'Amuzed' - 13/02/98

Hullo young lovers!

It's Valentine's day again so send a card to the object of your deep and secret lust and write on it those immortal words from the Springbok Nude Girls: "What would you say if I said I love you?" The release of the new and eagerly awaited EP from the Nudies has been a little delayed but has already been showcased in the current spate of live gigs and is apparently as wonderful as their past tunes. Anyway, Valentine's Day is on a Saturday this year so you can talk to, walk with or just stalk that special person in your life all of the day and all of the night. That also means that today is Friday 13th if superstition is your bag so remember to throw salt over your shoulder if you notice a black cat walking under a ladder.

The big and brilliant news is that the enigmatic, elusive, cool, cult and concrete cold fact man Sixto "Jesus" Rodriguez will be playing a series of concerts in South Africa during March. Details and dates are sketchy but I believe he will be performing in Cape Town at the Velodrome in Tigervalley on Friday March 6th and Saturday March 7th. When we set up the Great Rodriguez Website in 1997, we did not even know if Rodriguez was even still alive. Well, he most certainly is and is very excited about touring the country where he has achieved his greatest and most durable success. From letters to our website it is obvious that his fame and appeal has spread all over the globe due to the word of mouth of all those ex-pat South Africans who can't get his music out of their heads or memories.

The other equally cool news is that U2 have woken up and added a Cape Town concert to their SA leg of their Popmart tour. Bono, Adam, Larry and (don't stand too close to) The Edge will be at the Green Point stadium on March 16th. Booking opened at Computicket yesterday and apparently if you have tickets for the concert at Ellis Park in Dodge City, Gauteng, you can switch them for the Cape Town show. Still haven't found what you're looking for, Bono? Wait till you see Cape Town!

There's something that's been bothering me for some time now about the approaching millennium. No, it's not what's going to happen when all those computers have to click over to the year 00 nor is it the ongoing debate as to exactly when does the new millenium start i.e. the year 2000 or 2001. No, what I'm worried about is this. We've had the 'Sixties', the 'Seventies', the 'Eighties' and the 'Nineties', so what are we going to call the next decade? I thought we should call it the 'Noughties' but that really doesn't sound right. Suggestions on an email please.

So how many Spice Girls does it take to change a lightbulb? Well, it takes five. One to stand on the ladder and put the new globe into the socket and four to point to her and shout "Girl!" and then point to the lightswitch and shout "Power!". How many members of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission does it take? Two too (geddit?) OK so while I'm on a roll, how many members of Sarfu does it take? Nah! It's too Luyt for that, those ous are happy to still sit in the dark!

This week we feature the new Danny Boyle movie, 'A Life Less Ordinary'. This, the third offering from the team who brought us 'Shallow Grave' and 'Trainspotting', is reviewed in our Film section and its spunky soundtrack (and that of 'The Full Monty') is reviewed in our Gig Guide for a quick browse through their musical "what's on" site. Last, but not least, we are still accepting all and any contributions for our new "U-review" page called 'The Show Must Go Online'. Simply email us a short review of any album, film, concert, play or happening you may be moved to describe. All worthy contributions will be posted on to this site. These contributions as well as any news, views and abuse will be gratefully accepted if emailed to me at

stephen@intekom.co.za
Thanks for your time and you can thank me for mine and after that's said, forget it!

Stephen "Sugar" Segerman

What's currently playing on the Amuzine harddrive's 'coffee-holder':
Soundtrack - A Life Less Ordinary: lekker (groot)Beck and Alabama 3 songs.
Buena Vista Social Club: Ry Cooder's Cuban musical expedition.
Christion - Ghetto Cyrano: New R&B sensations, very smooth.
Notorious BIG - Life After Death: "Biggie, biggie , biggie can't you see, sometimes your words just hypnotize me"
Fiona Apple and Beth Orton - Trailer Park: Two lovely Fem-Rock CDs and an antidote to the CD above. The Electronic Mail & Guardian best music sites of '97 awards:

Best overall music site
The Gothic Scriptures
http://home.global.co.za/~seanco/

Best Band or Artist Site
Tie between:
Ethel My Love http://home.global.co.za/~j-bodart/
and
Squeal http://www.squeal.co.za/

Best Recording Industry Site
Tequila Records http://www.tequila.co.za/

Best South African music information resource
Tie between:
Powerzone
http://mod.co.za/pz/index.shtml
and
The South African Music Moshpit
http://www.moshpit.co.za/

Best fan site
Scatterlings Maillist (Juluka)
http://www.teleport.com/~sheilam/

Best Music Magazine
Get the Funk Out http://www.gtfo.co.za/

Best music store:
One World
http://www.oneworld.co.za/

by stephen 'Sugar' Segerman