52 Weeks

With a clever name like The Sick Leaves I must admit I expected a lot more. These guys didn’t really manage to grab my attention for more than a couple of minutes. Now there are two possible reasons for this:

1. Jameson’s in large volumes

2. The Hellphones completely outshined them

Let’s hope it’s one of those. I often hear about the Sick Leaves, but they didn’t quite cut the mustard this time. That’s not to say I’d avoid them, like maybe, umm, -cringe- Rokkeloos.

Am I wrong? Was I drunk? Am I biased ‘cos some idiot came and chased me away when taking photos?

Best that you just watch them and decide for yourself.

Quality of sound: 8.0

Rockstar rating: 6.0

Overall rating: 5.0

Yeah it feels like home in the Trailer Park. 52weeks returned to the ‘park to see the New Academics (and Undersound). Various 52weeks groupies - B&N and Pro-Soccer-Story-Boy and K-wren attended too, much to my delight.

I have to admit, I was not expecting much from another band that had intermittently crossed my radar. Blah blah blah New Academics whatever… Wrong attitude Shaun - these boys were ready to party this evening, and they were certainly not gonna leave the audience behind. It took less than one song to get a huge smile on my face as I started to enjoy their rap-reggae-jazz-rock hybrid offering. The rocking continued as they thrashed out song after song of musical fever. The bass guitarist (who also plays with Jo Day) is frikkin brilliant. He brings raw unbounded energy to a spot often reserved for a b-grade backer. The drummer, another key talent of this band, was a frantic blur through most of the set.

In suitable european fashion, PSSB arrived just in time for the dying tracks of their last song. Be not like him I say (deserter that he is!) - watch the New Academics from start to end. And then go watch them again. It’s worth it.

Oh, and Undersound - its a group to keep an eye on - there’s massive potential, big-band style, there.

So I received an email out of the blue, asking if I’d like to watch Myepic at the Trailer Park in Melville, which I committed to attending before getting involved in a crazy Saturday of paintball and offroad go-kart racing. As the celebration of a friend’s birthday continued well into the night it soon became that make or break moment - to rock or not to rock - that was the question.

I decided to stick with my initial commitment, and I’m so glad I did. Not only did it open up a new rock venue on my radar, it also got me to watch a band I’d heard a lot about from friends.

And so I went from being covered in paint and mud to dashing through to Melville to see if I could still remember where the eclectic suburb was!

I arrived in the nick of time, paid a reasonable cover charge, made a beeline for the Amstel, and whipped out my inferior looking camera. I only say inferior because there were a number of large-lensed shot-takers who made my little Sony rather embarrassed. However, what my digi lacks in size and sophistication, she certainly makes up for in compactness - you’d never know I had a camera if I didn’t bring it out.

I then attempted to flash-blind the band by snapping away from all angles to try and get those perfect shots. As always, you can get your pics of sweaty guys holding their instruments here.

As for the band, they rocked. They have a sound that is heavy in parts, lighter in other places and extremely tight throughout. Loads of spit and polish have been used by these guys to get their tracks just right. I was really impressed by their sound offering. When listening closely (and at Trailer Park it’s *real close*) you could hear strains of other SA rock bands’ influence coming through, but not so much as to stop Myepic from keeping their own unique sound. And to top it off - they have fun on stage.

The crowd was mostly rocking, a little unresponsive in parts, but generally loving every moment of Myepic’s set. As the band played their energy filtered through the crowd, ensuring maximum entertainment value.

Beer price: R10+ (I was distracted by the beautiful girls behind the bar)

Quality of sound: 9.0

Rockstar rating: 9.0

Overall rating: 9.0

Tags: 52weeks, Myepic, band, rock, music, SouthAfricaMusic, SouthAfricanRockMusic, Melville, TrailerPark

Why 52weeks? ‘cos I get to design my own business cards!

Ah, yes, it’s that time of the week when I belatedly try and update you with what has been happening in the world of SA 52weeks rock.

I finally got to see Love Jones! I’d first seen them on mk89 and was holding out, waiting for them to move their asses from Durban and come up to the real city of rock - Pretoria, and lo and behold, that is exactly what they did!

It looked to be a quiet gig at Cafe Barcelona - the weather was cold, the turnout poor, but fortunately, Love Jones is anything but quiet. They have a pop/rock sound that, as described on Love Jones’ myspace page, resembles the Foo Fighters (fortunately a much better looking lead singer!) mixed up with a touch of Avril Lavigne and even Alanis Morisette. Their performance is energetic and solid. Ms Jones leads the group like a pro, playing with her voice and expressing the song through her body and face to make a riveting, entertaining performance. Watching Esjay strut her funkiness is a real treat - she has charisma and style second to none.

The band has some solid riffs, tight guitar and excellent variations in tempo to keep the music interesting. Their songs are the type of music you just want to listen to over and over and over…

You can listen to a couple of their tracks on their myspace page, or download a couple of samples here.
Personally, I went one better and bought the album direct from the band, harassing them for signatures later to turn it into a cool collector’s piece.

They’re a funky, upbeat, happy band - easy to approach and interested in their fans. Treat yourself! Hunt Love Jones down and watch them play.

Beer price: R10

Quality of sound: 9.0

Rockstar rating: 9.5

Overall rating: 9.1

Tags: LoveJones, band, rock, pop, music, 52weeks, SouthAfricanRockMusic, SouthAfricaMusic, Durban, Pretoria, CafeBarcelona

Why 52Weeks? ‘cos there’s only forward time travel.

There’s something big growing in South African rock music, the revival is on in a big way. The proof? Well, how about seeing two of the old-skool SA rock bands playing gigs in one weekend? The first revival was Leek in a reunion gig alongside Fuzigish, the Slashdogs and My Favourite Weapon on Friday at the Blues Room. The second event was Jo Day, the unofficial SA rock princess queen playing at Zeplins on Saturday.

When there’s this much variety on offer in one weekend, you know things are exploding on the scene. And I love it.

But let’s forget about the revivals for a moment and concentrate on one of the bands who were more instrumental in help force this revolution – The Slashdogs.

Keeping in the style of indie New York rock ‘n roll, the Slashdogs are upbeat and distinct. The lead singer’s voice belongs in a metal band, but the combination of his voice and the world class guitar work brings their style of indie rock to a very different, very South African place.

They throw in a “better than average drummer too, which gets your feet tapping and your adrenalin soaring”, as Mr Idol (aka PSSB), who also attended the gig, explains.

The Slashdogs know their focus – entertainment – and so they work brilliantly at getting everyone psyched. They unabashedly play to the crowd’s delight.

As far as style and rock star attitude go, they have a sweet fashion sense that just works – when you hear these guys you don’t actually care what threads they’re wearing. They’re there to rock, and rock they do.

Beer price: Why does the Blues Room always run out of Amstel?

Quality of sound: 10.0

Rockstar rating: 9.0

Overall rating: 9.0

Tags: Slashdogs, 52Weeks, band, rock, rocknroll, guitar, SouthAfricanMusic, SouthAfricanRockMusic, BluesRoom, Johannesburg

Why 52Weeks? It’s better than Snakes on a Plane.