Counting the daisies down...

One festival, two festivals, three festivals, four... That is one festival for each of the months left of the year, starting today as September, then October, November and December! 

And what more does one need to start preparing for summer holiday mode than a festival to truly get that let go feeling, to kick back and kick off the shoes and just learn to be at one with nature and live meal-to-meal, enjoying the sunshine and mostly concerned with which epic band to see next!

Starting with White Mountain Festival from today in KZN, to Rocking the Daisies next weekend for the Capies and those along the west coast, followed by Synergy at the end of November (also for those in Western Cape), and the new one day Drake Festival in KZN on 17 December!




Rocking the Daisies has a stellar line up on Saturday in particular! I think I'll find myself a permanent viewing possie from 2pm onwards:

• SATURDAY
• 10:00 The Brother Moves On
• 11:00 The Rescu
• 12:00 Peachy Keen
• 13:00 IScreamStix
• 14:00 Jeremy Loops
• 15:05 Yoav
• 16:10 Belleruche
• 17:15 Tumi & the Volume
• 18:20 aKING
• 19:45 Prime Circle
• 21:10 Civil Twilight
• 22:55 Band of Skulls
• 00:30 Lark

And yes, that's two UK bands on the Saturday line-up - electronic / soul band Belleruche for the post-lunch chill and then the main alternative rock headliner Band of Skulls who will take us over the midnight threshold!

Even the Sunday line up is worth sticking around for! I recall last year how we stayed til Nibs van der Spuy at the very end, and despite it pissing it down with rain, we were so pleased we stuck it out!


SUNDAY

• 10:00 Hot Water
• 11:00 Jon Savage and the Nomads
• 12:00 Shadowclub
• 13:05 Graeme Watkins Project
• 14:10 Just Jinjer

Rock on counting down the days til Daisies,
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6 degrees of SAMA 2011 separation...

Its been a while since we did a good 6 degrees of separation, and in the spirit of the recent South African Music Awards, we bring you some SA music trivia in this fun format...

Are you ready to read all about it...?

1. I really should write more about Yoav, the Israeli-born, Cape Town-based, world travelling musician who won 'Best Alternative Album English' at this year's SAMAs.

I once met Yoav (right) at Zebra & Giraffe's album launch in Stellenbosch at the end of 2010 - he was the support artist - and a very lovely guy!

We also met Z&G's lead singer Greg Carlin (below), a very friendly guy and possibly the tallest SA muso I've met (ok, so maybe just shy of Kurt Darren's 6.4)

2. Zebra & Giraffe, who I adore, performed 'The end of the road' at the SAMAs, a track off their latest album 'The Inside' (which was nominated for Best English Rock Album, but which was won by Prime Circle).

3. Amongst the other live acts at the SAMAs, was a SAMA special combo act - two artists who both had one of their songs nominated for Record of the Year. One part was the Durban girl group The Arrows with their successful radio single 'Lovesick' combined with SA's R&B crooner, Loyiso Bala and his popular radio hit 'Wrong for you'!

4. Next up, what would the 2011 SAMAs be without acknowledging the band who dominated the interweb in 2010. And if their name was in English, it would sound similar to the 'Lovesick ladies' (The Answer / The Arrows - geddit?). With Ninja singing on stage and Yo-landi floating above the audience much like a ninja-styled butterfly, it was apt as she sung 'Ai-i-ya-i-ai.. I am your butterfly!'

5. Ninja, the main man from Die Antwoord, on accepting the 'International Achievement Award', said (and I paraphrase) "I'd like to thank all the people in the overseas who helped Die Antwoord with their first SAMA!" When collecting the award, Ninja was wearing a very unique patterned suit, and with no shirt underneath, you could see his washboard stomach and the array of seemingly homemade tattoos for which he has become famous. (And Yo-landi, for what its worth, was dressed in an orange, over-sized fluffy bear outfit thing!)

6. And talking about 'the people in the overseas', just to say that to everyone reading ZAmmm! - there will be more plenty more insights on artists like Israeli-born, Cape Town bred (and according to some sites, London-based), or at least 'world-based' Yoav. I know he was abroad for a while, maybe he too is home now. But as with all great SA musicians - have SAMA, will travel :)


Rock on SA artists coming to London, and being recognised for their work,
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