Well, I have my own version from a while back. "Damien, Daniel, Donavon, Jack, John and Ronan - some of my favourite boys" (Sue Northam)
My favourite singer songwriters of that time that is. Circa 2004 / 2005. Damien Rice. Daniel Bedingfield. Donavon Frankenreiter. Jack Johnson. John Mayer and Ronan Keating.
A lot of people may wonder how Ronan made that list. But what I must explain is that when I first moved to the UK, I had a list. (Another list from the fave boys list that is). And on that list were various things to do while I was in the UK. One of them was to see Ronan play live.
And another not so written down Ronan reason, was in fact that I wanted to marry him. There was the issue of the wife, and the kids. And the very squeaky clean life he'd lead (yes, I read the Ronan autobiography). I once thought I'd spotted him in Putney in fact. He was driving a beaten up Ford, and with the window rolled down on that hot summer's day, I spotted the same tattoos on the driver's arm as Ronan has... I was so sure it was him that I ran frantically down that high street, dodging people and pavement traffic. Heart-a-flutter. Heart-a-racing to be honest. I'm not entirely sure what I would have done had I caught up with the car. And though I didn't quite reach that beaten up Ford, I believe that it was Ronan driving down the road that summer's day. I had been that close.
My friend Em did spot him once on Oxford Street, and of course she texted immediately to tell me. But not only to tell me that she'd walked straight past him (no fair!), but that he was in fact quite short. Now Ems is already a gorgeously tall girl at approx 5 foot 9, or even 10... whereas I am just over 6 foot! Hmmm, why do celebs always look so much taller on screen and in photos! This was a fact I had not taken into consideration.
"Giiiiirlfriend, you make my head start spinning around... And all I can hear is the sound of your heart beating in my ears. Giiiiiirlfriend, this boy has found another reason to sing... You're reminding me of everything that I hold dear in my heart!"
And I'm feeling elevated, lifted to my highest dreams. My whole world is revolving circles around your heart! You've got to be the one for me, or else life makes no sense... so wrap your arms around and kiss me til I'm dead! Giiiiirlfriend, a girl like you would take an army to find. How glad I am that you said you would be mine.... "
I was a true fan, even going to his Hammersmith Apollo show on my own when I could only find one ticket! Instead of being despondent, I went boldly and unashamedly by myself, singing along to every song!
Then there was Jack Johnson. Shared with me on a drive to Muizenberg in Cape Town, ahead of my first attempt at surfing with a friend and his dad's long board. How fitting. And I was hooked from first listen.
When I got to Thailand in 2004, everywhere we went they were playing Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales or On and On. And if they weren't playing it, I'd request it. What a soundtrack to an epic trip. Memories were made of it. I remember writing postcards one afternoon, outdoors and in sunshine, palm trees to my right, Jack in the background, a gorgeous man next to me - and the feeling that life couldn't get much better than this!
Then in 2005, Jack did a world tour. And he was coming to London. Except that I wasn't the only Super Fan. And tickets sold out instantly. And then they went onto the online black market where £300 a pop on Gumtree seemed a little excessive. So I did what any true fan would do - and checked out his other tour dates. I matched his tour schedule with where I had friends in the world. And Madrid was the winner!
£50 return flights from London into Madrid and out of Barcelona. Bargain. Plus £15 a ticket to see the one-and-only Jack Johnson - Bargain Of The Year! Did the Spanish not know, or appreciate who he is I wondered with exasperation!?
Tapas and small beers eased us on our way to the venue that balmy May evening in Madrid. And inside a venue with a life-size, and fabulously fake palm tree smack centre in the room, we were able to scooch up super close to that stage. I remember shaking for most of the concert. And calling my friend NPK all the way in Cape Town, still shaking from sheer delight as I held the phone up while singing along, engulfed in utter happiness.
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| You see, I was literally shaking - not a single photo in focus! |
Plus it was through Jack, that I'd met Donavon. Knowing that Jack only hangs with awesomeness, I'd made the acquaintance with Donavon Frankenreiter outright - since he was opening for Jack's Madrid show, I'd bought Donavon's album without a pre-listen! And so I knew every one of Donavon's songs too. And so he also made it, quite quickly, onto my list of boys.
Then there was John Mayer. Our introduction was quite a surreal one. In a top-down Mustang while driving round Beverley Hills back in 2004, interspersed between The Eagles, was this man with an amazing voice - and the first song to grab me was the fabulous 'Your Body is a Wonderland'. Its been a love affair with me and John ever since. I've bought every album. From Room for Squares to Heavier Things which I immersed myself in, to sticking with him over the years as he's tried his jazz hand and other side projects. So he makes the fave list effortlessly.
So that's about everyone. Aaah, not forgetting Damien Rice. I remember hearing Canonball, and being impressed. But then I heard The Blower's Daughter on an ad on TV, and I went out and bought the album the next day without further interrogation. I knew instantly I'd found another one for my favourites list. That violin. That emotion. That voice! "I can't take my eyes off of you, I can't take my eyes off of you..."
Thinking about all those artists now, and the impact of their songs and their music, it takes me to a very special place and an amazing time of my travels and my London life!
Now, as always, what got me to thinking about this, was who I would be able to say are my favourite SA boys - singer songwriter boys that is. And oh my, its a growing list at best...
There are the ones who have long since held a place in my heart, such as Dave Owens, Shen Winberg, Nibs van der Spuy and more, to the newer discoveries including Jack Mantis with his intensely beautiful voice, and Joshua Grierson with his bluesy beautiful raw real sound. I'm a sucker for an acoustic guitar. And when the music makes me feel something, that's me, I'm finished. I'm theirs forever.
But you've heard me go on about Dave, Shen and Jack many times before. So I want to add some new ones to the gig blog mix for you to explore... Jasper Dick (very new to my listening repetoire and so fresh and new that he's practically still a secret), Chris Tait (with an abundance of material from his previous band Tait in 2003, with the ability to master styles from raw emotive to edgy rock, its hard to find a box for Chris, so let's not. And more on him separately I promise)... Then there's Roland Albertson (fresh surf style acoustic rock and with a new online project just released, more soon on this too)... and Dave Fisher who I met at Splashy Fen this year and played for us around our campfire, now he needs to get his stuff out there, he's got some beautiful melancholic songs! And then not forgetting the Ian Hendersons, James Stewarts and Farryl Purkiss'es of the male singer songwriter world who have been around for a while, and indeed are worth mentioning!
Aaah, Dave, Shen, Roland, Nibs, Farryl, Chris, Ian, Josh, Jasper, Jack and James... some of my favourite SA boys! (Sue Northam)
And to top an already awesome weekend, we're off to see James Stewart and his fabulous piano ability at Backsberg wine estate in Franschoek this afternoon!
Rock on amazing SA singer songwriters,
x
PS. For those of you who are wondering... near everything on that original London to do list has now been ticked off, well, except for seeing a real wild hedgehog. So as I head back to London in just over a week, it is hedgehogs I shall be looking for (and yes, I still get excited when I see foxes around the neighbourhood at night!) Cos once my hedgehog is ticked off, well my list will then be complete. And we all know what that means...So I did indeed get to see my Ronan play live - and at an outdoor event in a natural amphitheatre at Kent Castle! It even rained on us, but it is England afterall. And I was not one to complain :)
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