22 Feb 2008

Lord and Lady...

This day always strikes a bell in my brain and I am reverted to my youth of remembering the 22 February as the birthday of both Lord and Lady Baden-Powell - them of course being, the ones who started scouting as a movement! 

And most South Africans have tied a knot or two in the followings of Scouts or Guides, and learnt how to make a fire or bandage an arm in order to earn a badge!

But here in London, many years on, life is more than earning badges. Rather, it seems, we are tasked with building that fire or bandaging that arm - sans instructions - and left to our own creative interpretations as long as we get the job done. And of course, badges these days are few and far between! But when those little 'badges' of appreciation and recognition do come our way, what a pleasure it is indeed to be acknowledged with a wee little thank you or well done!

But as always, back to the music, and what does this all have to do with the music? Well, nothing and everything. Mostly to say, that musicians and those who work in the industry from event organising to the management of a band and all the detailed details of organising anything to the media side where an artist's story comes together in black and white (and hopefully with a pic too!)

And so, a big shout out to everyone who behind the scenes spends hours building websites, band profiles, artist insight and of course building of bands as well as members come and go. And so two South African bands have recently undergone the 'hunt for a drummer' debacle... First up is Feral Sun who will be live and on stage tonight for the first time in a while, catch them at Zulus in Fulham!

Then there are the whispers of when SA/Zim band Mann Friday are really getting back together. Word is, yes! When is still being finalised - but when ever that is (now nearly a year since they 'went fishing') - it will indeed be worth catching them again!

Looking back on the weeks that were, with Karen Zoid recently here - catch a review of the unique gig in this week's South African newspaper. And alongside this was a snippet of news that CT electro duo have gone global. Yip, Goldfish in a global pond! Signed by Pacha, they will be touring the US and then stopping off in the UK too. Def a date to wait for!

And also in this week's South African paper, a long and insightful look at the issues of how producers influence artists' work and also how artists have to be more and more creatively clever to get the ticket-buying-attention of fans! All this is woven around Karma who provides us with insight into the many facets of being an artist! Catch her next week Thursday and Friday at the Halfmoon in Putney, or a week after that on a little trip on the London Eye! Spaces limited of course!

Well, it sure has been a while since I wrote and judging by the length of this update, I will endeavour to write shorter interim versions more often! Keep reading here for all the music news and insight around South African artists in and around London!

Rock on,
x

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