Posts Tagged ‘Event Reviews’

According to the front man of Billy Talent, Canada makes the best beer….well after last night’s concert it’s clear that the country has much more to offer than just cold beverages.

Durban was the last leg of Billy Talent’s South African tour, and the energy that the band, and the supporting act, The Dirty Skirts, brought to the stage could have fooled anyone into thinking it was the first concert. There was no holding back, no tailing off, every minute of each band’s set was explosive.

The supporting band, Cape Town band The Dirty Skirts, took to the stage earlier than expected at around 7pm and proceeded to warm the crowd right up. Personally I’m a fan of the band, so it was pretty hard to stand still and take pictures when they played some of their catchier songs. Though looking back, and from chatting to people at the event, I’m not sure they were the best choice as the sole supporting act. The Dirty Skirts sound is very dance and radio friendly, while the fans attracted by Billy Talent tended to be into a harder sound. But to give credit to The Dirty Skirts, I think they won over alot of the non-believers during their set, the crowd was really getting into it. They also put on a very energetic show which leads into Billy Talent’s set perfectly.

When Billy Talent took over the stage the crowd really went wild. Their set was just amazing from start to finish. The lead singer had enough energy to power a small country and he used every inch of it. The whole band was very professional in their execution of their songs, and the whole set flowed flawlessly. The crowd showed their adoration by sacrificing shoes, bras and even panties to be thrown at the band, whom loved every second of it. At one point the lead singer even tried to start returning the lost shoes; who doesn’t love a band that can rock your socks off, and then have the kindness to return them. All in all it was probably the best live show I’ve ever been to, well worth braving the freezing cold weather.

Review by Samantha Dawe

As my penance for arriving past the hour of fashionably late, I was condemned to the sit in the noisiest and liveliest row of the New Space Theatre. The curse did not seem too much to bear, as soon the lyrical sass and musical whims drew all eyes and ears into itself. Mr Cat and the Jackal.

Mr Cat and the Jackal take you on a musical journey beyond explanation as you disembark on a shift of musical conscience. More simply put it is a space where music meets music and people actually come to play…

It might sound like a strange concept, applauding musicians for actually playing music (After all, isn’t that what all musicians do?) but in a world filled with lemmings, sound-a-likes, and wannabees it is simply refreshing to hear an innovative way of creating a musical experience.

Chatting to the converted souls who now pledge a following in fanship, it’s interesting to find out how they first came to experience the music. One girl claims to have heard them playing in a shopping centre and was so intrigued, she phoned the in store radio to find out who played the song. Another had first met Mr Cat and the Jackal at Catu Irish Bar (an event organised by Overtone) and since then has been eagerly following all their Cape Town activities….

Watching Mr Cat and the Jackal at play is a treat within itself. The new show “Sins and Sirens” is an cleverly crafted musical dialogue that will have walk you through a ‘never never land’ experience and bring you back to the world of the living.

“The musically multi-dimensional mavericks, Mr Cat & the Jackal, have sculpted and theorised their third theme to suit the stage more theatrically in their new in Cape Town and surrounds.The group have created their own instruments, genre and finally a new form of musical. Little by little, step by step, this ensemble will mesmerise you into believing their tales and philosophies before taking you aboard ancient adventures that will all too soon be over, just like your first glass of wine. This multi faceted show is highly recommended to anyone with a rich taste in music.”

To all the souls that have been converted and all the souls they have yet to meet as they start their journey, stay posted to find the official decree of where the band shall be.

“Prepare to be amazed.”

Lena Ski

Mystical Delights and Ingenious Madness fitting for the month of March. Fancy a cuppa tea with that???

Unlike the Mad Hatters traumatic little event, this one promises to delight.

And so it shall. Prepare yourself for this is one event that bound to turn your world inside out.

Join the “madcap melody-makers, artists flamboyant, syrupy tea-ladies, freakish party animals, cross-dressing gorilla’s, candy-floss cowgirls, rooibos sippen diva’s, greased-up rockers, disco deviants, swingtastical jazz-cats, loved-up funkters, queenly kings, kingly queens, non-sensical amusers, trumpet blasting poodles, cupcake cuties, cookie-cutter mullets,betty crocker matrons, minge muffins, crimplene cookies, animal crackers, hot-but-not-cross buns, iced fancies, eccentric tribesman, afro-shaking mama’s, unorthodox greeks, harmonious poets, rubbish magicians, safari suited cubans and possibly that smelly family dog too!” and enter a world beyond imagination.

As you may have guessed this is more then upper nosed high society cradling the finest china. However there are recommended behaviours to observe.

For instance the actual act of tea drinking is a highly sophisticated art form and if therefore more refined then your usual cuppa tea. However this isn’t a pinkie in the air kind of affair…so kudos to creativeness and originality. What would the world be without it?

This is your weekend to let out your inner child and run wild. (Terms and Conditions always apply)

SATURDAY IS FOR PLEASURE & SUNDAY FOR LEISURE & THIS IS HOW WE ARE TOLD THINGS WILL UNFOLD:

 THE TEA GARDEN is open from Saturday morning till late and hosts The Great Waltz after sunset. Sunday will present Le Picnic as we continue to shift sideways through a relaxed daytime party aimed to uplift and leave you feeling fresh.

NIGHT TIME once darkness descends and the nightly creatures come out, your options still twinkle. Saunter over to the Munged Bean Shebeen and get caught up in some late night shenanigans, or cut yourself a rug at the Pyjama Party.

 THE GREAT WALTZ is your chance to be part of a World Record breaking attempt! Bring your partner, or grab one there, as an esteemed dance teacher shows us the moves to use as we attempt to break the world record for the largest coupled Waltz.

So there you have it… and knowing this lot* they are bound to dazzle and surprise you with gift wrapped wicked afterthoughts.

See you there.

Lena Ski

Extreme Weather.Extreme Sports.Extreme Music.

It does not get more extreme then this.

To all the daredevils who came out in the 42c heat SALUTE – and I’m not just talking about the guys on wheels. While the rest of you played it safe this weekend, ZONE 7 was pumping with flick flaks, black flips, tail whips, dirt in your face, and death defying maneuvers are simply “Epic”.”Wild”.”Crazy” and “Sizzling”.

The excitement and amazement quickly took the place of the heatwave as no one dared to even blink. I’m pretty sure people even forgot to breath. With so much going on in every single direction I don’t blame them.

Cape Town has a newbie sensation sweeping across the land and by the looks of it it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Ok, so it isn’t that new but Pro X sure is… Last year they tried it out on the backdrop of the V and A Waterfront.
This year things just got a whole lot bigger. FMX, BMX, SKATE, WAKE, MTB TRIALS, SUPERCROSS, TRIALS, and a MUSIC FEST. Now that’s wicked!

The much talked about demos had the crowd cheering. Who would have thought you could do that on a bike? I mean seriously. Hello. That’s just mind bloggingly head scratching. Chatting to the bikers afterwards I was suprised to find out they didn’t have an answer to that either. “You just make it up as you go along”. Right…

FMX was by far the main attraction. So much so that people were fighting each other for seats. The top 4 SA Champs blew everyone away with ease(and dust clouds) as they worked the ramps and skies. Now these guys are totally Hot.

The coolest cats of the lot were the wakeboarders. Yet before things really kicked off the pool was taken over by bikinis and topless guys who just could not handle the heat.Pity the wake was short lived… could have done with the splash.

As the sun settled over the horizon and finally released the us from the sweltering heat …The bands took to the the stage and got the crowd buring all over again. Nice One. Big Cheers to The Little Kings, Hog Hoggigy Hog, Van Coke Cartel and all the other bands and DJ’s who refused to let the crowd off thier feet.

As the weekend wraped you’re left wondering – can we go again???

PS Don’t try this at home.

Lena Ski