WAA first video attempt

We Are Awesome have just uploaded their first video shot at the Aking show at the Assembly a few weeks back. It's edited by the talented, young Andrea Bester.

Check out more from the we-are-awesome blog.

Marriage Material of the Week Part #2

So, after the controversial but phenomenal success of Marriage Material of the Week Part #1, I thought I should dive into part #2. I mean, I was so built up by you guys last week, I can't help but throw out another candidate.This week, we have a young lass, who rarely frequents the dance floors of Cape Town. Having said that, I don't think her reasons for not coming/going out are entirely personal choice. Look how happy she is! That's a large, tooth filled grin for someone who would prefer to 'stay in'. She looks genuinely excited to be there. Oh, and "there" is Assembly on Wednesday for aKing's launch. I missed the band, and apparently a whole lot more.

The happiness portrayed in this picture is unfortunately in stark contrast to the reality of a lot of the boys and girls in the clubbing world. Heavy note to end on, I know. But just think about it. It's a sad truth to absorb on this Sunday afternoon, but look at how happy our mmotw girl is!!

Check out some of the other pics from the night. WAA

Metric - Help I'm Alive (acousitc)

So, Aking played at Assembly on Wednesday to launch their new album. Apparently I missed out in a big way! Big up lads.

But, bigger and better (for me) is the release of the new Metric album, FANTASIES.

They have a free download of their single, Help I'm Alive, the acoustic version. Very sexy, if I can use that term.

Metric - Help, I'm Alive (acoustic) (zShare)

Coke Zero Fest 2009, Lourensford Estate

If I hadn’t gone to Coke Fest, I would have been cynical about it. Now that I have been, I am still cynical. I did not get out of bed yesterday thinking I would be at Coke Fest in the afternoon. But I was. This was my experience:

Yesterday, Easter Monday was Cokefest, or as some affectionately named it, Blowfest. What a very disappointing day in the sun. The best parts included meeting people I did not anticipate being there, sneaking into Golden Circle with blue wrist bands made of Bonaqua water bottle jackets (thanks Coca Cola) and eating greasy burgers with my hands and then not being able to wash them.

Ok, so there were also a couple of bands. I arrived for the last Dirty Skirts song. The final South African band followed them, aKing. I didn’t really listen to them. The aKing front man Laudo looks just like Seth Rogen from Knocked Up. (That’s just a freebie).

Panic at the Disco had vocal range. That’s it. Their genre is sickening, and I truly cannot tell the difference between them and Fall Out Boy. I was told I would enjoy them live nonetheless, but I didn’t. I think the organisers realised that we would get out of there before 10pm (due to two bands pulling out) and so they asked them to waffle and tell us about their time in South Africa and dedicate every song to a different person in the crowd or on stage.

Snow Patrol were surprisingly good. They played as it got darker. Lights began to have an affect and sing alongs were joined enthusiastically by a wearying crowd. Girls and small boys went on shoulders and fun was had by all.

At the interval, we made our move. We got our water bottles, folded the labels and bent them around our wrists. As good as could be. Three of us tried, two succeeded. I succeeded. My one friend’s band came off as showed it to the security, so he ran the other way. Hello Golden Circle!

Golden circle was fun. There was one character tripping on something. (I am sure there were many, but there was one making a scene.) He was bleak that we weren’t jumping around and crowd surfing to Oasis. “Come on Cape Town! Come on Cape Town! Come on Cape Town! Are you too cool to clap?” “Make some noise Cape Town!” Blond girls started mocking him. Dialogue ensued:

Blond Girl #1: “Come on Cape Town!”

Tripping guy: “Shut…..it!”

Blond Girl #2: “Shut up man!”

Tripping guy: “Go back to your girls’ school! Whatever girls’ school you are from, go back there. Go back to your girls’ school.”

Blond Girl #3: “What’s wrong with you?”

Tripping guy: “What girls’ school are you from? Hey? HEY?!! Go back there! Just go!!”

That went on for a while. Such a laugh. So, Oasis played some well known songs, some of Noel’s songs were a little foreign to me, but I knew Liam’s pretty well. What’s the story morning Glory?, Wonderwall and a host of timeless tunes. During Wonderwall I realised I lost my phone. I was not stoked about that.

A quick comparison that made a lot of difference: Snow Patrol seem to enjoy playing shows. Being on stage was fun for them. Oasis have been together since 1991. I think they are tired of performing. They look as though they are just going through the motions. I think a lot of people went there for Oasis and came away preferring Snow Patrol.

Let’s hope that the low calorie version that is Coke ZERO Fest does not repeat itself next year. That would be tragic. I didn’t awake this morning with the same, “I am too tired to get out bed” feeling, or the excitement of being able to talk about the rocking bands from last night’s show.

aKING Gig Guide

aKing have announced their gig dates from now til June.

Date: 12 March
Venue: MFM Rockshow, Stellenbosch
Other: at the Neelsie
Cover: FREE

Date: 22 March
Venue: Kirstenbosch Gardens, C.T
Cover: R50 adults / R30 scholars
Other info: Collaboration with Ghetto Sound.
Tickets available from www.tunegum.co.za

Date: 2 April
Venue: Tygerberg Medical Campus
Other: Love to Rock Fest

Date: 10 April
Venue: MK Kaktus Sessions, KKNK
Cover: R50

Date: 13 April
Venue: CokeZero Fest, Ostrich Farm, N7 Cape Town

Date: 17 April
Venue: Wilgenhof Carry 6, Stellenbosch

Date: 25 April
Venue: Ratanga Junction, C.T

Date: 26 April - TBC
Venue: Seasons Wither, The Dome, JHB

Date: 27 May
Venue: Back 2 Basix, Westdene, JHB
Cover: R80
Other info: aKING album launch with Special guests THIEVE

Date: 28 May
Venue: Pieterburg

Date: 29 May
Venue: The Woods, Newtown, JHB
Cover: R20
Other info: aKING album launch with Special guests THIEVE

Date: 30 May
Venue: Firkin , Centurion
Other info: aKING album launch with Special guests THIEVE

Date: 2 June
Venue: Tings n Times, PTA
Cover: R40
Other info: aKING album launch with Special guests THIEVE

Date: 3 June
Venue: Tings n Times, PTA
Cover: R40
Other info: aKING album launch with Special guests THIEVE

Aking announce Cokefest appearance and tour dates

So, barring Oasis, the South African acts are more exciting for Cokefest than the International ones. What a load of tripe! Now that aKing have joined the bill for the Cape Town leg, I totally want to pay R600. Not. I like them, but please get some decent International acts.

Anyway, here are aKing's tour dates for the next while:

Date: 13 February –
Venue: UCT, Cape Town– MTV Campus Invasion

Date: 27 February – Ramfest
Venue: Nekkies, Worchester, C.T

Date: 12 March
Venue: MFM Rockshow, Stellenbosch

Date: 22 March
Venue: Kirstenbosch Gardens, C.T
Cover: R50 adults / R30 scholars
Other info: Collaboration with Ghetto Sound.

Date: 10 April
Venue: MK Kaktus Sessions, KKNK
Cover: R50

Date: 13 April Venue: COKEZERO Fest, Ostrich Farm, N7

Date: 17 April
Venue: Wilgenhof Carry 6, Stellenbosch

Date: 25 April
Venue: Ratanga Junction, C.T


The big one is obviously the Cokefest on 13 April. If you have R600 lying around and are not too sure what to do with it, spend it on seeing them on stage.

Nice.

Photo by Zahra Robertson

aKing's Fan Page

aKing's Myspace

Taxi Violence Gig Guide

So Taxi Violence have a few shows with some good bands planned for January '09, two of which are already over. Here they are.

Fri 23 Jan - Taxi Violence performing acoustic at Berties Mooring in Gordens Bay. Be there from 8pm.

Sat 24 Jan - Taxi Violence rocking out at the Southern Ink Exposure Tattoo Convention Party. Also performing are aKing, Damn Right and The Mochines. Doors of The Assembly (Cape Town) open at 9pm. (If you missed this impressive Assembly show, click here.)

Fri 30 Jan - Taxi Violence kicking out with the amazing Pretty Blue Guns, Halfprice and The Plastics at Mercury Live, Cape Town. Doors open at 9pm and R40 gets you rocking!

Sat 31 Jan - Stellenbosch Karnaval! Heck Yeah! Catch Taxi at Tollies.

Get there, they have been really enjoyable of late.

Taxi Violence Fan Page.

The Darkness Cometh

Last night Assembly was invaded by Northern Suburbs music enthusiasts to witness Damn Right, Taxi Violence and the big draw card, Aking. Unfortunately, the ticket prices were really high and so that affected attendance. R80

The two thirds capacity venue were subjected to the travesty that is Damn Right. With clashing melodies from front man "Nixxx" and backing from bassist "Bruizer" (??), there was little pleasant about the experience. I was not the only to feel that way. Eventually, the council had had enough and turned off the power. Quite a blunt message really. But once the generator was up and running, so were they. They started their song again. Bleak.

Next up were the more impressive Taxi Violence. They have been getting more popular over the months as they have tried new things like a dvd and actually playing loads of shows. They were tight, a good listen and didn't take the opportunity of playing for Aking fans for granted. They put on a show second to none. With definite Wolfmother/ACDC influences they opened their set hard and well and that set the mood for the rest of their set. Nice work.

Aking, the obvious main attraction for the evening seemed to be in a little bit of a weird place for their set. They played well and blahh blahh I enjoyed it. But they were so chilled on stage! There was very little jumping around or screaming as one has been accustomed to witnessing from bands from the Northern Suburbs. Front man Laudo played out the show alone with a cute melodic tune on his guit and said goodnight. Download the Aking track, Love Your Neighbour, free from Rythm Online.

It was a super show on the whole, but I forgot it was a tattoo convention until this morning. Joy.

RTD

So this weekend is a pretty huge one on the music calender. Rocking the Daisies is going down and is going to be monstrous. This is an opportunity to go and listen to your favourite SA bands and no doubt meet some interesting characters. You get to camp in the nature and rough it for the weekend. This is well worth the cash, which is isn't that much considering what you get. You will get to see bands like New Loud Rockets, The Dirty Skirts, Fire through the Window, AKing, Fokof and so many more. For more info and tickets hop along to the website. Who knows, maybe you will get to meet Eagle Eye Cherry? Haha. I totally wish I could go, but unfortunately, I have exams starting this week.

Get there!! I am already regretting not going.