SA ROCK DIGEST ISSUE #202 http://www.sarockdigest.com 19th May 2003 Established 27th January 1999 -------------- IN THIS ISSUE -------------- Win free tickets to 'An Evening with Karen Zoid'... there are new debut albums from Soil7t7 and The Narrow... Kurt reviews Steve Kekana's 'English Album'... John reviews the new Wonderboom CD... Carina was at the Square Tunes Festival... and all the gig info is at http://www.SAgigs.com ---------------------------------- SOUTH AFRICAN ROCK DIGEST ONLINE ---------------------------------- For a colorful and clickable HTML version of the SA Rock Digest with images, please visit http://www.cd.co.za where the online version of the SA Rock Digest can be found. Updated every Tuesday. --------------------------------------- SOUTH AFRICAN ROCK DIGEST ON THE RADIO --------------------------------------- Digest co-editor Stephen Segerman presents his SA music slot on the Bruce Millar Show on SAfm (103-106fm) on Monday evenings between 9 and 9.30pm. ------------------------------------- THE SOUTH AFRICAN ROCK ENCYCLOPEDIA ------------------------------------- From Abstract Truth to Karen Zoid, from 'Astra' to 'Zen Boulders', from 'Ag Pleez Deddy' to 'ZX Dan'... visit the South African Rock Encyclopedia at http://www.ROCK.co.za ----------- SAmp3.com ----------- Some of the new mp3's added to http://www.SAmp3.com website this week: 'Mellow Drama Sampler' - Phringe 'Firelight' - Brian Finch 'Freud Said' - Evolver 'Can't See The Light' - HappyFourTwenty 'Naked Blues' - Kaal 'Die Toneelstuk' - Lize Beekman 'Take Me Home' - The Mississippi Muthers 'Get Some' - Soil7t7 'Friday Jones' - Tykoon Suit 'The Banded' - The Narrow 'Be My Baby' - Theolynne ------------ SAGIGS.com ------------ The SA Rock Digest list of recommended gigs can be found at: http://www.SAgigs.com. If you cannot access SAgigs.com please e-mail mailto:gigs@sarockdigest.com?subject=gigguide and we will e-mail the gig guide to you each week. ------------- SAKLANK.com ------------- Sluit aan by http://www.SAKlank.com deur e-pos te stuur aan mailto:intekenaar@saklank.com?subject=SAKlank Alle rasionele idees, gedagtes, bydraes, briewe en konsert-/CD-resensies is altyd welkom! ----------- ONE WORLD ----------- Selling South African Music to the World http://www.oneworld.co.za/index.cfm?bec=4321 ----------- CONTENTS ----------- 1.NEWS: James Stewart, Watershed, Karen Zoid, Boo! 2.CHARTS: Top 30 mp3s & albums 3.NEW RELEASES: mp3s & CDs: Soil7t7, The Narrow, Theolynne 4.USA FOR AFRICA: Steve Kekana 5.A NAARTJIE IN THE UK: Wonderboom 6.HISTORY & TRIVIA: Springbok radio charts, birthdays, Vinyl Junkies 7.SOUND SOLUTIONS: A Readers Forum 8.LIVE MUSIC: Square Tunes 9.INFO: Subscriptions & contributions _____________________________________________ 1.NEWS -------- NO DIGEST NEXT WEEK Due to circumstances totally under our control, there will be no Digest next week. See you again on Monday the 2nd June. ------------------------ JAMESONLINE.co.za A whole bunch of pictures that were taken at the Usual gig at Suikerbossie on the 29th and 30th December 2002 have been added to http://www.jamesonline.co.za. See if you can spot yourself (your friends or the Heineken girls) by clicking on the "picture gallery" button at the bottom right-hand side of James' home page. There was a small glitch with the contact form on the James Stewart website which launched in last week's issue of the Digest. If you subscribed to James' newsletter, but did not receive a personal reply from James within a couple of days, please visit his website at http://www.jamesonline.co.za and subscribe again, or just send an e-mail to mailto:james@jamesonline.co.za?subject=subscribe. ------------------------- SECOND WATERSHED ALBUM SET FOR LAUNCH Watershed's second album, 'Wrapped In Stone', is being released this week. The band will launch the album to the public with a live performance at Sandton Square on Thursday 22 May at 19h00. The group will play new songs and their hits at this free show. Since the release of their debut album, 'In The Meantime', in 1999, Watershed have become the pre-eminent purveyors of acoustic rock in South Africa. Aside from a string of high-profile and grassroots live shows, Watershed have been nominated for many SAMA's, and earned a gold disc for 'In the Meantime' for units sold in excess of 25 000. The album also gave South Africans an all-time favourite radio single in the form of "Indigo Girl" and secured a European release for Watershed. 'Wrapped In Stone' was produced by Brian O'Shea. READ http://www.cd.co.za/legends/2000plus/watershed_meantime.html ---------------------- 'AN EVENING WITH KAREN ZOID' Win tickets below. The SA music industry received a massive boost earlier this year when Levi's® decided to get behind South Africa's finest music talent. Afrikaans diva Karen Zoid has been signed as the first Levi's® Artist in their focus to support local musical talent. In this highly competitive, financially crippling industry, Levi's® support will help to ensure that young, emerging artists receive the financial support needed to focus their attention on reaching for the stars or "Chasing The Sun", as Zoid's soon-to-be-released album is titled. This new Levi's®/Zoid relationship kicks off with a three-date national tour titled 'An evening with Karen Zoid'. The concept is based on the massively successful 'MTV Unplugged' series, and, true to the M-TV format, the concerts will take place in theatre style venues, as opposed to the usual pub style venues, so fans can look forward to an up close and intimate Zoidian experience. Live and semi-unplugged, the multi-lingual Karen will perform songs from her award-winning album, 'Poles Apart', as well as tracks from the eagerly awaited brand new album, 'Chasing the Sun'. Mike Joubert, Managing Director of Levi Strauss & Co in SA, says: "Levi's® is a globally recognised brand and has been associated with music icons for many decades. It is very appropriate that Levi's® in South Africa support our own talent and Karen Zoid embodies the Levi's® spirit of originality." 'An Evening With Karen Zoid' Dates: Tuesday, 27th May - The State Theatre, Pretoria Thursday, 29th May - Civic, Bloemfontein Sunday, 1st June - Baxter Theatre, Cape Town Pretoria & Cape Town: Bookings through Computicket Bloemfontein: Bookings through PACOFS. For more information call 021 461 7570 Win one of 5 sets of double tickets for 'An Evening With Karen Zoid' in Cape Town and Bloemfontein!! Please just tell us the names of the 5 songs that are sampled on the 'Zoid Sampler' mp3 at http://www.samp3.com/samplers.html Send your answer, plus your contact details, to tegan@near.co.za Please note! Closing date for entries is Tuesday 2Oth May at 5pm... that's tomorrow! READ http://www.rock.co.za/karenzoid LISTEN http://www.SAmp3.com/samplers.html BUY http://www.oneworld.co.za/index.cfm?bec=4321&searchfor=zoid ------------------------ DJ BREAKS RECORD RECORD DJ Moodswing smashed the world DJ-ing record at the Mercury Lounge in Cape Town last week. DJ Moodswing completed 60 consecutive hours, surpassing the previous record by 10hrs and 42mins. All relevant supporting information has been sent to Guinness, and all those concerned now await ratification of the record, hopefully within the next two months. The management of the Mercury has sent out a special "Thank You" to all who helped with the organisation, marshalling, staffing and dancing this past weekend. ------------------------- SHORT STORY COMPETITION FOR NEW WRITERS LAUNCHED New Africa Books (NAB), in association with Nescafé and SL magazine, are launching this month 'URBAN '03', a short story writing competition for new writers. Entries are due in by the end of June, and winners will be announced in the August edition of SL Magazine. The winning entry will be published in SL's September edition, while the top ten entries will be published in New Africa Books' 'URBAN '03 anthology in October. The Urban anthology of new writing was initially conceived and edited by Dave Chislett, and embraced by New Africa Books who began publishing an annual collection under its Spearhead imprint in 2001. Said Publishing Manager Jeremy Boraine: "The Urban anthology has been gathering momentum since its inception. This year we are for the first time able to offer cash prizes thanks to sponsorship from Nescafé. And because we have a media partner in SL magazine, we anticipate many more entries than in previous years. First prize is R5000, second prize R3000, and third R2000. Full details of the competition are available in the May and June issues of SL Magazine or on New Africa Books' website: www.newafricabooks.co.za ------------------------ A LETTER FROM OREGON Leigh Barrett is a DJ at KRVM in Oregon, USA, who continues to play SA music to a growing listernership. Let her explain: South African music is one of the reasons I love doing radio here in the USA. Public radio is the last hope for most artists to get their music played, as so many commercial stations stick to their repetitive crap, pre-programmed by some exec on the other side of the country. Public radio in America is the place where the other (talented) artists get played (no Britney Spears here!); where you can still hear live DJ's; and where the station serves the interests of the community. KRVM in Eugene, Oregon (north of California, folks!), is one of those special stations that does all that and more. (www.krvm.org) My world music show, New World, is now one of the highest supported shows on the station - and I owe that largely to all the SA music I get to include. A huge thank you to the artists and record labels who have sent me music to play. Of course, now that I'm one of the official relief announcers, I get to do more than just my "official" shows (I also present Women In Music every other Tuesday). I am now teaching broadcasting at one of the high schools involved in KRVM's student broadcasting programme, and with summer holidays coming up, I get to be on air as often as I want! Recently, I presented a 4-hour special on Friday, 3 May and a 2-hour special on Saturday, 4 May, focusing on SA Freedom Day. On Friday, I played the pop-rock-funk-punk-blues music SA does so well. On Saturday, it was time for the anti-apartheid story and music that was the soundtrack to the movement. It was amazing to have so many listeners call in to tell me how inspiring South Africa's story was to them, especially now with all the gunk that's American politics. Here's a list of who got played: Friday: Hawk; Edi Niederlander; Mango Groove**: Johnny Clegg; Circus; Slam Factory; Tribe After Tribe; Little Sister; Urban Creep; Arapaho; éVoid; Sweatband; Via Afrika; Falling Mirror; John Ireland; Cherry-Faced Lurchers; Bright Blue; Johannes Kerkorrel; Koos Kombuis; Lesley Rae Dowling; Dave Matthews; Vusi Mahlasela; Jennifer Ferguson; Binary; Nana Motijoane; Boo!; Fetish; Delta Blue; Dr Victor; Joe Nina; Blk Sonshine; Egyptian Nursery; Ernie; Lucky Dube; Lungiswa; Lebo; Ladysmith Black Mambazo; Mondetta; Busi Mhlongo; Mauritz Lotz; Tananas; Deepak Ram; Hugh Masekela; Eden Brent. Saturday: Umzani Zulu Dancers; Hugh Masekela; Vusi Mahlasela; Abdullah Ibrahim; African Jazz Pioneers; Sipho Mabuse; Sipho Gumede; Tananas. Thanks again to all those who have kept me supplied with all this great music over the last few years. I still really want to come home, but knowing that I'm getting South African music to the ears of this country makes being here a little easier and definitely worthwhile. Leigh Barrett KRVM, Oregon, USA mailto:Newworld92v@hotmail.com www.geocities.com/newworld92v **P.S. The NAACP present an annual Olympics for young black students in the subjects of arts, science and technology. This year, I was asked to supply the music for the dance competition. One of the dancers chose Mango Groove's 'Special Star'. I wish I could have been there to hear that great song blast out through the concert hall! -------------------------- BOO LAUNCH 'TNTLC' IN STELLENBOSCH Boo! will be launching their latest CD, 'TNTLC', at the Stellenbosch Town Hall on Thursday 29 May 2003. Supported by Stellenbosch student band, Surreal, and The Jesse Jordan Band. The doors open at 6pm Tickets are R20 at the door or you can book your ticket @ 072 128 Only 30 VIP tickets are also available at R40 each... includes free poster signed by 3 bands, plus you get to sit with the bands & backstage pass. There will be a full cash bar available ... sorry this gig is strictly only for over 18's. We are also giving the 1st 10 people to mail us a set of double VIP tickets free. Email to: mailto:gapower@icon.co.za The event is hosted by Lolipop Productions. See classic Rock section below for a Spotlight on BOO! __________________________________________ 2.CHARTS ----------- TOP 30 SOUTH AFRICAN MP3s OF THE WEEK http://www.SAmp3.com 1. [2] (1) Jy Is Opium - Valiant Swart ('Song Vir Katryn'/Rhythm) 2. [11] (2) Awakening - HappyFourTwenty ('Awakening'/Go!Hemp Music) 3. [1] (1) Tweak Sampler (Micassomix) - Tweak ('Dirty Sanchez and theMisfit Kidz'/BMG) 4. [6] (4) Pre-Seether Sampler - Saron Gas ('Fragile'/Musketeer) 5. [14] (5) A Man Like Me - James Stewart (Indie) 6. [9] (6) Pretty Baby - KJ Stone ('In Different Voices'/Sonic Orange) 7. [5] (5) Let Us Be Heard Sampler - Various ('Let Us Be Heard'/Wicked Rock) 8. [12] (8) Spook - Spinnekop ('Soet September'/Afrimusik) 9. [3] (3) Braai Pack (Sampler) - Not My Dog ('Braai Vibes'/Sheer) 10. [16] (10) Springbok Nude Girls Sampler (SonyMusic) 11. [4] (4) Onder In My Whiskeyglas (Live) - Koos Kombuis ('Tassenberg All*Stars'/Trippy Grape/Rhythm) 12. [17] (12) Wonderboom Sampler - Wonderboom ('Tell Someone Who Cares'/DGR) 13. [15] (13) Push-up Bra - Uzo Blaker ('Volk Jou Ook'/Wildebeest) 14. [7] (3) South Africa - Eden Brent ('Something Cool'/Rhythm) 15 . [10] (1) Fishes Of Men - Metalmorphosis ('Blistered'/Silva Moon) 16. [8] (2) Say Goodbye - Scarlet Host (Demo/Indie) 17. [19] (17) Mamba (demo) - Piet Botha (SAmp3.com) 18. [13] (1) Wish Your Were Here - Liela (SAmp3.com/Indie) 19. [22] (19) Elungelo - RSL and Ladysmith Black Mambazo ('Re-Rooted'/FreshMusic) 20. [24] (20) The Mississippi Muthers Blues - The Mississippi Muthers ('The Mississippi Muthers'/Indie) 21. [23] (21) Die Gipsy In Jou Oë - Anna Davel ('Gypsy'/Rhythm) 22. [25] (22) Mooie Vrou - Kaal ('Blues To The Bone'/Indie) 23. [-] (23) Shine - James Stewart (SAmp3.com/Street Level) 24. [26] (24) Moan In Blues - Akkedis with Albert Frost ('Husse Met Lang Ore'/Wildebeest) 25. [30] (25) Bleed - Loogaroo ('Loogaroo'/Indie) 26. [-] (26) Geraamtes - Ekstra Dik ('Uit Ons Koppe Uit'/Indie) 27. [20] (2) Vampyre Girl - The Awakening ('Sacrificial Etchings'/Intervention Arts) 28. [27] (1) Beach Girl - Natalia ('The Street Level Sessions'/Indie) 29. [-] (29) Ek En Jy In Die Kaap - Lize Beekman ('Iemand Het Gesê'/Indie) 30. [-] (30) Pink Pork Noise - Benguela ('Digital Inability'/Rhythm) -------------- TOP 30 SOUTH AFRICAN ALBUMS OF THE WEEK http://www.sarockdigest.com/charts This week [last week] (highest position) Title - Artist (Label) 1. [1] (1) Tell Someone Who Cares - Wonderboom (DGR) 2. [4] (2) Dirty Sanchez And The Misfit Kidz - Tweak (BMG) 3. [5] (3) Song Vir Katryn - Valiant Swart (Rhythm) 4. [9] (4) Wicked Rock: Let Us Be Heard - Various (Wicked Rock) 5. [3] (3) In Different Voices - KJ Stone (Sonic Orange) 6. [2] (2) Something Cool - Eden Brent (Rhythm) 7. [6] (1) Ligdag - Laurinda Hofmeyr (Rhythm) 8. [18] (8) Gypsy - Anna Davel (Rhythm) 9. [7] (1) Awakening - HappyFourTwenty (Indie) 10. [8] (2) Sacrificial Etchings - The Awakening (Intervention Arts) 11. [16] (11) Teaching Afrikaans As A Foreign language - Buckfever Underground (Indie) 12. [10] (1) Luxury - Robin Auld (Free Lunch) 13. [20] (13) Selfconscious - The Narrow (Intervention Arts) 14. [11] (4) Khetha - Khumbula (African Cream) 15. [13] (5) Elephant - Tim Wells (Indie) 16. [23] (16) Kaal - Blues To The Bone (Indie) 17. [12] (4) Motive For Breathing - PetFlyz (Intervention Arts) 18. [14] (1) Room2Breathe - Semisane (BMG) 19. [19] (1) Catfish - Albert Frost (Rhythm) 20. [25] (20) Soil 7t7 - Soil 7t7 (Indie) 21. [28] (21) Adam Tas - Nag Van Die Nerf (Wildebeest) 22. [15] (2) Killing Time - Anika (Outbox/Rhythm) 23. [29] (23) Uit Ons Koppe Uit - Ekstra Dik (Indie) 24. [17] (2) Into The Night We Slide - Radio Rats (RetroFresh) 25. [30] (25) Roger Lucey - 21 Years Down The Road (3eM) 26. [22] (1) The Listening Room - Neo Muyanga (BMG) 27. [21] (4) Romance And Finance - Citizen Jones (Flying Kitty) 28. [26] (1) Forest Moon - Forest Moon (Forest Moon) 29. [27] (1) Tap Into The System - Dorp (Contains Nuts) 30. [24] (1) Three Piece Project - Siamese (Muskateer) READ http://www.cd.co.za/legends/2000plus LISTEN http://www.SAmp3.com BUY http://www.oneworld.co.za/index.cfm?bec=4321 _____________________________________________ 3. NEW, RECENT AND UPCOMING RELEASES ----------------------------------------- ------ MP3s ------ 'Mellow Drama Sampler' - Phringe A sampler from the soon-to-be-released debut album from Phringe. This is a great pop-rock album which we will be reviewing sometime soon. 'The Banded' - The Narrow The Narrow combine some interesting musical styles on their debut album 'Selfconscious'. See new releases below. 'Firelight' - Brian Finch A song about friendships and firelight. A slow and powerful rock song which is a wonderful vehicle for Brian's deep, rich voice. The gorgeous flute playing of Pola Loubnina really adds to this song as well. Taken off Brian's latest CD 'Never Look Back'. http://www.rock.co.za/brianfinch 'Freud Said' - Evolver This song opens with a classic Oasis-style riff, then a Hammond organ blasts into the mix and doesn't let up until the song is finished. This song rocks, man. 'Can't See The Light' - HappyFourTwenty More unreleased (except here on SAmp3.com) mayhem from HappyFourTwenty. 'Naked Blues' - Kaal Kaal play the blues, and this is them at their most raw. Naked Blues, indeed. 'Die Toneelstuk' - Lize Beekman Ms Beekman has a voice which creeps into the soul. Listen to this track off her latest CD 'Iemand Het Gesê' and see what we mean. 'Take Me Home' - The Mississippi Muthers More blues from the Mississippi Muthers. This one is a bouncy boogie with some great organ and of course the superb guitar-work of Dan Patalansky. 'Get Some' - Soil7t7 Hard rocking nu-metal sounds from Soil7t7. See new releases below. More info on the band and their debut album at http://www.sarockdigest.com/soil7t7 'Friday Jones' - Tykoon Suit Tykoon Suit combines social commentary rapping with some funky electronica. 'Be My Baby' - Theolynne 19-year old Theolynne's first song, which is not a cover of the Ronettes classic from the early 60's. See new releases below. Download South African mp3's from http://www.SAmp3.com ----- CDs ----- SOIL7T7 - 'SOIL 7T7' This is the debut album from Pretoria band Soil7t7. The three members - Franco Jamneck (guitar and vox), Jay Bolton (bass & vox), Bertus van Zyl (drums) - became Soil7T7 in April 2000, although they were from the same school and had played together in other bands. But from July, Soil7T7 began to appear at gigs and festivals all over the country as well as on national radio and TV. The band's sound, a mixture of hard and heavy rock with equal amounts of funk, rap, reggae and ska, grabbed lots of attention at major festivals like Woodstock, Rock Concert 3, and OppiKoppi and focused attention on their first release. Their independent, self-titled, debut album was launched in March this year. The first single, 'Get Some', has already appeared on the 'Wicked Rock - Let Us Be Heard' double-CD compilation in December 2002, as well as SL Magazine's Selection CD #11 in April 2003. 'Get Some' is also set to be featured in a video production called 'Liquid Paradise'. Another track off the album called 'Modest' is now appearing on 'Wicked Demos', the sequel to the first Wicked Rock compilation, which includes SA bands Forest Moon, Janie Jones, and Seven13 from Boston. For more details on Soil7t7 see http://www.sarockdigest.com/soil7t7 'Soil7t7' is available at http://www.oneworld.co.za/index.cfm?bec=4321&id=soil077 -------------------- THE NARROW - 'SELFCONSCIOUS' We're not quite sure exactly what's happening with the De Jong brothers. Last sighting in April had them accepting the 2003 SAMA award as Not My Dog for 'Best Rock Album' (for 'Braai Vibes'). Now the terrible twosome are back in a new incarnation as The Narrow, while simultaneously announcing tour dates as Not My Dog (see 'Live' section below). Hanu de Jong (vocals) and Emile de Jong (guitar) are well-established on the SA rock scene and, with this new album, are once again raising the bar for contemporary SA hard rock bands. Alongside them in this new line-up are Lias on drums, Sid on guitar, and Jow on bass. The Narrow's debut album is called 'Selfconscious' (released on Intervention Arts - "The home of the hard"), and finds the brothers mixing up some hardcore, modern rock, hip hop elements of nu-metal, and touches of electronica to create a further instalment in their quest for the iconic SA hard rock sound. The first single off the album, 'The Banded', is a typically stomping statement of intent that appears again at the end of the album in a remixed form. Other standout songs include 'Gracious Creature', and 'Promised The World'. Now that Seether have carved a trail to the US, could The Narrow be the first SA band to follow? BUY http://www.oneworld.co.za/index.cfm?bec=4321&ID=INT022 --------------------- JEROME ARTHUR - 'CONFESSIONS IN DUB' Jerome Arthur, known in South Africa and Belgium as singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist for Forest Moon, has come up with a truly remarkable album, entitled 'Confessions in Dub'. Predominantly instrumental, the album combines dancy grooves with laid back ambient soundscapes, and offers a highly original and contemporary approach to reggae. "Dub for me is the ultimate mix between today's electronic music and the earthy, sexy grooves of reggae", says the dreadlocked artist. "The nice thing about dub is that, musically, it has no limits. As to sound and rhythm, it's a matter of absolute musical freedom. You start off in a certain atmosphere at the beginning of a song, and beats and sound processing take you to many different places." Dub saw daylight in the 1970's, when established reggae artists started to release B-sides of their songs, heavily processed and re-shaped into infectiously danceable tracks. "The bass is of utmost importance, since it carries the listener along the musical trip. The bass is the melodic handhold, while everything else scatters your mind into different directions," Jerome says. With sound clips recorded in the streets of Cape Town and in the mountains of Franschhoek, the album was written and recorded at Jerome's home studio in Franschhoek, amidst the Cape Winelands, over a period of 6 months. 'Confessions in Dub' is the first in a series of solo-albums Jerome is about to release. Look out for 'Confessions in Wicked Beat', due to be released before the South African winter. Jerome also wrote and recorded music for visual artist Andrea Desmond-Smith's art exhibition to be held in Cape Town from 7 May, and is currently working with Greg Gordon on a second Forest Moon album. --------------------- THEOLYNNE RELEASES 'BE MY BABY' "Ghetto smooth sounds in a sweet sexy package" New Orleans is synonymous with smooth, soulful music. Now a fresh New Orleans sound is set to create some excitement. The twist? This young star-in-the-making hails from the New Orleans area of Paarl, an area better know for its crime and poverty than for its culture. Yet from these unpromising roots springs a young talent with a vocal dexterity and maturity that speak volumes. Working in the studio with producer Charlie Hamilton (Semisane), Theolynne has been proving her versatility as a songwriter and vocalist. Her first single, 'Be My Baby', is currently being played on major pop radio stations around the country. With material in development to fill an upcoming album with a variety of funky upbeat songs and soulful ballads, 19-year-old Theolynne is ready to show the world what a ghetto girl can do. --------------- MORE REVIEWS --------------- More reviews can be found at: Open Record http://www.openrecord.co.za Amuzine http://www.cd.co.za/reviews.htm ______________________________________ 4.USA FOR AFRICA ------------------ Texas-based Kurt Shoemaker gives his unique views on SA music STEVE KEKANA - 'THE ENGLISH ALBUM' A greatest hits of sorts of songs in English recorded at various times in the career of the talented Steve Kekana, whose office must be striking if decorated with his seventy plus gold records and numerous awards. He's a talented man who can sing in English, Zulu, Xhosa, and Sotho, and who has earned a couple of degrees. So what about the record? Some old favorites are here, such as 'Feel So Strong' and '(All I Need is Here in) Africa' (both written by and performed with P.J. Powers), and some new-to-me favorites such as 'Colour Me Black' (and other colors), and the catchy 'Raising My Family' (the latter not for a bloody-nosed, fist-in-the-air teenaged rebel, but it suits me just fine for a warm sing-along). Mostly Steve sings the work of other songwriters, though he did co-write five songs. Some of the songs in the CD's last half become a bit smarmy, a bit unmemorable, and my attention wanders, but near the end the album rises from pop to rock with the moody 'In the Desert' and the ominous 'Night Boot Patrol'. Overall, it starts strong, follows with some hard to ignore songs, some songs easy to sing to, then drifts a bit, reasserts itself, and closes with a schmaltzy number. Not bad for an album of eighteen songs. Even if a song is not one of the CD's best (over half of the disc rewards this purchaser), and even if a song is a few bars too long before the fade commences, there's still Steve's high tenor voice whose tone and phrasing I find pleasure in hearing. As a greatest hits of his English songs, this might be the Steve Kekana CD for English speakers and others with songs for everyone: pop-rock, hearty anthems, sing-alongs, and lovey-dovey pop. Kurt Shoemaker, Blanco, Texas mailto:kurt@sarockdigest.com BUY http://www.oneworld.co.za/index.cfm?bec=4321&ID=CDRED630 Lyrics for 'The Bushman' are at: http://www.new.co.za/~currin/bushman_lyrics.html _________________________________ 5.A NAARTJIE IN THE UK ------------------------ London-based John Samson gives his own twist on SA music TELL SOMEONE WHO CARES - WONDERBOOM Look, if you're going to read this review I first have to insist that you have more than a passing interest in the music of Wonderboom as I would hate to disobey the instructions on this CD and be talking to someone who isn't really that interested. Okay, so now you know the rules, so here we go: Anyone who's ever seen Wonderboom live will know that they are an energetic band that plays loud rock music and it isn't usually long before lead singer Cito has discarded his shirt. So it's no surprise that 'Tell Some One Who Cares' is jam packed with loud energetic rock and the sleeve notes contain a picture of Cito sans top. This album does not relent in its assault from the opening 'Sit Down' by James-like chords of 'Dead Right' through to the grungy 'House of Cards'. Cito's vocals stretch themselves nonchalantly and confidently over the solid backdrop of guitar barrage in tuneful harmony. 'That Girl' and 'Wild Sunshine' are two of the heavier rockers on the album that feature in your face guitars and bring out the scream in the vocal chords. 'Trippin' is a slightly softer song with its melodic chorus while 'White Line' is a funky struttin' number that should have you Mick Jaggering around the room. The odd punny title is thrown in for good measure on 'The Dear Hunter' while 'Son of a Gun' philosophically suggest 'Let me show you, son, how to use a gun before the world does.' However the girls will be sad to know that Cito 'don't love you any more', he 'prefers the girls next door'. So it's a mixed bag of lyrics then. 'Tell Someone Who Cares' has a harder side to it than 'Rewind', their previous offering of covers of classic SA songs, but there is never a lack of tune, so grab a copy of this, stick it on and enjoy, but never ever ever ever tell someone who doesn't care. John Samson, London mailto:john@sarockdigest.com READ http://www.cd.co.za/legends/90s/wonderboom.html LISTEN http://www.SAmp3.com/samplers.html BUY http://www.oneworld.co.za/index.cfm?bec=4321&searchfor=wonderboom _________________________________________ 6.HISTORY & TRIVIA ------------------- SPRINGBOK RADIO CHARTS http://www.cd.co.za/charts This week [Last week] Title - Artist 30 YEARS AGO (18 May 1973) 1 [1] Can't Keep It In - Cat Stevens 2 [2] We Believe In Tomorrow - Freddy Breck 3 [5] I Don't Wanna Play House - Barbara Ray 4 [3] The Love In Your Eyes - Vicky Leandros 5 [4] I'm On Fire - Maria 25 YEARS AGO (19 May 1978) 1 [1] Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees 2 [3] Make Love To Me - Kelly Marie 3 [2] How Deep Is Your Love - Bee Gees 4 [4] It's So Easy - Linda Ronstadt 5 [9] Night Fever - Bee Gees 20 YEARS AGO (20 May 1983) 1 [1] Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes 2 [2] Billie Jean - Michael Jackson 3 [6] Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler 4 [5] A Winter's Tale - David Essex 5 [4] Dirty Laundry - Don Henley 15 YEARS AGO (28 April 1988) 1 [1] Get Outta My Dreams - Billy Ocean 2 [4] Beds Are Burning - Midnight Oil 3 [3] Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlise 4 [2] I Think We're Alone Now - Tiffany 5 [5] Got My Mind Set On You - George Harrison The Cat enjoyed its third week at the top in 1973, although Freddy Breck refused to give up the fight staying stubbornly at number 2 since relinquishing the number 1 slot. Barbara Ray was spending her 18th week in the top 20, 14 of which had been in the top 5. Maria was close behind with 15 weeks in the top 20. Kelly Marie's more direct approach in 1978 broke the Bee Gee's stranglehold on the top 2 positions, forcing the more philosophical 'How Deep Is Your Love'. But wait what's this at number 5? More Bee Gee's. This meant 3 hit in the top 5 in the same week, a feat not seen before or since on the SA charts, so I guess they probably didn't care too much about losing the number 2 spot. Joe Cocker had now spent 5 weeks up where they belonged in 1983, 3 of which had been with Michael Jackson breathing down their necks with a song that was not about a well known female tennis player. Welsh rocker Bonnie Tyler was showing more threat, jumping 3 places with the Jim Steinman (he of 'Bat Out Of Hell' fame) produced 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'. 1988 saw Midnight Oil make a play for the top, but Billy Ocean stood his ground. It was déjà vu for George Harrison who had spent 2 weeks at number 5, dropped to number 6, then back up to number 5 for 2 more week. What odds on him dropping to 6 the next week? South African's at number 1 this week: Put Your Hand In The Hand - Alan Garrity (1971) Michael Row The Boat Ashore - Richard Jon Smith (1979) South African New Entries this week: 20-May-77 Silverbird - Wright Brothers (featuring Crocodile Harris) 21-May-71 Lonely Days And Lonely Nights - Lincoln 21-May-71 The Seagull's Name Was Nelson - Des & Dawn Lindberg 21-May-76 Tears On The Telephone - Gerry Grayson & Debbie 23-May-69 Young Love Can Hurt - Dickie Loader 24-May-74 Haai Casanova - Glenys Lynne --------------- VINYL JUNKIES --------------- This section (named after the much-missed shop from Fishhoek) is for collectors of vinyl, both South African and International. MABU VINYL 34 Kloof Street, Gardens, Cape Town Bright Blue - 'The Rising Tide' (LP) No Friends Of Harry - 'Into The Valley' (LP) Various - 'Voelvry' (LP) Rebel Rhythms - 'A Naartjie In Our Sosatie' (LP) Dollar Brand - 'Mannenberg - Is Where It's Happening' (LP) Yvonne Chaka Chaka - 'Sangoma' (LP) Cash paid for records in saleable condition. Jacques Vosloo (+27 21) 423 7635 mailto:vinyl@sarockdigest.com ----------------- MAKE A WISH-LIST ----------------- Send us your abridged vinyl wish-lists.... #1: From Kobus: Hi there, I am looking for the following albums. I am willing to buy or swop.... 1. 'Just Tell Her That I Love Her' by Tommy Oliver (the album on which the song came out) 2. 'Time' (soundtrack) by (I think) Sir Laurence Olivier? (I know the CD came out some time ago but I'm looking for the LP) {This album featured Cliff Richard, Freddie Mercury and many others including SA's Miriam Stockley, one half of the Stockley Sisters. It has never been released on CD. - ed} 3. The last 'High Energy' in the series - I think it was number 13 or 14. (on CD or LP) 4. A CD that came out around 2000, called the 'Best of Pop Shop' (or 'Gold Pop Shop'?) 5. Any Italo dance albums of the 80`s? 6. 'Abba-esque' by Erasure on CD 7. 'Looky Looky' by Giorgio - on the album it came out on. 8. Any abum by Tidal - especially with 'Spider Spider' on it. 9. Any Vangelis albums 10. Any Jean Michel Jarre albums Oh yes and if anyone is looking for John Ireland albums - I have three of them at the moment ('Revelation', 'John Ireland' and 'Thinking Aloud', and am looking for the other two). Otherwise I have about 4000 albums (vinyls), 1500 CDs and about 3000 seven singles in my collection (local and international from the '50`s to 2003), and anyone can contact me for help. I have a few doubles that I can swop or sell. I can send you a list of what I have. Thanks for any help. Kobus. mailto:jgb1900@yahoo.co.uk ----------- BIRTHDAYS ----------- May 20 Hank Squires 30 Giselle Mynhardt (Off The Edge, 1964) 31 Tully McCully (born Terence McCullagh, 1953) If you info on any South African artists date of births, please send them to brian@sarockdigest.com?subject=birthdays -------------- CLASSIC ROCK -------------- SPOTLIGHT ON BOO! This great SA trio are about to launch their latest album, 'TNTLC'. Here's the BOO! story to date.... From their humble beginnings in a derelict church on the streets of crime-ridden Brixton, South African trio Boo! have risen to become one of their country's finest musical exports. Their unique fusion of African rhythms, melodic pop and contemporary dance sounds, branded 'Monki Punk,' have won them the devotion of audiences in the U.S., Europe, the U.K. and Australia. Playing as many as 150 shows a year and travelling almost non-stop, they have built themselves a credible support base from as far apart as London, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Johannesburg, Venice, Melbourne and Hamburg. They have opened for Smashing Pumpkins and recently Guano Apes, performed at Peter Gabriel's world-renowned WOMAD and at festivals across Europe and Africa, on the bill with such artists as Limp Bizkit, Cypress Hill, Midnight Oil, Faithless, AIR and Kosheen. Their live show is so compelling, they are invited back virtually everywhere they play, prompting return tours to each country. Headlining venues like Paradiso in Amsterdam, 013 in Tilburg, Vera in Groningen and Tivoli in Utrecht. Ian Copeland, legendary agent for The Police, R.E.M., Sex Pistols and Peter Tosh, exclaimed, "I want to shout it from the rooftops!! Boo! are the most amazing new band I've seen in yonks. Their CD is melting in my CD player right now. Very, very unique!" (That's right, 'in yonks!') Boo! have released five albums since forming in 1997 and have appeared on eight compilations. Their songs have played on Los Angeles' #1 alternative radio, KROQ, on stations across Europe, and they have had a #1 hit in South Africa with the single 'Stagefright', #2 with the playful 'OOAA', and numerous top 20 hits. BOO! recently won the South African Music Award 2002 in the Pop category for 'Shooting Star', a live collaboration recorded across the world. The new album, 'TNTLC', is set for release in South Africa in May 2003. It was produced jointly by Jasper Williams and BOO!, except for the first single, 'Come', produced by Brian O'Shea. Crafting their songs from percussion, bass, brass, keyboards and amazing animal vocalisations (note the absence of guitar!) Boo! perform a live show exploding with humour, power and passion that is nothing short of world-class. Singer-songwriter Chris Chameleon sings a four (!) octave range from painful melancholy to raging power to boisterous delight, often within a single song. Plucking his bass with a style as unique as his outrageous wardrobe, his enigmatic stage presence is spellbinding to even the most cynical audience. Ampie Omo, multi-talented trumpeter, trombonist, keyboardist, percussionist and backing vocalist, sets the stage alight, flying from instrument to instrument with irresistible charm and infectious joy. Boney Leonie generates the percussive energy that fuels this extravaganza. His wildly-rocking, left-handed drumming explodes with a playfulness and power that defy convention. But this anarchy is not born out of anger. It is born of the band's passion to express and expose the extremes of emotion. The Boo! message is one of rejoicing in the rich multiplicity of human nature. For a band that defies classification but appeals to all ages and cultures, the only certainty is that Boo! is headed for greater acclaim around the world! READ http://www.cd.co.za/legends/90s/boo_index.html BUY http://www.oneworld.co.za/index.cfm?bec=4321&searchfor=boo ______________________________________________ 7.SOUND SOLUTIONS A Readers Forum ----------------------------------- ANYONE WANT TO HELP US KEEP LISTER BETTER INFORMED?? Greetings from music world Los Angeles Regarding the availability of computer-based home recording software-I am curious as to how popular this form of recording is in SA and whether many artists release their own stuff, bypassing the labels. There really seem to be no articles in the Digest about the actual industry, the A&R people, the kinds of deals people are signing there, songwriters, etc, etc. It seems more geared towards general news and gig guides. Perhaps I am missing something. I for one would like some inside info on the industry. Thanks, Lister Coleman mailto:listercoleman@netzero.com --------------------------- DAVE MACLEAN MASTERING HAS MOVED Hi All, We have recently moved our facility to beautiful new premises uptown - behind Longkloof Studios and City Varsity. Our new address is: 2nd Floor Planet Art Building, 32 Jamieson Street, Cape Town, 8001 (021) 4225425 Tel (021) 4230678 Fax 082 7377447 Mobile Email: mailto:mastering@maclean.co.za Best Regards David Maclean --------------------- THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS! Hello, how are you... this is Rick from Buenos Aires/Argentina, Is there any possibility for you to mail me the lyric of 'That's What I Want' by The Square Set? I love this psichodelic song!! Also, if possible, any other additional info about this group. many thanks in advance best regards rick costa mailto:rocosta61@hotmail.com -------------------------- WHAT'S WITH ALL THESE CRYING BABY SONGS?? I would like to know a song name - it's a baby crying in the background and a young girl singing, I think it might be called.... "Don't sell Daddy and more Whisky", maybe from the 50's or 60's... who is the singer? Looking forward to you reply. Charlene Cozens mailto:charlenecozens@hotmail.com ------------------------ NOA NOA Hi I found the following CD at a liquidation sale... Noa Noa - 'World Of Men' - (C) (P) 1996 One World Entertainment / Tusk Music. I can't find any info on this band on the internet or otherwise. I did a search in Google for "One World Entertainment" and found your site. I am really interested in who the band are (or was), etc.. Sincerely, Jason M mailto:Sonic2k@ashemia.net Ed. - Noa Noa were a young SA band who won a battle of the bands competition and got to record their debut album for free. But nothing happened subsequently and the band disappeared and so did this very good album, which still pops up for R10 in bargain bins. I don't remember more, but if you go to http://www.rock.co.za and try our internal google search engine, you may find an early reference. ------------------------ MORE BABY STUFF I'm keen to find an LP by Buttercup called "Baby Love Affair" on EMI DCB 185, in any format e.g. LP, tape, etc. John Lyle mailto:Johnlyle@iafrica.com ------------------------ MORE BOOGIE Hi During the '70s a South African group called Platform Six had a hit called 'Woogie Boogie'. Can you give me more info on the group (e.g. band members, where they were from etc.). I hope you can help!! Regards Dr André Korkie (Pretoria) mailto:akorkie@webmail.co.za {This song is available on 'The Best Of SA Pop Volume 3' at http://www.oneworld.co.za/index.cfm?bec=4321&ID=CDREDD610 -ed} ------------------------ SHINE A LIGHT ON ME Hello The Midnight Special are a UK based rock band with strong South African links. Both the lead singer and drummer, brothers hail from Cape Town. We have currently finished recording a single with Top UK based producer Andy Whitmore (www.greystokeproductions.co.uk) We are looking for ways of distributing the single and potential record deals. We have a number of other demo tracks and I was wondering whether your company accepted MP3 demos via email? Anyway if you do I would like to send you some to see what you think. Regards James Wharton mailto:jswharton@btinternet.com {All submissions always welcome. All details at http://www.samp3.com/faq.html - ed} ------------------------ JOHN IRELAND Is there any way that we can obtain the song "I still hear you breathe" by John Ireland, whether on tape or LP. It is my wife and my song since we are married 16 years ago. Our tape was destroyed in the sun 16 years ago and we have being looking since. Last night we found out that John Ireland made that song (from South African friends here in New Zealand). We didn'know who made it, hence our problem. This was our first lead after such a long time. You can imagine our excitement. Thanks again for you help. Hans and Linda v d Dolder mailto:ddolder@paradise.net.nz {Maybe Kobus (see "Wishlists" under the Vinyl Junkie section above) can help. It is amazing to us that no John Ireland albums have ever been released on CD. John Ireland is actually Doctor John Griffith who has a practice in Johannesburg. - ed} READ http://www.new.co.za/~currin/john_ireland_index.html -------------------------- GOT A QUESTION? Please email any musical questions to mailto:soundsolutions@sarockdigest.com This section is sponsored by: SOUND SOLUTIONS Sound Solutions is a private music library in Cape Town that offers music searches, and the sourcing and recommending of songs and music soundtracks for television, film, and radio productions and commercials. Contact: Stephen Segerman - (021) 461-9541 mailto:sugar@cd.co.za ______________________________________________ 8.LIVE MUSIC --------------- ---------------- LIVE IN LONDON ---------------- Starseed will be playing at the prestigious Rock Garden at Covent Gardens on Bank Holiday Monday 26 May. This venue has seen the likes of U2 and the Rolling Stones perform here. The band are expecting some record company execs to be at the gig so they need all the support they can get. Having seen them at a small gig in South London this week, I can highly recommend this gig. These guys play great melodic rock and the lead singer has a voice that was made for this type of music. Read more at http://www.sagigs.com/london -------- SA PUNK -------- HOG HOGGIDY HOG SPILL THE BEANS Hog Hoggidy Hog have joined up with 3 Chord Records (the guys that brought us the Cause festival). 3 Chord Records will be taking over the management of the band and will also (finally!) be releasing the band's third full-length album. The Hogs will be going into the studio before the end of the month and should be releasing a single or an EP in the next two months to give us a bit of a taste of what to expect on the new album. The Hogs have unfortunately also had to once again say good-bye to their drummer Davie. Davie will be replaced by Mike Horn (from bands like Those Damn Liberals and Golliwog) Horn is an excellent drummer and full-time musician. He started off his drumming career playing drums in a side project with Pappa Raff and Jay from Fungy gone West. He's since been studying music at UCT with Ross and Lee as well as gaining experience in playing with and doing session drumming for a number of high profile SA bands and artists. But his first love has always been punk and the band are all very excited about him joining. But, because of this, The Hogs won't be playing any live shows for a while. They had to cancel some shows too, but are however still aiming to play the following two shows at the end of this month with their new drummer. Here are the details. Saturday 24 May - Mercury Live - Regatta 69 SA Tour With Regatta 69 (on tour from USA), Rudimentals, Hog Hoggidy Hog 21:00 Wednesday 28 May - Paarl Gym High School - All Ages Show in Paarl With: Hog Hoggidy Hog, Not My Dog, Flint, 7 Mile Scream 19:00 ------------------------ REGATTA 69: AMERICAN SKANKERS ARE COMING TO TOWN! Out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina hail Regatta 69, who add their own brand of progressive ska-reggae-rock to the music scene. With songwriting as a main focus, Regatta 69's sound is a swift twist of offbeat rock, fast reggae rhythms, and punchy horn riffs. Regatta 69 pulls in enthusiastic crowds all over the US and Europe. They are known as a horn-blasting, beat-pounding, foot-movin' progressive ska band. These guys have toured the U.S. extensively, perfecting their craft of delivering an all-out energetic concert of their original ska music. To date, Regatta 69 has performed 1000+ shows in over nine countries. Their shows also feature carefully selected covers that have been recorded by Regatta 69 for various compilation CDs. Regatta 69 have sold tens of thousands of recordings, tracks from their seven CDs continue to chart on radio around the world and regularly appear on play-lists for ska, reggae, and world music speciality shows. Regatta 69 have also been featured on 21 compilations from various record labels on both sides of the Atlantic. As the touring keeps on, "get on board" with Regatta 69 as they come to sunny SA and cause the biggest skank pits you will ever see. See the SA Punk section at http://www.sagigs.com for all those Regatta 69 dates ------- EVENTS ------- THE PYRAMID CLUB IS NOW OPEN The Pyramid Club is a new entertainment complex in Johannesburg. It has plenty of rehearsal rooms, and an available PA and a recording studio as well. So the organisers are looking for SA rock bands to play live every Sunday at the Pyramid, as well as to take advantage of these modern facilities. Contact Cedric Samson for more information. mailto:cedsam@yahoo.com -------------------- NOT MY DOG ON TOUR South Africa's premier hard rock band, Not My Dog, will soon be hitting the road for a short stint comprising seven shows around the country. After the tour they will return to Wolmer Records where they have been spending the last couple of months working on new material for their next album. A release date for the new album has not yet been announced. Sat 24 May - Blue Moon, Nelspruit Tue 27 May - Cool Runnings, Bloemfontein Wed 28 May - Hoërskool Gimnasium, Paarl Thu 29 May - Whammy Bar, Cape Town Fri 30 May - Sport & Rock, George Sat 31 May - Boneyards, Jeffreysbay Sat 21 Jun - Sin Bin, Pretoria For more information visit www.notmydog.co.za or www.wolmer.co.za ---------------------- THE DOCKSIDE IN DURBS IS LOOKING FOR BANDS!! Anita Baker has an awesome venue down there at the Point Waterfront in Durbs. Tree 63 have already performed there, and Gearhouse love this 800 sq metres of hugeness!!! They would love to see some bands down here and are looking at offering the venue for free if some lovers of music would like to use it. Give Anita a shout at: Dockside 17 031 3376201 0835421372 ------------------------- SOULJA ON THE MARCH After a successful patch of great gigs/reviews in and around Cape Town over the past two months, SOULJA have announced that there are more performances lined up. Friday 23rd May - SOULJA will be playing alongside Multistate (formerly Lyrical Herb), who will be on hand to provide scintillating beats and rap style vocals over a rock base, while The Spindle Sect gather to display their style of 'sci-fi hip hop' aided by percussion and 5 voices. All at the Mercury Live, the most happenin' venue in Cape Town, Doors should open at 9 and there will be a cover charge. Thursday 29th May - SOULJA bash it up with recent SAMA winners and rock stalwarts, Not My Dog, at The Whammy Bar, Marine Circle, Table View. Under renovation, The Whammy Bar has seen many top acts cook up a storm over recent years. Doors should also open at 9. SOULJA will also be in the studio again when they record their track, 'Plan my Attack', which will tie in with yet another music video expedition with director Johan Nel. --------- REVIEWS --------- TUNES AT HATFIELD SQUARE Carina Laubscher Another sharp venture by Oppikoppi Productions and Vodacom to bring some action to Hatfield Square in Pretoria. Attendance wasn't as stacked as predicted, but those who were there, certainly were not square. kykNET's cameras were everywhere, taking up a lot of the crowd's rocking space. But what the heck. Duck and Cover opened just before 15:00 with two lekker mellow Afrikaans blues-tunes - 'Ander Man Se Vrou' and 'Johanna'. This made me drool like an old damn dawg. Of course the Smit brothers on guitar and drums rattled many young bones in the crowd, especially with 'Superstar'. Jaco Mans killed his Warlock and reanimated the thing so many times and yet - time after time his voice and style kept changing. Angry guitar handling, taking the machine right into his gut, throttling the neck with a smooth fury and a voice that made him seem a thousand years older. The group was tight, even more connected than on Oppikoppi, and just so bloody happy to be on stage and rock the pantaloons off the lasses. Following them were those Toxic Shame rockers in black leather and wild tresses on lead vocals, bringing the crowd close to the stage with 'Tender Loving Abuse' and the stunningly well built 'Silent Movie'. The lead guitarist refused to give an inch, slyly moving my ears closer to the deaf zone, and with a hot-hot-hot bass and drum solo, they closed their set with more than just a bang. It was rocking, raw 70's energy and the sweat came in litres. Ergo, when Slugs of War grabbed tools on stage, the crowd was more than willing to jump like leprechauns and sing bar tunes. It wasn't the whole band, but they got everybody (those who could stand) on their feet and without the "fookin' bagpipes", their mixture of violin, flute, drums and nutty guitar grilled eardrums into oblivion. And so we happened upon New Porn. Arno Carstens and Albert Frost as the main ingredients, with drums, violin, other beeeg violin and bass thrown together. If Arno and Albert were any more relaxed and at ease, they would have levitated right off the stage. Albert did the acoustic thing, then the electric thing. Arno rolled his eyes at him, belting out new tunes like they've been in his head for years. He had a nice little array of exotic dance jitters and while he turned himself into a koeksister, Albert killed the mike. And then. With the Fender he echoed Arno's voice - note by note. I got scared, but couldn't move. This is impossible. How can he play like this? And, as he yanked people around me into silence with a flurry of Spanish twangs, I realised - this is Albert Frost. Not your normal guitar-playing bloke. New Porn. THE new name on your CD-list. Godessa brought a kick-ass attitude in a sharp Cape flavour. The crowd hipped and hopped, taking in the social ills and political stabs, while the girls spat out song after song with a nifty bunch of backup musos. It was hot and quick. Just like t'Hof van Commerce, the dudes from Belgium. Their experience and clear confidence drew hopping bodies closer, moving arms and heads in hectic unison. Valiant with Fender and Ollie Viljoen with accordion rocked like veterans. Yes, Barry van Zyl, Schalk Joubert and Mel Botes were maniacs. The crowd wanted to party and Valiant gave them a triple-whammy. There were screams and sighs. Dancing bodies. Cold night air and warm wine. And Mel didn't even see the bra that landed on his shoe. He was inside the guitar. So - that's how Hatfield Square got cracks in the floor. Valiant Swart and Band. Don't leave home without your earplugs! (CL) ---------------------------- FRESH MEAT FOR THE INDUSTRY. Park Bench, Mitsoo and Lazurus battled it out at the Purple Turtle. Gavin Smit was there. The third stage of another battle of the bands offered up the usual incentives to its competitors: recording time and a bottle of Jack for the winners and bar tabs for two of the runners-up. With fourth band, Pisces, not appearing, the reduced line-up meant that everyone playing was going to be going home with a little something. Park Bench took the first turn. They're a 4-piece playing a strained grungy-flavoured rock, but seemed a little nervous. By far the youngest and also least experienced band present, they took 3rd place at the end of the evening. The only impression Park Bench left was that they have their work cut out if they want to compete. Being forced into labour (and being neighbours...) as a "lighting technician" by Mitsoo means that I can't deliver a totally unbiased opinion on their set. If I don't say something nice about them, they might just make me disappear - Mafia style...(hmmmm, "Mitsoo-Mafia"...?!) Opportunity (and some espionage) has allowed me to borrow and present to you their master of ceremonies` opening speech, scrawled on the back of a tattered flyer that once read "midweek madness". Go figure: SENORES Y SENORITAS, BONO ESTENTE. Y BOUTROUS BOUTROUS GALI ESTE NOCHES POROS Y'ALL. AU PEROS SIFLICOS UNO MUCHO EXTAVIGANDES MENTALES. MUCHO GUSTO PROMOTO CHOCO CHOCO X-RAY VISION SCHORCHIO. YO PRESENTE LOS CHICAS CALIENTE. MITSOOOOO!!!! The smoke billowed, strobes flickered and coloured lights whirled as they began playing. Cape Town's only all-girl band played the strongest set I've seen them produce yet, opening with something about "Hillary Clinton and her alien lover". A lack of technical slip-ups and decent sound engineering made for a nice set allowing me to actually hear singer Karen's voice for the first time. Surprise, she sounded quite good! Mitsoo are growing fast as a band and their content and sound is well defined, you've been gigging for a while now so it's time for some new material girls! Lazurus took the first prize with a slightly different take on the "angst-filled" alternative rock sound, even going so far as to play some instrumental stuff that impressed with a fair amount of subtlety. Due to the rather melancholy nature of some of their lyrics, their sound, while not slow or soft, doesn't fit completely into the same mould that so many young bands are casting themselves into. The next instalment was last Saturday (17 May with Surreal, 12th avenue, Lyderkane, Silverrette, Twisted Oliver), and the final heat is on Wednesday 21 May (My Latest Ex, Zero Tolerance, Comfort Zone, Fly Paper Jet). The semi-finals will be on the 24th and 28th with the final battle happening on the eve of the 31st of May. (Gavin Smit) ---------- GIG GUIDE ---------- The SA Rock Digest list of recommended gigs can be found at: http://www.SAgigs.com. If you cannot access SAgigs.com then please e-mail mailto:gigs@sarockdigest.com?subject=gigguide and we will e-mail the gig guide to you each week. Please send all gig info to mailto:sugar@sagigs.com in a plain text e-mail. ___________________________________________ 9.INFO -------- ------ LINKS ------ Links to artists, gig guides, resources, record labels, recording studios, music trivia and more at: http://www.sarockdigest.com/links --------------- SUBSCRIPTIONS --------------- To subscribe - please send an e-mail to: mailto:subscribe@sarockdigest.com?Subject=NewSubscriber Address changes - please send an e-mail to: mailto:subscribe@sarockdigest.com?Subject=AddressChange To unsubscribe - please send a blank e-mail to: mailto:unsubscribe@sarockdigest.com?Subject=Unsubscribe BACK ISSUES http://www.sarockdigest.com/archives Online and keyword searchable PRESS RELEASES & CONTRIBUTIONS Please submit all press releases, contributions, reviews, gig & festival dates, requests, searches and comments to mailto:sugar@sarockdigest.com?subject=SARockDigest EDITORS Brian Currin Stephen Segerman mailto:editors@sarockdigest.com?subject=ToTheEditor CONTRIBUTORS Don Bryce Carina Laubscher Tertius Louw Daniel Neville John Samson Kurt Shoemaker Wicked Mike Proofed by Ronx SA Rock Digest Computer Systems maintained by Karl Hansen. Karl is highly recommended for home and office PC repairs in Cape Town. mailto:karma@iafrica.com <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>