It’s for good reason that people who live in Cape Town would travel to Summerhill Farm outside of Stellenbosch for a live event – Especially if its run by Revival Co. who have effortlessly one upped themselves witch each event they’ve hosted. This one was no different. It featured a phenomenal line-up of relatively new bands in the local psych rock scene. Plus, the sound and light rig makes this venue one of the best in the country – making the drive totally worth it.
The opening act, Lost//Youth, delivered a beautiful stripped-down set. Alana Joy’s vocal delivery was emotionally raw and added to the heart-on-the-sleeve honesty of her lyrics. Guitarist Charlie Charles’s pentatonic-heavy playing complimented Joy’s vocals and acoustic guitar. A choice Leonard Cohen cover rounded off their set of gut-wrenchingly beautiful originals.
The Second act was Cape-Town’s newest indie pop band, Gaze. From the jump, this shoegaze-infused refreshing drink of a band hit the crowd with upbeat jangly instrumental arrangements with Lauren Thomas’ anthemic and emotionally weighted vocal performance. Gaze performed a brilliant cover of Phoebe Bridger’s “Kyoto” – as if I wasn’t already on board.
The band’s rhythm section – guitarist Reggie Pienaar, bassist Dan Charles and drummer Keegan Van Wyk – was so tight and gave the songs the driving energy that had everyone cutting rugs. Unfortunately, Gaze set was cut short two songs because of loadshedding – Thankfully that was the only Eskom-induced incident of the night.
Next up on the bill Holograph – a relatively new addition to the psych scene but comprised of players from its most loved bands. The Goth Punk is made up of core members include Warren Fisher (formerly of Future Primitives, Dyna-Jets, The Deathrettes) on guitar and vox, Ines Soutschka (Julia Roberts) on synths and vox, and Desmond Kannemeyer (Runaway Nuns, Tough Guy, Gaze) on lead guitar. The singles they have released so far, each with a stunning music video, have each been a unique showcase of Holograph’s sonic and visual identity.
Holograph’s debut performance just a few weeks ago at Psych Night’s Decade – also at Daisy Jones. This was also the debut of recently added members João Henriques (Julia Roberts) on bass, Jess Barraclough on synths and Mitch Davies (The Liminals and Young Hands) on guitar. Their second set opened with their single “Swedish Summer” and instantly won the crowd over.
Holograph’s eerie goth sound – made up of driving guitars, slow contemplating basslines and floating synths form haunting backdrops for Soutschkas’ striking voice and Fisher’s baritone. The two harmonise on the chorus of “Forget the Things You’ve Said” are ethereal. he resulting feeling from band’s sound and accompanying light show (Daisy Jones you beauty) is a feeling that is visceral and enduring. Like the vivid memory of watching an old Sci-fi movie at a drive-in theatre.
The headline act for the evening was Sold Ash. The band is fresh off the back of their recently released album, Howl A Little Louder Just Don’t Spit in My Mouth. The event’s title, Electric Fragile Self, is a song title off that album. The album is hauntingly beautiful, and I was excited to hear it perform live.
Sold Ash are a tough band to define sonically, the project is mercurial, both from changing line-up of musicians to Ruan Vos’ experimental song writing. One event goer gave this description of Sold Ash, “they’re like if Place To Bury Stranger played at half speed but with more synths.” These types of descriptions always have their limitations. I’d say that Sold Ash is simply an experimental noise rock band for fans of DIIV, Ty Segal and the Place To Bury Strangers to name a few.
Sold Ash announced in the run-up to the show that they would perform with an expanded band line-up. The new additions Rowan Slemon (rhythm guitar and back up vox) and Liam Cockcroft (back-up vox). Here’s the clincher, they had a choir join for a number of songs, made up of Denise Onen, Karen Louw, Frances Marais, Caroli Burger and Lauren Thomas (GAZE). For their last song I counted at least ten people on stage. It was beautiful.
Its shows like this one that make me proud of the local scene and the amount of support that is given to new bands. Revival Co continue to impress on all levels with well-rounded line-ups and general microscopic attention to detail. Until the next one, Revival Co. forever.
