Two 52weekers in search of a gig, Oscar and I headed down to Zanzibar on Friday the 23rd to see Subrosa and another band playing. (Yes, we’re starting to hit a lot of repeat bands, which is disturbing, but often enjoyable as we get to experience one old and one new along the way. The first rule of 52weeks is, however, at least one new band.)

The surprise band turned out to be Walt. We had no idea what to expect. I expected very little. Big mistake. You can never ever discount South African music – it will surprise you time and again.

They had a cracking opening song – their sound is definitely driven by the electric guitar. Unfortunately the sound setup was not quite as brilliant as Walt were turning out to be. (When it comes to sound setup, The Blues Room is winning by far.) The lead singer has a really solid voice, with an occasional “Steve Hofmeyr” lilt when speaking. I guess in a certain light at a certain angle he may look like Steve too!! (That’s a compliment, I think, Erwalt!!! )

What Walt really needs is an image to fit their sound. Once again it seems South African bands either do this really well, or don’t do it at all. What image would fit? I’m not sure, Grunge rockers? Maybe.

I enjoy the changes in tempo throughout the set, along with a few vocal pseudo-solos by the vocalist. The lead singer’s voice really helps Walt step up a level, and I love the way the lead guitarist uses vibrato on the electric guitar for accompaniment to the vocals. At times their music also brought out shades of H.I.M. Coupled with a chilled attitude, and a drummer who can double as a smoke machine while playing , this band is worth watching. They are firmly positioned in the upper notches on my scale of SA rock.

Two things impressed me the most about Walt:
1) The band shakes hands with one another at the end of the gig.
2) They got up with Subrosa after the gig for an ad-hoc jamming session. I’ve never seen that before.

All in all, Walt were a pleasant surpise.

Beer Price: R 10
Quality of sound: 8.0
Rockstar rating: 8
Overall rating: 8.0

Tags: Walt, band, rock, music, South African Rock Music, 52Weeks, Zanzibar, South Africa music

Why 52Weeks? It sure beats the alternative.