street strip, The Mysticcs had to unfortunately begin the show at 8pm, but being a contagious band, they had a crowd that came to watch them. Approximately 75 people were there for the blues bands performance, with the sound engineer not allowing the band an encore even though, Ice Cream and the Chocolate Sticks had, for some reason pulled out of the show. The turtle grew over the night to approximately 275 people. Reburn’s indie-ish set was superb as usual, I always feel interested when watching the frontman and his facial expressions, a bit of crazy? Yep! Taxi Violence stole new and old fans on the night, tight performance and all round good marketing of the event. Great atmosphere, great crowd, but must be said, The Mysticcs were my band of the night...and that’s being compared to some pretty big names!
Purple Turtle Wednesday 14 September. What is different about middle of the month weeknight gigs on the Long Street strip in Cape Town? Well, due to the lack of millions of patrons that frequent the strip on weekends it’s a fine line between having a gig that is a roaring success or a dismal failure. This particular show proved to be the former, encompassing a style and genre of musical talent that is on the rise in the Cape Town music scene. The night started out to be a very quiet one with my Long Street stroll proving to be a lonely affair. I stumbled into the Purple Turtle to be met firsthand by their very friendly manager, Marius. I then introduced myself to the event organizer and front man for the Crimson House Blues Band, Redeye Riaan. Nice guy! In the foreground I could hear the sound of the opening act South busy checking their gear and giving the few patrons present a sneak peek of the night’s events. I profess to say the night is still young and the booze cheap so let’s get started! After getting a drink and chatting to some of the locals I made my way to the stage to take in the opening act, South with Sannie Fox of Machineri. They begin with a sort of nostalgic grunge blues infused sound that seems to pique the interest of the patrons present, enough for them to sit back, relax and let South tell them their story. Their set was tight, combining raw rock guitar riffs overlaid with vocals only Sannie Fox can muster from her soul with drummer Daniel Huxham playing what is conventional with “some semi electronic elements”. Their “slaapstad but we are awake” statement on their Facebook page is a good indication of where their groove is at. Following South, it was time to be introduced to a unique and awe inspiring individual who goes by the name Tombstone Pete, and for good reason, if any artist can leave you gob smacked after their set and get the party going it’s this man. Tombstone Pete is described as, in the words of one patron standing next to me, “the Second Coming”. This could be due to his all white attire. But, moving away from appearances, his skills and virtuosity on the guitar is by far his forte! With elements of Andy McKee and Rodrigo Gabriella, Pete displays his attention to rhythmic detail with funk inspired multi-genre combined musicality. Tombstone Pete was very entertaining to watch (as always) and set a great mood for the rest of the evening. As the night progressed and the venue began to swell in attendance, The Crimson House Blues Band took to the stage with a lust to entertain in a blues-rock party sort of way. Now I have been privileged to watch this band as they have steadily been clawing their way into the local Cape Town scene, with great appreciation may I add. These boys are injecting a very fresh sound and groove back into a style of music that is re-stabling itself as the purveyor of all musical tastes, the blues! Their set was tight, starting with some classic blues covers then moving onto their own songs which could have been enjoyed by anybody in my opinion. In the proverbial nutshell the gig was a well put together and decently attended affair with class A acts entertaining their fans like great musicians should. By Slippery Lizard
ROAR Friday 23 September
Purple Turtle 24 September
Friday nights at ROAR have become a good place to discover some new talent and get exposed to bands you’ve never seen perform before. This night was no exception. I had seen two of the four acts before and two not. First up was Ethan Storm and though the crowd was small, he impressed with his smooth voice and ease of play. This young man seems to be just as comfortable on stage as he is off, and managed to rope two friends into playing drums and bass for him on a few songs. Though this is not the type of act I would put in ROAR myself, he nevertheless made an impact on me and I hope to see him perform again soon. Second on stage was My Friend’s Bread. Now, I’ve seen these boys perform before so I knew that we were in for some bare chests, fast beats and funny lyrics (“I like my girls chunky”). My Friend’s Bread are young, energetic, full of attitude and ready to do whatever it takes (lose shirts, shorts, virginities) to make a name for themselves on the Cape Town music scene. Expect to see a lot of them. Next up was The Mysticcs, the act I’ve been looking forward to the whole day. These three musicians made a name for themselves in May this year when they won the King of the Stage New Band Search (in which My Friend’s Bread came second, by the way). This blues -rock act will blow your mind away. Frontman Ebi plays guitar as if he had been doing it since his days in the womb and the band’s songs are soulful yet spirited. I have not been to one show of theirs where the crowd let them get off stage without at least one encore. And you know that a band that does a Jimmi Hendrix cover as part of their set is either extremely talented or extremely stupid. And the Mysticcs are not stupid my friend, not at all. Remember their name, because this is one of the bands to keep an eye on going into 2012. Remember, it’s The Mysticcs. Two c’s. Closing the night was coverband The Rubberduckz. I’ve not seen them before and a friend described them to me as “sort of a Blink-ish sound with a bit of Simple Plan and some beer”. So that’s what I was expecting, and surprisingly enough that was just about what we got. This is the perfect band to listen to if you’re sitting around a table, drinking beer and getting drunk with your best mates. They do everything from Shut Up to All the Small Things to Black Betty. They had the entire crowd jumping up and down, singing along to their favourite punk and punk rock hits. Just a side note to the frontman: I’m all for interacting with the crowd, but if after the fifth time you stick the mic out to the audience and your met with absolute dead silence, accept the fact that they don’t want to sing into the mic and move on. You’re not going to win. No really. Stop doing it. Despite the small turnout, ROAR delivered another great night of entertainment. By Ciska Esterhuizen
I had two of my best friends and co band members Leigh and Wilton with me on the night. We arrived late. According to the event details the show was set to start at 21h00, but at 21h30 when we stepped into Purple Turtle, it was quiet. Before we arrived, we had experienced an interesting series of events. In my panicked state after not being able to find parking, I turned into Longmarket street in my Beetle not knowing it would lead into Greenmarket square, to our right were the flashing blue lights of police bakkies, panicking even more I drove on through St. George’s Mall, through what could only have been a film set. With Leigh and Wilton in an hysterical state next to and behind me, I pushed on to Adderley Street. Somehow after all this, my accelerator pedal broke, causing us to crawl into Long Street and cause a traffic jam behind us as I tried fixing my pedal. Eventually we arrived, and after what seemed like a 500 point parallel parking technique we were off. With the promo girls playing Band Hero, we did away with a round of beers. A few more beers and a shot of Jager later, the screens were removed and Anton Syndrome started preparing to get on stage. An odd mix of personalities on stage, I’d seen them perform once before when Fingers In The Sky played with them at Hidden Cellar. The first impression they gave me on that night was not that grand. I thought they needed a lot of work. Clearly they have laboured hard since then, as their live show is as tight musically and as exciting to watch as I imagined they could be. Their guitarist Brian’s riffs seem to be the defining factor in their overall sound, but the bass and drums don’t ever become second fiddle to the guitar, instead each of them is an able musician in their own right and all this comes together to create a unique sound that is appealing and unique at the same time. Standing there watching I felt compelled to move to the heavily South African influenced rhythms. Anton Syndrome have something good going on. Give them a huge crowd and I can guarantee they will entertain. I wish the lead singer would get out from behind his mic stand and engage with his crowd more often though, perhaps with time he’ll move away from that comfort zone of his. In between Anton Syndrome and Southern Gypsey Queen, Leigh and Wilton got drunk and I knew I was in for an entertaining night. SGQ got on stage and despite the poor turnout played an extremely energetic show. They’ve been around since 2004 and I remember reading about them in the old Blunt Magazine. I’ve always wanted to see them perform and I can’t fault them at all for their individual levels of showmanship and musical skills, but as a group, they sound predictable, or rather, not as original as I expected they would be. Once again I was moved to dance to the more raw and gritty sounds I think they execute with gifted ease, they should stay away from the cheesy, corny, mushy, almost Dawson’s Creek-esque ballad music that sounds like it could have been written by Chad Krueger from Nickelback. I had a fun night though, Anton Syndrome however, stole my heart that night. They were the band of the night and won over a former doubter. By Andriques du Ché
Models Supplied by 3D Model Agency
So you’re the friend who’s always got a camera with you. The one who’s always asking people to “look here!” And you’re the one who constantly gets shouted at for posting photos on Facebook that “make me look too fat/skinny/drunk/constipated”.
If you’d like to turn your hobby into a career you can go one of two ways: go study for a diploma or degree first, or jump in with both feet and start snapping. There are some good photography schools in and around Cape Town. Have a look at the courses offered at City Varsity, the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography, the Cape Town School of Photography or the Africa Photo Academy. There are of course also many places that offer short courses and evening classes focusing on different kinds of photography. Regardless of whether you choose to study first or begin selling your services immediately, you’ll need to build and maintain a good portfolio for yourself. Have a physical and electronic copy on hand when you meet with potential clients and use it to showcase the type of photography that you are best at. Photographers often do work for free in order to build their portfolio. Also, advertise your work online on a website or blog. Although you can rake in big bucks once you’ve established yourself in the market, most people get into the profession by being an assistant to another professional photographer. Assistants often don’t get paid a set salary, but will receive 10% - 20% of the photographer’s income. The Association of Professional Photographers prescribes rates of up to R8000 per day for qualified, experienced photographers, depending on the type of shoot, the client and the photographer’s experience. Wedding
photographers can charge between R350 and R650 per hour, with R200 – R250 per hour for postproduction services. Nearly half of all photographers are self-employed and work on a freelance basis, meaning that although your hours are flexible and you get to meet many different people and travel to many different places, you will have less job security than your friends who work 08:00 – 17:00 jobs. You’ll have to put in a lot of time and effort to market yourself and your services in order to ensure that you have connections and relationships that lead to contracts and income.
To get yourself started you don’t need a super fancy camera or expensive lenses. Just arm yourself with a good quality digital camera of 6 – 10 megapixels, a tripod and a thick skin. Know that not everyone is going to love that artistic photo that you took of your parrot, but if you keep producing quality images that fit the client’s specifications, you’ll be sure to build a good reputation and enjoy the fruits of your hard work. Not too long ago a musician at Mercury told me “if you take one more photo I’m going to break your nose!” Well, challenge accepted buddy. *flash*
Deborah Rossouw has a degree in Advertising and Art Direction and left her job as Art Director at an advertising agency to pursue her passion full time. She is known as South Africa’s best “rock photographer” and has worked with the likes of Taxi Violence, My Flawless Ending Fokofpolisiekar, Dirty Skirts, Zebra & Giraffe, The Mysticcs, Plush, Prime Circle, Southern Gypsey Queen, Springbok Nude Girls, Flash Republic…the list goes on and on. Deborah, do you think it’s necessary to study photography to take good photos or is it better to just start snapping away and learn as you go? The photographers I’ve come across that I admire the most taught themselves, most artist's, musicians and other fields too, contemporary and legendary. What equipment did you start out with? Should you always buy new equipment or can you buy second hand? I wouldn't know about second hand, I bought mine on credit, paid it off per month, as well as a Mac. So all is accessible. You don't need to have 40k in the bank before you start. Enthusiasm and passion should surpass small obstacles anyway. Do you struggle to find clients in Cape Town or is there more demand for your work than there are photographers? I think looking at photography as a whole there are many types, like their are brands. Some are more retail, and its because there is a need for it, and then some are more visual communicators to the public ear and eye, and act as a voice. Most have a specified role, so one can't really categorize it and throw it into one bowl. Its all service industry related and is in some manner related to the experience. What you see in the end result is only a part or reflection of the experience of being shot and having a photographer around. I do like to think most and all people are extremely beautiful and very rock n roll. There's a legend in all of us, So pertaining to work, I think I’m hired for some of those things. And some occasions not hired for some other things, It's also about checking the integrity of your role and making sure you have a vast and varied style to reach where you want to be seen and made visible. Apart from taking good looking photos, what other skills do you need to secure work and sell your service? I’m an art director for agency and brands as well as a designer. I took up photography part time to fulfill an allencompassing role. Something I felt the world was moving towards. During my years in the advertising industry one tends to pick up on strategy, trends and global movements. So it really was to offer a whole package, in which I do to the smaller person, be it a producer, small brand, or band. It was about being able to come to one person, even the small person, and offer them a change, and with varied expertise to three roles or more, including DTP'ing, more could be fulfilled. I like to be included on the eye, the idea, the voice, the tone, the manner, the colours the collaboration, the vision, the dream, the team, and streamlining it through to the end. Having more than one expertise does help in bringing in good personal relationships that come down to the experience of the project, together and as a whole and each individuals own facilitation, and purpose. In creativity in all projects its never solely about what you do, but what everyone did and ending as a finished product or result. How can a freelance photographer ensure that they always have a steady stream of work coming in? Sell yourself as a brand, Every individual in this day and age and across the world now has the right to be a brand, Its not only left to big companies and products. We have moved into a time, where we all have the right to it. Its beautiful, so just express it, and to do those things, make sure others can see you in your work, don't sell your soul and stick to the human truth. Check out some of Deborah’s work on www.onesmallchangeblog.blogspot.com or One Small Change on Facebook.
212 E GT CRAT
MONTHLY POLL
It has been a long year, filled with the best memories of my life. Biggest thanks goes out to Ciska who supported me through every new tattoo, show and idea. I would also like to add a special thanks to My Flawless Ending who have become my best friends, Antonio (ROAR), Marius (Turtle), Kevin (Mercury), Mark and Allan (Nameless), Carel (Bothner), the guys and girls at Southern Pulse, Catherine (5FM), MFM, UCT Radio, KFM, Tyron and Dirk (Point Blanc), Afsana (Endor), all the bands I have represented this year, the tons of bands I have booked, the supporters that came to the shows and supported Niva, and to anybody I may have missed, Thank you!