Somewhere just off the R25 and close to Kempton Park, a boutique festival happened at the end of April.
At possibly the most bizarre venue I’ve been to in a while, with walls adorned in porcelain and wooden masks, display cabinets of an array of porcelain dogs, newcomers Moose & the Reverend, with punk-rock with lyrics like “I Want to piss on the walls of your house” got the day off to a loud, messy bang.
Sheldon Payne & The Blue Veins toned the atmosphere down a bit with some Sunday bluesy notes, with DJ Bedruum filling the gaps between bands.
HeyBangDead were a pleasant surprise for me, not having seen them before. Covering Gorillaz’ ‘Kids With Guns’ (and doing it well), they provided an impossibly cool slice of funk to the day’s performances. Tim Edwards (drummer for The Tazers, Pollinator and HeyBangDead) played three shows in one day and his unassuming talent can’t be ignored when taking into account the very different styles of all three bands in comparison. Clearly his happiest with the more jazzy notes of HeyBangDead, his enjoyment is contagious and can’t be ignored.
Boxer were their usual cheeky selves, with a fun performance if not particularly noteworthy. It’s safe to say their shows are predictably without hiccup, however I’m really keen to hear more new stuff from the guys.
Pollinator seemed to be a clear crowd favorite, with a sound loud yet well controlled. The vocals of frontman and guitarist Evert Snyman were made even better by the pairing of Louise Eksteen on vocals and bass. With Tim Edwards completing the trio, a sound with hints of Queens of the Stoneage come to mind.
3-piece band We are Charlie can be described pretty simply as happy, radio-friendly indie pop, singing catchy lyrics and coming off as engagingly shy on stage – a tried and tested recipe for a successful live performance. Would definitely make a mission to watch them again.
Sol Gems took their audience on a bit of a trip with their psychedelic waves of sounds, playing new song ‘The Crystal Kids’ off their latest album, “Lapis Lazuli”. Over all a good show, however various members could be more engaging on stage.
The Tazers (the organisers and our hosts for the day) played a pretty solid rock ‘n’ roll show and it seems their performance has picked up more energy since the last time I saw them a few weeks prior.
Black Math has been a favourite of mine for a while now, with their aggressively high-energy psych rock lines and guitar riffs that stick in your head long after the show has ended, they are one of the best bands we have in this country at the moment. Acacia-Anne van Wyk delivers her drum work with a hard and fast delivery. I leave their set with ringing ears and a neck aching from head banging.
Pretoria duo, Make-Overs remind me of The Kills with their muffled, scratchy vocals and their beautifully abrasive sound. Martinique on drums and vocals gives Black Math’s van Wyk a bit of a run for her money with her exceptional timekeeping.
Later, the wonderfully bizarre church chapel, just to the side of the main hall, turned into a debaucherous dance-party and ensured everyone kept partying until the early hours of the morning. Organised and run by Frans Borman (Gunshot Blue), the combination of music from all genres coupled with random classic movies being displayed over a projector, this ended off the night perfectly.
Overall, the event was a success and the organisers managed to turn a profit after their first attempt which any first-time event organiser will tell you, is not the easiest of feats.
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