Replay, Voodoo Child, Harris Tweed

Double whammy…and I’m not referring to the Michael Bolton/Westlife weekend. What I do mean is two VERY late nights at Cool Runnings on Thursday and 88, Norwood on Friday.

We saw nine bands in two days, which was pretty awesome. We saw a band we hadn’t seen before called “Re-Play”. Do yourself a favour and go watch them at Tempo’s on 10 March. Their image may be deceiving, but their stage show is BRILLIANT! They also have the best drummer in the country, in my opinion, who should also, in my opinion, leave his shirt off permanently.

Voodoo Child stole the show, as they always do. They were worth waiting around for…they just need to update the “gigs” section on their MySpace page so we can spread the word and the love.

The only band really worth mentioning from Friday night is Harris Tweed. These cowboys/girl are on their way to Texas for the SXSW festival, so they had a fund-raiser to help them along. The gig was filmed by MK89, so look out for that. It was a brilliant gig and they will show those Texans how to do it SA style.

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!