What went down at the MK Awards

After watching the MK Awards from my not-so-comfy couch at home last year, I was mighty chuffed to get the chance to go this year's event which took place last night at the State Theatre in Pretoria. 

In case you missed it: the list of winners (and my two cents worth).

Bittereinder's Jaco van der Merwe and Straatligkinders frontman Bouwer Bosch hosted the awards, and their witty repartee was quite amusing to watch. Other presenters included last year's host, Jack Parow as well as Toya Delazey and Shane Durrant. I find the last one quite ironic, considering Desmond & The Tutus have been snubbed since their inception, but the audience burst out laughing each time Shane dryly read off the teleprompter, insuring that he quickly became not only a crowd favourite, but a Twitter favourite too.

Performances:

Bittereinder kicked things off with their performance of “Die Woud”, which featured Magdalene Minnaar’s chillingly ethereal vocals. Iso emerged from beneath the stage to perform a medley of sorts. It would simply be a crime not to mention the band’s meticulously styled hair in this here blog post, so there it is. Living up to the hype that has surrounded them, Afrikaans folk rock band, Spoegwolf, delivered a solid show. Tailor wowed everyone with another one of her intense performances while Van Coke Kartel once again proved why they are awards favourites. Jaco van der Merwe and Bouwer Bosch performed “Kanker”, a tribute to a friend who has just passed away from cancer. As winners of the Best Live Act category, Black Cat Bones ended things off, confirming that they are a live act to beat. Man, I’m so glad that these chaps have finally gotten the credit they deserve. 

Although I'm not entirely convinced of the merits of a viewer-voting system for an awards show, this year's MK Awards was well put together and heaps of fun. The Tomato watches we got as gifts were pretty rad too. 

Fill the Hole

 I caught up with Inge Beckmann and Sasha Raghini at Oppikoppi for a little chat about Beast, who, by the way, delivered a knock-out performance at the festival on the Thursday night. 

They don't have any music videos out yet, but I've included a live recording of one of their rehearsals at Kill City Blues in Cape Town. 

PHOTO: Henno Kruger

You’ve survived day one of Oppikoppi. What survival tip would you give to festival goers?
Inge: Take a nap.
Sasha: Bring some wet wipes. Your face gets dirty. Sun cream, shorts, a time machine.
Inge: You need a sense of humour in the dust.
Sasha: Oh, a dust mask is very important.

How did the collaboration of Beast come about?
Sasha: Well, there’s two stories in a way. One of them is that Louis and Rian were just chatting, and they were like, “Hey, why don’t we start a band with two basses?” They approached me because we all know each other from Kill City Blues, the rehearsal studio. I started jamming with them and then we were like, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could get Inge on vocals?” and we were like, “Let’s try, let’s try!” and then she accepted and the rest is history. A very short history.

To what extent is the music you are making as Beast influenced by the other bands you guys are in?
Inge: I don’t think it sounds like any of the other bands we are in.
Sasha: I think the only influence is that we are all musicians so we have our core influences of artists that we respect but it’s not really the same at all.

Why did you decide to use the two bass guitars instead of the standard guitar and bass?
Inge: That was Rian and Louis, really. They both play bass. Rian plays rhythm and Louis plays lead. Louis plays slightly higher ‒ he’s got a bit of a shorter bass which he plays through a guitar amp.

Do you think being in bands that are already quite well-established has made it easier to start off as Beast?
Inge: I think in a sense, definitely. If you are already in the circuit, in a semi-noted project, people follow you and like you, then the chances of them listening to you are higher.
Sasha: Also, being in other bands you get to learn the mistakes that other bands make as well. Like the ones bands make in the beginning, you get to learn quite fast, you know?

Do you guys have any plans to record an album any time soon?
Sasha: Ja, we’re recording in about three weeks. An EP.
Inge: We’re very excited about that.
Sasha: It’s about five or six songs.

Do you have a planned release date?
Sasha: Not yet.
Inge: Well, it will be nice to do it before the end of the year. That would be great.
Sasha: We’re excited to get it out.

What acts are you looking forward to seeing here at Oppikoppi?
Inge: I’m going to miss all the international acts, which sucks, but I’m definitely going to check out P.H.fat tonight and Haezer. Ja, a little bit of dance.
Sasha: Jeremy Loops. Diplo as well.

Bombay Show Pig- Timewaster (Official Video)

Remember Bombay Show Pig (I previously raved about them here)? Well, today the lovely Dutch duo released their music video for 'Timewaster', and it features footage from their tour to South Africa.

 I've also included the interview I did with Linda and Mathius at Oppikoppi for Perdeby.

Dearest Bombay Show Pig, come visit us again soon, ok?

You guys have played a couple of shows now in South Africa. What has the tour been like so far?
Linda: Awesome. For me it’s the first time in South Africa. [Mathias] has actually been here before – [he has] also played Oppikoppi with another band. So I think it’s kind of a different experience for each of us and also a new one because it’s different for you (Mathias) now, right?
 Mathias: Yeah, yeah, we’re depending on people here a little more. Our budget is, like, really small so we have to ask everybody to help us out and so this way we meet a lot of people over here. It’s like a very personal view of South Africa. So that’s a lot different to the last time I was here. But that’s really good and I like this way a lot better than the other way.
Linda: And Oppikoppi is already a great dessert. We haven’t even played yet and I think it’s going to be awesome, the vibes going to be amazing.

How has the response been to your music over the tour?
Linda: Awesome. We sold so many CDs [that] we have no more CDs left so we had some extra flown in. We’ve been at 5FM and all kinds of radio stations and, yeah, they’re playing our music. So for us it’s been very successful. Even now when we’re walking [through] the festival we’re getting, “Woo! Bombay Show Pig!” and we’re here for the first time so this is insane, it’s awesome.

How does performing in South Africa compare to performing back home in the Netherlands?
Mathias: All the venues here are like a bar first and then a music venue second. Back home you have a lot of music venues, so people come out because they want to see you and over here you still have an element of surprise because people are going there to drink and if the band is nice they’ll stick around. If not, they’ll go away again. It’s a bit more harsh than back home. It keeps you on your toes.

How do you think changing from a trio to a duo has changed your music?
Mathias: I think our music is really pure. We have a lot more energy as a duo than when there were three of us. It feels more focused in a way when you’re playing as a duo.
Linda: And it’s really handy that you just have to call or text one person to get where you’re going.
Mathias: We toured South Africa in a really small car and we fit everything in.

What surprised you about your visit to South Africa?
 Linda: How cold it can get at night. [Laughs] Back home it’s summer right now and here it’s winter, so I was like, “Oh, I’m packing all my short skirts,” and then I was like, “Ah!” But today was nice. But musically we saw a few cool bands we played with and we’re still listening to this CD of this guy we met in Johannesburg.
Mathias: I’ve never been to Cape Town before. So last time I was around Joburg and Pretoria. But this time we went to Cape Town and that’s like a whole different world. So now my whole vision of South Africa has been flipped around again. I liked it before but now I see how diverse it is.

We heard you were making a music video from footage of your South African tour.
Linda: Yeah, actually one of our songs is going to be released when we get back and we’re also going to [release] it here for the radio stations. So we thought it would be fun if we could use all of the gig footage and also this footage (footage of interviews and backstage). Yeah, we’re going to make a video out of it. It’s a cheap and fast way but also like a goodbye.

The obligatory Oppikoppi post

I know, I know. It's already been a week since the dust settled over Northam and I'm only doing this post now. Bad blogger, bad. My excuse? Death by post-festival flu. Between being unable to breathe through my nostrils and being on the verge of coughing up a lung, I somehow managed to make it through the week. I didn't get to enjoy Oppikoppi in the same way that other festival-goers did because I covered the event for Perdeby. This involved a jam-packed interview schedule that included both local and international bands. It was absolute madness but equally rewarding in that I learned a whole darn lot. 

Want to know what I learned?

 1. How to deal with stroppy artists.

  2. Not too panic when there isn't internet connection, even at the most crucial of times.

3. Some of the best musicians in South Africa are also the most underrated ones, like Jeremy Loops. 

4. Electro is huge. Massive. Enormous. The Red Bull Stage proved it.

5. Just how long I can survive without caffeine. Ricoffy doesn't count. Who are you kidding?

6. No matter what they tell you, hand sanitizer doesn't work. It just swishes the dirt around. With every day that went by, I looked a shade darker. And dealt with it. 

Enough of me rambling. Here's some photos. 

Ready. Steady. Go.

Navigating around (and sometimes through, I have to admit) potholes...

... to be met by a long, long queue of cars. It's a bit disheartening when you can't see the end of the line for two hours but at least helping to push-start an old turquoise Beetle was quite a laugh. Who takes a Beetle to Oppikoppi? Who? Hmm?

This is the hippie your parents warned you about. Hey guy, hope you survived the festival on the hill.

A marching band with a Pied Piper following.

I managed to catch a glimpse of Peachy Keen while grabbing a bite to eat.

Peter Rabbit performing on the MK Cube. They are possibly the band with the coolest name and the weirdest lyrics. Example? "My love for you is functional, I want to have your babies."

Les Doigts de L'Homme, a gypsy-jazz band from France. They were one of my favourite bands to see over the weekend. This may be because I fell in love with the second dude from the left. You pretty thing, you.

Balkanology, baby.

Diplo performing at the Red Bull Stage. We also 'got down like animals' when P.H. Fat performed there on Friday night. I love me some P.H. Fat.

The Empire Strikes Back

Hello there. I do hope you all survived Oppikoppi. I woke up this morning with the flu. Think it's my body's way of punishing me for what I put it through this weekend. I had the amazing opportunity to work for Perdeby at the not-so-little festival on the hill. It was absolute madness but I learned so much about the craft of journalism as well as about music. Watch this space to see what we got up to. All the interviews will be in next week's edition. It's going to be a good one, I promise. 

But, speaking of Perdeby, I wrote this article on the new Arcade Empire for last week's edition. You can read it by clicking on the article to enlarge it. Enjoy!

Open publication - Free publishing - More campus

Bombay Show Pig are the shizzle

For some reason, December Streets not only attracts the youngest crowd but also the most annoying.   Thank the Good Lord the young ones decided to vamoose after they dabbled in superficial rebellion, although credit must go to December Streets for putting on a mighty good show. 

They made way for the rest of us (all over the age of 18, thankfully) to enjoy Bombay Show Pig, an epic two-piece indierock band from the Netherlands. Man alive, I haven't been this excited about a new band in ages. The band consists of Mathias Janmaaton on vocals, guitar and samples and Linda van Leeuwen, who rocks fiercely on the drums and does vocals, samples and keys as well.

After their performance, I bought their debut album, Vulture/Provider, for a mere 50 ronds. What a bargain. It is eargasmic, which, by the way, is a real thing. S'true. My audiologist friend told me so.

Cool album art, ne?

If there's a band you must definitely make time for at Oppikoppi, it's Bombay Show Pig. They are playing on Friday at 14h00 at Wesley's Dome. I only wish they had a slot in the evening because they are perfect to jam to. 

You will notice that I didn't actually describe Bombay Show Pig's music, which is really odd for me because I do love words a whole lot. It's because it's difficult to relay the experience of listening to their music. So, instead, give their music video for 'Sancho Panza' a look-see. Then go tell everyone you know about this rad band, because they deserve loads of recognition.

Got it?
Get it?
Good. 

Oppi Update

Oh my soul. The lineup for Oppi is something that dreams are made of. Each day the Oppi folks are announcing bands that are just blowing my mind. And how many international bands are we being treated to this year? Definitely worth the R750, don't you think?

Here's a list of the confirmed bands so far. It's already a mile long but with 7 stages this year the announcements are nowhere near over. 

Do you have any favourite acts that you are looking forward to? 

Let me know! 

Knorkator
The Frown
Brendon Shields
Koldproduk
Valiant Swart
Joshua Grierson
Buckfever Underground
BLK JKS
Toby2shoes (Balkanology)
DJ Danger Ingozi (Balkanology)
Babaganoush (Balkanology)
Ma'original (Balkanology)
Hopa Banda (Balkanology)
Les Doigts de l'Homme (Balkanology)
Desmond & The Tutus
Die See
The Muffinz
The Brother Moves On
Matthew van der Want
Seether
Fruits & Veggies
Bombay show pig
Enter Shikari
Flash Republic
King SkaSA ( Dub saved my life)
Tattoo Level 9 (Dub saved my life)
Satori (Dub saved my life)
Mole'cule (Dub saved my life)
The Gravity regulators feat. Levi Pon The Mic (Dub saved my life)
DUB RUI (Dub saved my life)
Thierry Arnold (Dub saved my life)
340ml (Dub saved my life)
Boargazm
Albert Frost & Livy Jeanne
Fridge Poetry
Diplo
Kongos
Newtown Knife Gang
Tribal Echo band
Spoegwolf
Pestroy
The Sunday Punchers
Babylon Circus
Taleswapper
Pascal & Pearce
Nakhane Toure
The Anti Retro Vinyls
ShortStraw
Eagles of Death Metal
SIBOT
Janie & the Beard
HAEZER
Shotgun Tori
Jeremy Loops
Bullet For My Valentine
Make-Overs
Beast
Gert Vlok Nel
Jack Parow
Baskerville
aKING
Black Cat Bones
Black Handed Kites
Catlike Thieves
Fokofpolisiekar
Lilly Million
Lonehill Estate
P.H.fat
Planet Joy
The Kiffness
Toya Delazy
Thieve
Bittereinder
Dance, you're on Fire
Shadowclub

Oppi Update

Here's the list of bands booked for Oppikoppi so far:

Beast
Bittereinder
Black Cat Bones
Catlike Thieves
Dance, you're on Fire
Fokofpolisiekar
Gert Vlok Nel
Jack Parow
Lilly Million
Shadowclub
The Kiffness
Thieve
Toya Delazy

If you want to see your favourite artist perform at Oppi, you can have your say by voting for them over here.  

Oppi update

 Plans for the most anticipated festival on every musos calender are starting to materialize.

The first 1000 tickets go on sale through the Standard Bank youth portal on Monday 16 April.You can buy them between 12 and 9 am and they will cost you R600 (that's R100 off the full price). These ticketholders will receive a limited edition Oppikoppi Festival Sweet Thing promotional shirt. Details on the issuing of the shirts will be sent to the ticketholders directly.

You can click here for the link to the Standard youth portal. 

OppiKoppi 2012: Sweet Thing

Yes! OppiKoppi 2012's theme was announced today. Taken from a Van Morrisson song that was covered by The Waterboys, this year's theme is Sweet Thing. 

The Oppikoppi people commissioned fine artist, Gavin Rain, to come up with an image that would be used as source material. They then got the folks from janaandkoos.com to work their graphic design magic and voilà, this wonderful poster was born. 

Tickets are R700 on the OppiKoppi Facebook page (or R750 on Ticketbreak.co.za) but Standard Bank youth portal has said  that they will subsidise every ticket bought from them (www.standardbank.co.za/studentachiever) to the value of R150. In other words,  you only pay R600.

Keep an eye out as I update you on all the Oppi news that you'll need to know. 

Yay! Now I'm excited!