PURE VOODOO EFFECT

Wow! What an awesome weekend. I got to see VOODOO CHILD twice (officially raising my status from ‘fan’ to ‘groupie’ according to Fuzz), NEW ACADEMICS, GREENHOUSE EFFECT, and eventually MUNKINPURE.

The weather couldn’t keep us away from the awesome line up at BACK2BASIX. GREENHOUSE EFFECT were playing as we walked in and with such a good opening act we knew we were in for a great evening. At first I thought they were from Cape Town due to their laid back style, sound and attitude…and the fact that one of the band members wasn’t wearing shoes(!) They really have a great sound, enhanced by a guy mixing in the background. Cool. We were happy to hear that they are, in fact, from Joburg meaning that we had more opportunities to see them.

It finally happened…we finally got to see MUNKINPURE. It took about a year and I want to kick myself for missing all their other performances. I was really blown away as this is going straight on our list of kick ass bands. Travis, the lead singer, is also the drummer. At the same time. They are an amazing band to watch and even more amazing to listen to. They were really so much better than we expected and I cant wait to see their next performance. If we get there on time.

VOODOO CHILD headlined and were as brilliant as ever. My one gripe about BACK2BASIX is that they don’t have a dance floor/area – so we made our own and as always, had a great time. This band’s following seems to grow at every gig which is always a great sign for the band and SA music as a whole, of which VOODOO CHILD are a great ambassador.

Night of 1000 Drawings

The Night of 1000 drawings was such an awesome experience. It was very different in a sense that you don’t spend many weeknights moving between three floors of a building in the middle of Joburg town. There were all different types of people there, but all with the same intention – to have a good time and to support charity. In true YBSA style, we had no idea what charity it was for, but we had contributed by submitting our pictures and made our way down town to see what was happening. In short, for The Night of 1000 Drawings anyone, regardless of your talent, can submit A5 drawings – each of which get sold for R100, and the money is donated to charity. So what were we doing there? They had invited bands to play – for free – our weakness.

After pushing through the crowds (I wish more events could draw this many people), we found our way to the far side of the roof where the stage, lights and sound were set up. First up were Desmond and the Tutus – a strange group of extremely skinny guys who we had heard once before…and were not very impressed with. We’d been hearing their name around over the last few weeks, so decided to give them a second chance. This is one of those situations where we clearly have a very different opinion to many other people, but we found them just as strange – in a bad way – as before.

We wondered around and looked at some of the drawings before facing the crowd again to see Fuzigish. We loved them earlier that week at the NOFX concert and were looking forward to seeing them again in a different setting. They were just as brilliant and energetic as they were on a bigger stage and their band has a certain character that is very rare. They have become a favourite on our list and look forward to seeing them again soon.

Last but not least…okay, kind of least, were Cassette. Yet another band where our opinion doesn’t relate to most. They still did not impress us at all. Sigh. Their style and retro vibe is great, but their music doesn’t match the look. Added to the fact that we really don’t like their sound, they just seem really miss-matched which is pretty disturbing. After a few songs we headed off to Back2Basix to see what was going on there. It’s a tough life being Steve…

Voodoo Child, Back2Basix

Clauds, Kez, Cands, The Deane and myself hooked up with friends, Sarah and Claire, at Back2Basix on Saturday night, to watch Voodoo Child. I enjoy the chilled vibe of this venue and the fact that every time I’ve been there, either the entrance or the stage have moved. Or both.

Re-Play were the first opening act, and were just as impressive as the first time I saw them a few months ago at Cool Runnings. They have recently released their debut album, so keep an eye out for that!

The Sick Leaves were really noisy, and I didn’t find them very interesting. I do have to give them credit, though, for keeping it together in one song where the lead singer’s mic packed in and their drum kit dismantled itself. They are not a band I would go watch again, but they do seem to have some dedicated fans.

There is no doubt that Voodoo Child is one of SA’s top bands – they are definitely in my top 3. Their version of “Come Together” (yes, that same old Beatles song) is getting extensive air-play at the moment, and the song is the first track on Julio Garcia’s “The Cover” album. Every time I see them, their following has grown and their performance is tighter. Lebo (singer) is great at interacting with the crowd and his soulful voice and funky vibe, keep people captivated throughout the entire set. They have a very professional sound, and each member of the band has an enormous amount of talent. You need to go check them out!