The crazy thing is that Ive seen so many diff SA bands in the last week, that I dont know where to begin... and I find myself comparing them and getting a bit fussy about who I need to listen to again in the near future...
And I dont think I am alone. You see, the SA music scene in London is getting a wee little bit umm, saturated. A-hmmm. Didnt think Id ever feel like this being the ultimate intimate-gig music lover - of which most SA gigs are - but I feel a bit oversubscribed between work, life, having a social life and then seeing gigs - the ones you actually want to listen to that is - not just the ones you talk your whole way through as background music!
On the intimate level - I am now gutted that I made the call to miss out on seeing Seether. Currently in the UK for 2 shows - one was last night at the small hall style venue of ULU - or less cooly, the University of London Union! It was apparently brilliant - and they only played about 4 songs off the new album that just won them a SAMA for best rock album. Not bad for a band on tour post an album release. Normally bands kill audience desire and plug the new album so baldy that people walk away wondering if they ever knew the band they just listened to!
Well done Seether for playing all the faves! Alas, come back soon - cos I wont miss you again!
Then onto bands as background music - well, sad to say that the Sunday night event of 'Simply South African' as organised by Southern Fire events - well, it just didnt fit together very well. The place was empty for a start, maybe due to the glorious day outside of about 28 degrees - but the empty Clapham Grand dancefloor just looked a bit miserable with only a few scattered bodies.
We arrived to Faryll Purkiss - who was great. I do love his title track 'Better Days' - though he was growing some sort of a beard and wearing a hat, and he looked much older than his usual fresh faced boy with a guitar vibe!
Then there was Guy Buttery and Nibs van der Spuy - playing separately bar a few together - and at first I wasnt sure how a potentially rock-expectant audience (Arno was headlining) would take to these two guitar geniuses... but the applause over-did any of the other artists in the noise-o-meter!
Guy Buttery just keeps getting better every time I see him - such a guitar and sitar and saw playing wonder - he makes sounds that I have neevr seen before float off a guitar! I also had the delight of seeing him and Nibs at the Troubadour last week Wednesday! Troubadour is a truly intimate venue, steeped in history and so tiny that you almost want to reach out and touch the artists!
It was something indeed special for Nibs van der Spuy and his whisper-wonder voice as he touched many souls with his songs!
But back to Simply South African... following Guy and Nibs we saw Chris Letcher - def a talent waiting to be spotted. Something of an enigma in his lyrics and depth - Letcher is an awkward kind of wonderful - nothing commercial stamped on them - just real music being made!!
And following Chris Letcher was the SA rock god, ex-Nude Girls - one and only: Arno Carstens. But after only two songs, he was already onto a Nude Girls number and playing Blue Eyes. To which the audience responded fabulously. But quite dis-heartening for Arno to look out onto a near empty dance floor - and a few homesick South Africans singing along to a hit he has probably sung more times than he's driven a car!!
I am left wondering why a South African 'festival' didnt work.. and I fear it is for the reasons of a) we have so much choice between SA artists in London already... b) when an artist does come - they dont play a festival exclusively - in fact they play as many times as humanly possible... and c) a lot of the artists were ones either permanently or temporarily based in London where they are available often...
Added to that - it was a Sunday night - and well, as much as we want to think we're all still wild at heart, well we cant seem to cut three nights out a weekend - energy or money wise. Plus a little bit of outdoor sunshine never hurts to truly make a festival feel like a festival!
Hopefully the Toast Festival in Sept will capture some of these elements - and with a smaller select band line up - both of which are flying in exclusively for the event - we should have a good day out! All we can hope for there is a little bit of sunshine! Lets hope Freshlyground can bring a bit from SA - and Just Jinjer can def organise some Californian rays!
And then the last gig to talk about - one last week Thurs - and always a fab gig at the venue of the Halfmoon: A Mann Friday sell-out as usual!
Supported by the up-and-coming angelic/devilish little delight of US Terra Naomi, and followed by Lightning Type (another SA band sounding sometimes Scissot Sisters and sometimes Pearl Jam - hmmmm!?) - the MF gig was a grand affair of fabulous favourites and some new wonders too!
Rock on all things SA music! And big up to all the super talented guys out there!
x
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