FREE

Writers / contributors: Ryno De Lange, Nic Owen, Cara Jacobs, Liny Kruger, Ice Carstens, Gwen Synergy, Music Junkie Photographers: Curt Lottring, Media Monster, Keli Van Der Weijde, Arno Kruger, Nic Owen, Pierre Rommelare, Jacques Greyling Cover Photography: Eldavinn Davids - DK WORX Printing: Spectrum Print Editor: Nic Owen Design and Layout: Nic Owen General Magazine Queries: nivamag@nivarecords.com Advertising Related Queries: nowen@nivarecords.com Send Your Contributions and Articles to: nivamag@nivarecords.com Disclaimer: The views expressed in Niva Magazine are not necessarily those of Niva Magazine, it’s editor, or it’s advertisers. No parts of this magazine may be edited or reproduced without consent from Niva Magazine.

2

The summer vibes are on the way with the festival circuit gearing up to give us some of the best local and international acts that our country has ever seen. Synergy, Rock the River, Up The Creek & Ramfest...We are really spoilt for choices this summer season, so be sure to get your festival tickets soon! On another note, I have been getting a little frustrated with the scene of late. There are just far too many individuals that don't seem to understand the fundamentals of the music scene. I am growing tired of hearing everybody complaining, but nobody seems to have what it takes to make a change. In my opinion, if the Cape Town music scene joined hands, and worked together, we would be able to achieve what we all know we want - s successful industry that will allow our music to prosper instead of being forgotten. I hope you enjoy this months edition! :) Nic Owen

4

Zoid returns to her roots with this long-awaited full length

album which is written entirely in Afrikaans.

With various awards and nominations under her belt, Karen Zoid

shows with ZOID AFRIKA why she has reached icon-status over

the past 10 years of her career. Her personality growth is tangible

in her music and the album contains soulful love songs as well as

hard rock numbers. Zoid, who has never avoided social commen-

tary, has also included a couple of tracks with satirical and politi-

cal undertones.

Cape Town based Indie rockers Reburn recently

released their much anticipated single entitle ‘No Other

Place’ . The track has been making some waves in the

scene having attracted over 500 listens on Sound Cloud

on the release weekend, as well as peaking at #1 on

Bush Radio. I am personally looking forward to hearing

this track on the likes of 5FM and KFM.. Ya’ll dig?

Mike Pocock - Manager of Dance, You’re on Fire, Newtown Knife

Gang, City of Heroes - has released to the music scene that

he will no longer be involved at Southern Pulse for the future.

Mike has done a lot of work with Niva, and we

would like to wish him all of the best for his future, and

thank him for all of his dedicated hard work in the name

of promoting and growing SA rock music.

You rock bro!! :)

For one night only, Crashcarburn

presents ‘Gravity’: The launch of

the bands highly anticipated third

studio album! This unique event,

hosted by Numetro’s flagship

il Grande Cinema at Monte Casino, will premiere a

short film documenting over a decade of the bands history. The event will also feature a live

band performance of tracks from the brand new album. Cape Town fans can be happy to know

that there may just be an album launch tour hitting up the city at the end of February 2013.

One river, three stages, four days, loads of music and comedy and festival goers with a passion for some of South Africa`s best music in common – get ready for Up the Creek 2013 brought to you by 4th Street. At Up the Creek everyone comes together. From 31st

January to 3rd February, the usually quiet campsite close to Swellendam will once again be transformed into a slightly surreal spot of revelry, raging rock and soulful tunes, performances from another planet and shenanigans of the type you can only pull off when you`re safely tucked in next to the mighty Breede River for four days. No VIP nonsense. No pretence. No cliques. Just a beautiful river; three epic stage; thirty awesome live bands and some of our country’s coolest comedy acts. Pull in on Thursday 31st January for a chilled out preview gig at the Rolling Stone SA stage. You can choose the best spot for your tent and kick start the weekend`s carousing so that the place is cooking by the time your friends arrive. The line up for Up the Creek 2013 is going to be nothing short of fantastic and will be announced in November 2012. In typical Up the Creek tradition we will be running live music on 3 stages throughout the weekend: The 4th Street Main Stage, the MK River Stage and the all night long Rolling Stone SA stage. But remember, we will be running only one stage at at time, so that you don’t miss out on your favourite acts. Think about it, where else can you float on a river, headbang to sick, soulful rocking tunes and sip on a Titanic. (Up the Creek`s special signature cocktail. So remember it doesn’t matter if you have big biceps or skinny jeans, or an ironic moustache, or a non-ironic one, at Up the Creek you can be yourself. And get together. Courtesy Liny Kruger

By Nic Owen

Mr Cat & The Jackal is a unique five piece multi-instrumental group often described as experimental acoustic folk whilst exploring blues, tango, pirate, Balkan and Irish themes. With a circus of sounds created by foreign and handmade instruments – their live performance calls for a complete theatrical experience. The band formed in 2006, originally devoted to writing musical scores for theatre productions. They received a KANNA nomination for their work in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ (Die Storm, KKNK), and a ‘Fiesta’ award nomination at Aardklop in 2010 for the soundtrack of ‘Die Kortsondige Raklewe van Anasasia W’ composed with Braam du Toit - to mention only a few of the projects MCATJ also compose for. Their debut album, Themes and Variations, was released in November 2007. Since then the band has been touring Southern Africa repeatedly and kept on refining their craft through

Photo by Keli Van Der Weijde

Photo by Arno Kruger

commandeering festivals and entertaining audienc-es at every venue available. In March 2011, MCATJ released their much anticipated second studio al-bum, Sins & Siren Songs, to raving reviews and critical acclaim. The group spends its time in their studio writing, inventing and building instruments and song struc-tures. Gertjie, Jacques, Pierre, JC and Johan all come from diverse musical backgrounds and aim to one day spread their Galilean gospel like galigaskan wearing fools on a galiot with a game plan. Niva Magazine got talking with the band to bring you this exclusive interview: Who does what in Mr Cat? Gertjie: Bouzouki, Guitar, Accordion & lead vocals. Jacques: Lapslide, Bouzouki, guitar, saw & vocals. Pierre: High percussion, & vocals. Johan: Low per-cussion, & vocals. JC: Bass & vocals. The band has a very unique sound which simply glides through so many different genre’s and vibes. How did the concept for mcatj come about? Gertjie and Jacques started composing music for theatre in 2005 (they still do today) and decided to expand more on the idea of musical entertainment for live audiences and over the next three years acquired the other three band members to help play all the necessary elements in music live and in the studio. This has morphed into quite a audio/visual beast. Does mcatj still put any focus on writing musical scores for theatre productions? Yes. We've expanded into TV and film too. Bur our heart is with live performance associated with thea-tre. Its something quite different to keep an audi-ence that sits in front of you engrossed in an audito-ry landscape - as opposed to writing a 3sec loop for a logo to appear before the advertisements. The band has had a successful couple of years in the music scene, having toured Southern Africa, been nominated for a healthy number of awards, and released 2 great albums. What up until now has been the bands headline moment? Could you describe the emotions at this mo-ment? There have been some highlights when it comes to success in awards or big shows, but its not always as fulfilling as playing a super special show in front of 30 people in a small town in the middle of no-where. I think every body has memories of some a special moment, arriving on tour at a truly strange magical place, or that time, just once, where a

particular song had such a tangible feeling. And when you realize the audience is as amazed and excited as you are, you feel elated. That's a really powerful drug! I’m sure people are looking forward to a mcatj summer tour, anything in the pipe line? We're finalizing a shortish tour along the East Coast. And of course doing shows in our backyard, but right now, MCATJ is focusing on the new material for our third album. We want to release our first single: "THE END OF DAYS" before the 21st of December 2012. Hence the very tongue in cheek cover shoot. What are Mr Cat’s views on the SA music scene? Its growing. Its also fragmented. There are so many cultures and languages and genres in this little country. There's a lot of hope and a lot of demons cruising around. I guess its like any business environment. But there is help all over. If you are original and committed, you can 'make' it. A lot of hard work has been done by other bands and artists that have forged our industry, thank the Spaghetti Monster for that. There’s obviously a good amount of local emerging artists and bands that are struggling to get recognised in the scene. If you could give these guys some advice, what would it be, and why? Don't take the brown acid. Or do. I don't know. If you are going to stick to some formula, there will be your antidote. But if you are unique, maybe the audience gets drunk on you. Go intoxicate your audience. Interview by Nic Owen

Sins & Siren Songs In March 2011, MCATJ launched Sins & Siren Songs in Cape Town. The album was recorded at the Fresh Meat Studio in Durbanville, produced by MCATJ and Abrie du Plessis and mixed and mastered by Darryl Torr. The first single from the album, namely ‘The devil always wants to dance’, was play listed on radio stations na-tionwide and the video for the single, directed by Thom-as Fereira from 187, reached nr. 6 on the MK Top 10 Music Video chart. The song was also chosen as one of Music Reviews’ Top Ten Hot Local Tracks.

Keep in touch with Mr Cat & The Jackal: http://www.mrcatandthejackal.com

https://www.facebook.com/mrcatandthejackal http://www.twitter.com/MCATJ

“The band’s mixture of percussion and string in-struments places the listener somewhere in be-tween a circus and a late 1900s’ vaudeville show, where girls are dancing in bustle skirts and flirta-tious bust lines and the bearded lady gestures be-hind the curtain for the delightfully sinful show that is Mr Cat & The Jackal.” – Anna Helland, The Big Issue

8

BAND AID SA: ‘CHANGE THEIR WORLD WITH MUSIC 2012’ CHALLENGE BAND AID SA is proud to announce the ‘Change their world with Music 2012’ concert in their challenge campaign to create awareness and raise funds for the HOPEHIV Foundation UK. BAND AID SA is a unique and inspiring collaboration of music industry professionals, led by Sean Young, in creating concerts and events that will generate financial support for the HOPEHIV Foundation UK and other such organisations. A concert, “Change their World with Music” is to be held on the 10th of November, at Zula Sound Bar in Cape Town, in great support of this worthy cause. HOPEHIV was founded on a challenge that they initiated by handing out $10 dollar notes and challenging people to turn them into $100. The 10/10 challenge raised approximately $2 million. Today,

HOPEHIV is assisting 50 000 children through 40 partner organisations in 400 communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. While attending a conference in Miami, Sean Young was presented with this challenge by the founder of HOPEHIV, Phil Wall. This has been the motivation for the newest concert on the 2012 calendar. The initiative will be aimed at dramatically increasing the $10 given to Sean while enjoying some of SA’s most popular bands and DJ’s, such as McCree, Saintfear-less, Reburn, Thought Police, Tony Finger and Dino Moran to name a few. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the HOPEHIV Foundation. Sean Young explains, “HOPEHIV (UK) is about the generation of hope, and Band Aid SA was founded in support of their and others amazing and selfless efforts toward improving the lives of those on our continent. My fellow band members, Band Aid SA collaborators and I absolutely believe that we can affect, shape and even change our world with music, having found inspiration and proof of this in the ef-forts of Bono (Co-Founder of the ONE Campaign), Bob Geldof (LiveAid & Live8) and Phil Wall of HO-PEHIV to name a few.” If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Sean Young, please call Anthea Poole at 084 831 5307 or email Anthea at anthea@coreconsulting.co.za. Find them on Facebook and Twitter by searching for Band Aid SA

Red Tape Riot is a 4 piece indie dance group with a dedicated following, particularly after the release of their debut single ‘Love is a Feeling’. On the 9th of November 2012 they will be launching their brand new video for this popular single directed by the very talented Ryan Kruger. Niva Magazine got hold of these indie rockers to get to know them better. You guys only materialised at the start of this year, walk us through your journey thus far? Rubin and I were in a band called Overgraze together. Once the band split up we decided to start something new, something fresh, something with a more energetic sound. I knew Bosko’s guitar style from his 3 years in The Beams, and I knew it would be a good fit. So I went to Narona (his restaurant in town) and asked him to jam with us. We needed a drummer to finish the line-up and after about 4 or 5 auditions we found Marc, and Red Tape Riot was formed. We launched in July of this year and released our single ‘Love is a Feeling’ in August. It is currently being played on about 8 or 9 small stations in SA, and it won ‘My Treffer’ on the Fresh Drive on 5FM three weeks ago. We shot the video for the single and the launch is in just over a week. And that’s pretty much how we got to this point. People seem to really love your single “Love is a Feeling”. Tell us a bit more about the track. That’s an interesting story…Love is a Feeling kind of ‘arrived’ more than it was written. I was testing my amp at the beginning of practice, played a few chords and 20 minutes later we had a song

that we felt was a winner. The meaning is based on personal experience and it talks about moving forward and leaving certain things behind. What do you consider your biggest accomplish-ment to date? Getting played on the 5FM Fresh Drive and winning that week’s Treffer with ‘96% hot’. Also shooting our music video was a great moment. But the best mo-ments are always at shows. Gigs are what we do this for. Upcoming gigs we can look forward to? We are having our Video Launch for ‘Love is a Feeling’ at Carnival Court on the 9th of November 2012. 10th of November we’ll be rocking Zula for ‘Change their World with Music’ and thereafter you can also catch us at Nameless Pub on the 16th in Somerset West or Aandklas in Stellenbosch on the 20th. We are also ex-cited to play the Christmas party at Dizzy’s in Camps Bay 21 December. Otherwise just keep an eye on our events page on www.redtaperiot.co.za What can we expect from Red Tape Riot in the fu-ture? A national tour this summer season, a new single and video by January, and an EP by early next year. But our main aim is to fine tune our live performance more and more each time we play. As our long term goal we also have plans to travel abroad to play gigs in Europe. Interview by Ice Carstens

www.facebook.com/RedTapeRiotBand

www.redtaperiot.co.za

The Sirens of Greek Mythology were renowned for their beautiful and enchanting music. In fact their songs were so enchanting that it would lure nearer all who heard it. And the South African music scene has many talented artists who create music that could surely rival that of these ancient creatures. And yet many bands still struggle to lure in the crowds as the Sirens lured in sailors. This has not gone unnoticed by those in the industry and 2 young entrepreneurs have taken it upon themselves to do something about it. After many years in the music industry, and after suffering through these troubles themselves, they feel it’s time something is done to further grow and build up the already burgeoning talent in this country. Their focus will be the protection of talented musicians, already struggling in an industry filled with those who do nothing but exploit young artists. Siren Music & Productions will rather support these artists through booking and organizing successful shows to showcase the talent, because when young, talented musicians are exposed to the public in the right ways, the industry grows, and everyone benefits. So join the Siren team, where future stars rise. Siren Music & Productions long with Mercury live hosts an event called "The Perfect Circle" every second month in Cape Town. The concept for these shows:

The Perfect Circle are Semi-Unplugged/Acoustic shows. The events are pretty and intimate. We like to target South African rock bands that don’t usually put on big acoustic sets. The show aims at not only being pleasing on the ears but also visually interesting. We move the stage into the middle of the upstairs area in Mercury allowing for a more intimate semi-seated show. As far as the alterations to the venue is concerned, we carpet the upstairs area, bring in candles and tables to create a more ambient feel to the venue as well as customized set design and lighting to the stage itself. The first event took place on the 23rd June at Mercury Live and was a great success. Our first show had Evelyn Hart, Fox Comet & When Karma Sleeps. The second event which took place on the 22nd it had BEAST (Inge Beckmans new project), Woodstock Mafia and Glenhartman Music. The show once again was an amazing success. The next show is booked for the 17th November. The show has 2011 SA Idols winner David Van Vuuren coming down from JHB and singer song writer Shannon Hope from Durban. For added entertainment they have also included comedian Gareth Woods to the line-up. For any added information regarding Siren Music & Productions find them on Facebook. or email sirenmp@yahoo.com Courtesy Megan Karma

11 CONFIRMED ARTISTS

Van Coke Kartel, The Rudimentals, Hog Hoggidy Hog, Taxi Violence, Sabre-tooth, Reburn, Half Price, Fox Comet, Zebra and Giraffe, Wrestlerish, Gangs of Ballet, 7th Son, Ashtray Electric, Goodnight Wembley, LARK (electro), Mr Cat & the Jackal, Woodstock Mafia, The Vodun Haunts, Crossfire Collision, The Sleepers, Junkyard Lipstick, Jackal & Wolf, Fingers in the Sky, Boombox Troopers, The Jackanory Boyz, Black Moscow, Beloved (JHB), Fax Police, Geheime Skaduwee, September in a day, Silent Sneakers (PT), Soldier, The Mysticcs, Lucy Kruger, Red Tape Riot, Chromium (JHB), Enmity, Wildernessk-ings, Forgive us Not, Megalodon, Marching Dead, Octainium (JHB), War-grave, Mora Mortem, Bulletscript, Saints Method (JHB), Zombies Ate my Girlfriend, All Guns Full Amo, Past Haunts, with many more to still be announced!

They say the early bird catches the worm and with the warp speed at which this year has been hurtling by so far, it seems like a good idea to get holiday plans done and dusted before the vacationing masses descend. Good news: there is no need to fret about securing a venue for a New Year’s party, we’ve got you covered! Rock the River SA is fast becoming Cape Town’s premier New Year’s destination, and with good reason – the festival provides a crazy entertainment line-up at a convenient location close to Cape Town and for a reasonable price. After the sell-out success of RTR SA 2011/12, the team put their heads together, buckled down and managed to go above and beyond the call of duty in lining up an even more impressive range of artists and entertainers to usher in the new year. Visit the event page on Facebook to stay up to date with the latest Rock the River news, or to buy tickets. This years Rock the River is gearing up to top all previous events, so don’t miss the worm - be an early bird and get your tickets soon! Courtesy Ice Carstens

Photo by Eldavinn Davids

Photo by Media Monster

Eurice Van Zijl and Tian Nell have teamed up from the practice room of Die Seisoen Na Somer, to bring their listeners something fresh and vibey in the form of their new English project called Johnny Allstar. I sat down with Eurice and asked him a couple of questions about the new project and some of the emotions behind it.

How was Johnny Allstar born? “Well, we had this idea floating around for quite a while. Seisoen did pretty well for about 5 years, but most of the guys have moved onto other things, even though we are all still best mates. Tian and I felt that we could still make music together for the love and passion of it, even though life has so many other things on offer”. What are the emotions behind this project? “We write about anything - our lives, love, God, disappointments etc. We don’t want to restrict ourselves to a single genre, but instead do whatever comes to mind. There is also no rush for us to accomplish anything by any given time. We are already accomplished within ourselves, and jamming on my stoep at night is sometimes what its all about” Are you planning to keep this project as a recorded project, or will we Johnny Allstar performing some time soon? “For now it will remain as a recorded band instead of a live band, but we are planning some good shows for 2013. We are not in a hurry for anything amazing to happen, we are doing this for the fun and for the love of art. Between Tian and I, we have a lot of material that we will be putting together in studio, as well as give our fans a couple of videos, which will be coming really soon”.

Photos by Jacques Greyling

Synergy Live can confirm the inclusion of the British Punk Rock / dance act , The Prodigy as the headliner for the much anticipated Synergy Live 2012. The band will be performing at Theewaterskloof Dam - Villiersdorp, Cape Town on Friday 30th November and Riversands Farm, Fourways Johannesburg on Saturday 1st December 2012. The winners of two Brit Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards to name but a few set world stages alight with their big beat, electric rock and punk infused sound. From the early 1990’s The Prodigy stormed the world's festivals, headlining stages usually reserved for the rock establishment and walked like Gods where other press-friendly artists feared to tread and dance artists were previously uninvited. Hits like ‘Firestarter’, ‘Breathe’ and ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ dominated the airwaves and firmly cemented that The Prodigy was a force to be reckoned with.

Named ‘The Greatest Dance Act of All Time’ by Miximag 2012, The Prodigy returned to their 'old school but cutting edge roots’ on their 2009 album Invaders Must Die, the album charted at number one in the UK and Australia blowing away all their previ-ous albums. Hits like Omen, Warriors Dance and Take Me to the Hospital enjoyed rotation on 5FM spawning a whole new generation of The Prodigy fans. With the much awaited sixth album ‘How To Steal A Jet Fighter’ anticipated for release in 2013, The Prodigy has delivered time and time again, with SA fans eagerly awaiting the band’s captivating return performance on home soil. Local support features some of the best talent in South Africa bringing together all genres in one festival across four stages with sounds from The Narrow, Desmond & The Tutus, Beast, Prime Circle, Jack Parow, The Rudimentals, Fuzigish, The Plas-tics to P.H.Fat, Haezer, Audiophile021, Kennedy, Bruce Willis, Mix n Blend, Chris Jack, George Daniel and Christian Tiger School. Courtesy Gwen Synergy

The first of its kind, The Cape Town World Music Festival will be an accessible inner-city music festival showcasing the best in World Music in a format that is crafted to enlighten, entertain and engage. There is nothing like change! The world music festival is a shift in the traditional festival model, and sets itself off in the pursuit of beauty through variety. With a line up of local and international musicians representing a wide variety of world, Nu world, experimental and alternative music, we are aiming to facilitate an experience where audience members leave inspired, connected and perhaps fans of something they have never heard before. This festival is designed to accommodate all types of music lovers, the serious, the curious

14.2 Tunes Studio opened its doors on the 1st of March 2010 after Jean Marais and Hartwig Holtzhausen laid the ground work for this venture. Jean graduated at the University of Stellenbosch in 2008 and after a year of applying for jobs, he decided to start his own business in co-operation with Hartwig. At the time Hartwig also finished studying and was unemployed and he therefore fitted the profile of an alliance to start the business with Jean. Since both Jean and Hartwig had a long history of composing and performing music, they had the equipment, knowledge, and skill to create an environment where musicians could rehearse and improve their music. However the early days of this venture was no walk in the park. As for any young business, the studio took a while to become known by the musicians, but the Stellenbosch music community contributed in getting the word out by

and the fun loving, and promises a unique weekend in the city, which is guaranteed to delight. Spanning from Harrington Square to the Assembly and the Mahogany Room, the festival will feature: a main day/night live music stage with both local and international artists, a day time free stage, an intimate acoustic/listening space and a late night Nu World dance stage featuring the best of world dance music. The festival will also host a series of music and industry workshops as a build up to the main event, as well as host a day time local craft market, food stalls and bars on event days. Beanstalk stage: Oliver 'Tuku' Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe), Bholoja (Swaziland), Boom Pam (Israel), DJ Click Band (France), Freshlyground (CPT), Adamu (Angola/CPT), Sylvestre Kabassidi (Congo/CPT), Dirty Bounce (CPT), The Brother Moves On (JHB), Zaki Ibrahim Get your tickets from: www.webtickets.co.za, Gypsy Kalk Bay - 021 788 6802 or, Gypsy Long Street - 021 424 2994

regularly booking the studio and thus attracted more people to this new found rehearsal facility. The Tunes team also constantly marketed the facility which helped to ensure growing clientele. Tunes Studio has up to date accommodated a couple of big names in the South African music industry with the likes of Karen Zoid, Valiant Swart, Riaan Nieuwenhuis, Mind Assault, Third World Spectator and The Pretty Blue Guns to name but a few. The studio started expanding their services in mid-2011 by adding recording services, workshops, live sound, music lessons, gigs for young and upcoming bands, and retailing musical accessories and instruments, courtesy of Paul Bothner Music. Unfortunately Hartwig had to leave the partnership in March 2012 and move to Johannesburg due to unforeseen circumstances and Tunes therefore could no longer continue doing live sound and recordings. Luckily Jean managed to introduce reference rehearsal recordings to the facility. This serves as a great way of doing pre-production for a studio album and also helps the musicians to constantly improve their skills because it is believed that the greatest level of improvement can be achieved when a musician reflects on his work by being able to listen to his own rehearsals. In April 2012 Tunes Studio moved to a new premises in Plankenburg. A bit further down in Bridge Street from the old premises, the new facility is much larger than the old studio and this definitely attracted a wider range of musicians. A definite upward curve in bookings was observed after relocating to a larger premises and introducing rehearsal membership contracts. These contracts enable musicians to book more rehearsal time at a lower rate. Tunes Studio is currently busy investigating the possibility of offering studio recordings and expanding their music lessons by adding teaching of other instruments besides drums. Tunes Studio has contributed to the Helderberg areas’ music scene in a number of ways. The main contributing factors being: On the one hand helping to develop the already existing music scene by creating the availability of a rehearsal facility and, on the other hand, fostering a musical culture in the sense that new bands and musical projects were formed because of the availability of rehearsal space. Courtesy Jean Marais

Saturday 20 October was a night not to be missed by Stellenbosch rock fans, as it was Niva’s 2nd b-day event which hosted a potent line up of 7th Son, Dead Lucky, De Wallen, Four a Penny and The Man Motels. The weather on the night could have been compared to a hooker on steroids, but I was glad to see that a little bit of cold and wet weather wasn't going to keep rock fanatics away from this gig. The Man Motels kicked off the event at around 9pm to a small but lively crowd, doing what they do best, which is keeping punk alive. The band played a very short set to accommodate the rest of the line up, but did not disappoint the crowd by keeping things fresh and lively with upbeat tunes and a killer stage presence. This is definitely a band to keep your eyes focused on as they grow in the local scene. Next up saw the hard rockers from Four a Penny hit the stage. Armed with big amps and a Province shirt, the band was here to prove a point after successfully dropping a few new tracks recently, as well as being confirmed to perform at Ramfest next

Photo courtesy Tunes Studio

year in March. Four a Penny put on a very solid performance, although it seemed like some of the crowd were not too keen on the genre, as FAP were the hardest band on the night. With that said, if you are into powerful hard rock, Four a Penny will rock your socks off with killer breakdowns, as well as one of the best screams I have heard in a long time! I feel that Four a Penny are on the right track to making things happen for their band, although I do believe that they should have played a later slot. 3rd on the line up was a band that has been making some waves as they work their way into the local scene. They go by the name of De Wallen, and although I haven't seen them perform before, these boys seem to understand one thing, and that’s Rock n Roll! It is always satisfying to see new up and coming bands who are able to deliver an outstanding musical performance, as well as carry their message through in their awesome and energetic stage presence. Even though De Wallen were the youngest band on the line up, I am confident in saying that their performance was the best of the night! Do yourself a favour, and make a plan to see these guys jam soon! Dead Lucky hit the stage second last on the night, and showed new and old fans just why we like to call them ‘the dirty little bastards of rock n roll’. The band hosted a very high energy on stage even though their drummer was apparently playing with a fractured hand. I don't know these guys personally, but from what I picked up from their performance, they just seem to be having a super good time on stage, and seem like the kind of band that doesn't care where they play, as long as they have a crowd who are willing to get a little dirty with them. I was overall very impressed with the bands set, and they set a perfect mood for 7th Son to end off the night, although it was already pretty late. Once again, just like the 29th of September at Zula Bar, I feel that 7th Son were put on stage a little too late. Although the band put on an entertaining performance, I cant help to think that if they were on earlier, they would have had a bigger crowd with a bit more energy. With the band having worked with Jay Bones from Fuzigish on their last album, they are nothing less than pure A grade when it comes down to understanding which end is up. These guys know which end is up, and for them that seems to be kicking out some big ska jams, and having a good time on stage. Its always nice to see a band that are true to who they are, and don't really give a fuck what your opinions are. Overall, De Wallen was my band of the entire night! The event was well run, the bands were amazing, and there was most definitely no other place in town that could have given you a party like Niva’s 2nd b-day. By Music Junkie

The World of Birds Sanctuary is the largest independent sanctuary in Africa, and is in desperate need of contributions and funding to continue with their amazing and crucial wildlife preservation. Rocking for Feathers is an initiative driven by the Cape Town music scene and various sponsors in an effort to assist The World of Birds Sanctuary with much needed donations. Do your part in supporting this cause by joining us on 17 November at Zula Bar in Cape Town. The event begins at 8pm and will play host to 9 Cape Town bands and artists who support this cause. The event cost is R50, with all of the proceeds going towards The World of Birds Sanctuary. On arrival you will receive a free shot and a raffle ticket to stand a chance of winning prizes through the night courtesy of our sponsors - Wildfire Tattoo’s, Sgt Pepper, &Union, Dizzy’s, World of Birds, Ratanga Junction & Up The Creek Music Festival. Rocking for Feathers is: 20:00 Andy Lund 20:45 3 Blind Jelly Fish 21:20 Th’ Damned Crows 22:05 Jon Savage 22:50 Thought Police 23:35 McCree 00:20 Dogtown 01:05 Doggy and the Outlaws 01:50 The Kiffness Courtesy Cara Jacobs

Four individuals born a generation late came together in the twilight of 2011 to form what is now known as De Wallen. Hailing from the Suburbs of Sexy these gents set out with one goal in mind, to make some hard-hitting-dirty-talking-panty-droppin’-sexy-ass Rock and Roll. They are now a family of five thanks to the addition of guitar-god, Justen “Fancy-Fingers”Hosken. With their arsenal of Old-School Riff-Rock they intend to remind the masses of those three forgotten commandments of real music: Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll.

reviews saying that the band has an amazing stage presence as well as an infectious passion. Where does this passion come from? What areas of you lives drove the band to make this sort of music? Is there a deeper connection to the music we hear? The Passion definitely comes out of a sense of anxie-ty. All of us grew up having been exposed to Sab-bath, Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and other gods of rock. Pop culture and pop music just does not speak to us and decided that we should take up arms and wave the flag of Riff-Rock. We had to sneak into venues, week after week to go and see local acts such as Pretty Blue guns, Taxi Violence and The Narrow because there was a burning desire to experi-ence the energy that rock and roll has to offer. The power and Drive behind our music comes from the belief that, even though the Golden Age of Rock and Roll might have passed, living a life according to Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll still sounds pretty damn good. To us, that is the dream worth fighting and dying for. The band is getting some recognition, playing some good slots and turning a few heads at the moment. What is the bands main accomplish-ments up until now, and where does the band see things going for 2013 and beyond?

How and when did the band get together and start jamming? The Band was started in November with the first 2 mem-bers, JeandreSwanepoel and DawidBosman. Pieter Bekker was the third Musketeer on board. The band started gigging in January of 2012 with Bassist Ruan-Britz. We continued hitting the scene as a four piece, playing all the local hotspots. August saw the band morph into its current line-up consisting of JeandreSwa-nepoel on Vocals, Pieter “Pretty-Boy” Bekker on the Guitar, Brandon Bell on the Bass, Justen ‘Fancy-Fingers’ Hosken and Davey Jones Bosman on Drums. Being true to rock & roll vibes, De Wallen has been putting on some amazing shows of late, with most

Photo by Curt Lottring

We have been playing a lot of gigs at different venues and festivals, which in this day and age is an accomplishment already! Our first single and music video is being discussed and finalized. We hope to have the single out before Christmas and the video, well, as soon as we can. Our aim for 2013 and beyond is to conquer the world! We want to play big shows and festivals in SA and then branch out abroad. Ambitious we know, but we believe in Sexy Rock ‘n Roll! Where can your new fans keep up to date with your upcoming gig listings? At this point Facebook and Twitter, @dewallenband. Our website is being revamped to be as sexy as we are! In 10 words, describe your band to your new fans. Ladies…Gents... Rock is once again about to get Sexy! By Nic Owen

In this months metal review I will be taking a peak back in time at an earlier album release, as there are so many excellent albums that I cant pass the opportunity to write about. I decided that I would review one of my favourite local albums to have been brought out in 2012, Sindulgence’s Recollections album. At times it is hard to find words to describe the elation I get when listening to some of our local artist albums. At times I do not know were to start, listening to Sindulgence Recollections album gives me satisfaction that I find only happens seldom when it comes to listening to an entire album cover to cover. I know I can go on and on about how good Sindulgences music is and how talented they are, yet it would not help the fans acquire an idea of what to expect from the album and what it offers. Holding the cover in my hands I can see that the Sin boys went out of their way to impress. A professional and very eye pleasing front cover of a broken clock depicting the albums concept; a look back through the ages at society and the human race, how history repeats itself in some ways and in others does not, a focus on the unjust of those in power and the elite with the occasional story of a mass murderer hidding in the woods. Flipping through the booklet the eyes are spoiled with stunning art work with all the lyrics are laid out neatly through the booklet. Sindulgence went through great lengths to have their début album release one of a kind and as professional and close to international standard as possible. Now I have admired the album cover and presentation of the album, which is rather important, I can now move onto the music. I have owned my copy of Recollections since it was first released in June and it has become one of my proudest items in my local music collection, for various reasons yet one of the main reasons is that the album is in fact that brilliant, the band thought of everything they possibly needed to think off ,to blow their fans away, the lay out of the song, the manner in which songs flow into each other and all sorts of small details that has made this album as special as it is, as many other albums lack the small details. Sindulgence do not hold themselves to any specific genre nor do they label themselves as a certain genre, they have a wide spectrum of music influences. Blending old and new school influences with some various other music styles. The band creates a music journey for the listener, the lyrics and instrumental blend into a soundtrack of euphoria. Recollections maintains a constant atmosphere throughout the album, dwelling into the strange quite often with pac man like solo’s, whaling guitar wah’s, some blues licks and really a bit of everything from everywhere. The band consists of the tight constructive drumming of Michael Snyman, iron man growls of Muller Van Niekerk, swift motions of Rodney Dossons, bass grooves of Byron Dinwoodie and the odd muse of Ryan Eberlin. Sindulgence Recollections is quality; it has the entire ingredient a metal album needs. (Continues on page 20)

In this months metal corner I have decided to spice things up a hell of a lot by adding an interview to each months edition, and what better way to do so then to go balls to the walls with Cape’s most relentless and unforgiving metal act to have been cut lose from the local metal scenes umbilical cord, Zombies Ate My Girlfriend. I had the pleasure of interviewing Zombies front man Adriano Rodrigues to find out what Zombies ate my Girlfriend is all about and what is their next move after their successful debut show at Metal4Africa’s Winterfest 12’.

An added bonus to the album is Sindulgence self pro-duced and directed home video documentary of the making off the Recollections album, the band was armed with a video camera through majority of their time in studio, as well as some footage of the band playing at various gigs, an explicit amount of pies and some very disturbing behind the scenes footage of killer bee's and Muller's body. Yet another mile stone for Sindulgence, the DVD was edited and filmed rea-sonably well for a home made DVD. It is entertaining and quite insightful, it gives the viewer a good idea of what bands have to endure to practice what they love doing most. The DVD also captures a bit of essence of South Africa. All in all it is an enjoyable experience. Sindulgence have surly out done themselves with this exceptionally good album release. By Ryno De Lange

Who is Zombies Ate My Girlfriend and what is the band all about? Adriano - Zombies ate my Girlfriend is myself and Louis Henn on guitars, Wesley Robb on bass, Ferdi Groe-newald on drums and Gavin Marchbank on vocals. The music is intense and groove driven, using melody and the lack thereof to add to that intensity. Zombies is all about raising the bar in the local metal scene and build-ing the scene towards the global status it deserves. When did the band form the siffness and how did it all begin? Adriano - I guess the band officially started in early 2010. I started writing the tracks for "Patient Zero" to-wards the end of my previous band "21st Century Trag-edy". At that stage they were pretty much sketched out but far from finished. I'd met Ferdi through gigging when he was still in "Day Turns Night" and became an instant fan when I saw his drumming. Day Turns Night split more or less the same time as "21st Century Tragedy" did so I asked him if he wanted to start Zombies with me. I played him the demo tracks I had and he was keen. We spent the next few months hooking up period-ically to work on the tracks. During all of that we started thinking about the line up. Wez was the first addition to the siff, my cousin and former 21st Century Tragedy and The Broken Result bassist he was the perfect can-didate. I think through Wez we got the idea to get Gavin from "Betray the Emissary". That and when I first met him he kinda greeted me with "dude, I have to write a song with you". If you know Betray you'll know Gav is a very talented guitarist/songwriter/performer. Finally we get to Louis Henn, good friend and fucking metal leg-end! We almost didn't get Louis on guitar which is ironic seeing as we had already recorded Patient Zero with him. He was busy getting stuck in with "Megalodon" at the time and I honestly thought he wouldn't be interest-ed. Luckily a chance meeting between Louis and Ferdi (yes booze was involved) solidified the Zombie line up and we were now ready to spread the disease. What is Zombies opinion on the South African metal scene and can you shed some light on the positive attributes? Adriano - We all share a very dedicated attitude towards the local metal scene. With all of us playing in metal bands since we were kids it's safe to say we're pretty invested in this scene. I think we've come a long way. I never understand when people bitch and moan about the scene, especially when they do nothing on their side to improve it. I think from a bands perspective a lot of

guys get frustrated because they have delusions of grandeur. It's the whole, "the bands gonna make it" mentality. Personally I think it’s the wrong way to go about it. This is the real underground; this is where we make fucking metal history in this country. I'd rather devote my time and energy to building the industry here than trying to get a piece of someone else's game overseas. What messages, stories and other out-look can one expect from Zombies lyrical content? Adriano - It's hard to tell. Lyrically I think Zombies will always have that melancholic tone to it. I like writing lyrics that capture that schizophrenic moment when going through intense emotions. When I finished writ-ing Robert Carlyle it ended up being riddled with con-tradictions but I think it sets the mood for getting that feeling of chaotic despair across. That is when the topic is very inward, but for Deathworm which is basi-cally a full on assault on religion it become very fo-cused with no room for chaos. As far as topics go I don't think we'll ever pigeon hole ourselves with only doing political or anti religious songs, it's all just pieces of the puzzle. It's always going to be deeply personal to the writer and firmly based on reality and personal experiences. While I am a fan of fantasy kings like “Cradle of Filth” and “Iron Maiden” it’s just not the route for Zombies. Tell the readers about some of the experiences the band members have endured during the bands active years? Adriano - To be honest I think we have our enduring days ahead of us for the moment. We haven't been gigging with Zombies for very long. Also you should ask Chris Hall from Infanteria this exact question. He told me a story about a very "outgoing" girl the other day that pretty much trumps any band story I've ever heard. So I'm not even going to try. For the more serious music fans and musicians tell us a bit about the process of writing material and a bit of music jargon. Who is the song writers and what music genres and bands influence Zombie's song writing? Adriano - . I ended up writing all the tracks for Patient Zero. Then Ferdi and I would get together and he would turn my very dull and basic drum tracks into some serious poundage. After we were satisfied with the tracks I then went to my long time friend James Copeland to help me get all the synth leads for the EP. The man is pretty much a Psytrance legend and we grew up listening to metal so it was an obvious choice to work with him. I think it's a bit of a unique situation that my fellow band mates have allowed me to pursue my musical vision and I'm very grateful for that. In the future I do want to start writing Zombie tracks with Louis and Gavin. They are both very accomplished songwriters. I think with our three individual styles we'll be able to push zombies in a musical direction none of us would be able to accomplish on our own.

In terms of influences it’s definitely not restricted to metal. I’m a big fan of a good song. Not just crazy riffs but a really good song that just gets under your skin lyrically and musically. So influences range from “Queens of the Stone Age” to “Vildhjarta”. What does each of the Zombies band members bring to the table music and personality wise? Adriano - One of the most pleasurable things about this band for me is all the experience that everyone brings. It definitely allowed us to put this band together very smoothly. From the recording to playing live we knew what we wanted to do and how we were going to go about getting there. You’ve got Ferdi who is one of the most dedicated drummers I’ve ever met. The man is seriously passionate about his craft and spends a con-siderable amount of time honing it. Then there’s Louis, the metal powerhouse. He does pretty much anything you can think of. Producer, engineer, guitarist, vocalist and drummer, if he had enough limbs he would be his own band. Wez is just a force to be reckoned with on stage. He’s full of energy and never afraid to take it to the crowd, and all that while pulling off his bass solos flawlessly. Gav is at the helm, he is the voice of Zom-bies, dictating the disease to the masses and inciting them to riot. He can belt it out with the best of them. It’s safe to say that you’ll find no lifeless bodies when Zom-bies hit the stage. We love tearing the place up with our friends and fans. Musically Zombies is very one sided at the moment with me doing the majority of the writing. But I’m hoping to change that in the future and start writing with Gavin and Louis. What is Zombies highlight of 2012? Adriano - Without a doubt the highlight of 2012 so far was playing our debut show at Winterfest. It was one of the best metal gigs I've ever played. You always worry about the first one, you believe in your music but you also know that just because you like it doesn't mean anyone else is going to. So to get that kind of response from all our friends and fans was definitely something I'll never forget. "Patient Zero" Zombies début EP was released a short while ago, tell us all that you can about the EP. Adriano - Patient Zero is our debut four track EP. We released it in July at Metal4Africa's Winterfest. We recorded all the music at Burning Tone Studios with Louis with the exception of the synth leads which we recorded with James Copeland. It's a collection of tracks I've been working on for the last three years. I think it’s definitely some of the best music I’ve written thus far and I’m very proud of the end product. The artwork was done by Brendon Barnard, ex “21st Centu-ry Tragedy” vocalist and extremely talented designer. We work very closely with him to establish the visual identity of the band and this is only the beginning. I think the EP lays a good foundation in terms of intro-ducing people to my writing style. It’s very dark and hard hitting but the emphasis is always on the groove. I

don’t see the point unless the music makes you want to get down and lose your shit. At the same time I like to always make sure there’s enough there for the listener that just likes to light up a fat one at home and listen to some interesting music. You’ll just have to come to one of the shows to pick up a copy or check out our facebook fanpage where you can stream the entire EP. I can’t but help wonder; why the name Zombies Ate My Girlfriend? Adriano - The whole thing kind of came from the track Robert Carlyle. I had just watched the movie “28 Weeks Later” and there's this one scene where Rob-ert Carlyle's character is faced with a moral dilemma. Basically he gets trapped in a room with his wife while trying to escape some ravenous infected. He ends up escaping through the window leaving his wife behind to face the full wrath of the disease. The scene also had this very dramatic score which ended up sticking in my head and eventually manifested itself as the chorus for the song. So from that I got "Zombies ate my Girlfriend". I'm not exactly sure how the exact name came about but it was definitely driven by that movie and the track Robert Carlyle. What other local metal bands in Cape Town would you suggest readers to go and support? Adriano - Where to start. I'd say if you really don't know shit and you're about to begin your journey into South African Metal you couldn't go wrong with Betray the Emissary, Mind Assault, Infanteria, Sabretooth, Megalodon, Enmity, The Broken Result, Day Turns Night and Skinflint. Skinflint isn't exactly local in terms of South Africa but damn they have to be the most rock 'n roll band I've ever seen on the continent. What does Zombie's have planned for the future, any sneak peaks or teasers? Adriano - We're planning to release our first full length album in 2013. I've started sketching some song ideas out already. So far I think we've got about five or six really good ones but everything is still in the early stages. For now we still need to get out there more and promote Patient Zero. Safe to say the album definitely won't come out in the first half of 2013. We’re also planning on getting our official website up and running to coincide with the album release. Zombies are set to play as the headliners of The Underground In: Chapter I, what is the bands take on the event? Adriano - We're very excited to be playing at this event. It's our first show since our debut at Winterfest. Also the venue has been a staple metal venue in Cape Town for years now so it's a bit of a rite of pas-sage for any Cape Town Metal band to check ROAR off their list. It's been a pleasure working with the pro-moter for this show and I think it's going to be a very cool event. Loads of awesome bands are playing, one of them being our thrash brothers Infanteria. We're all

friends with the teria boys and we've wanted to share a stage with them ever since Zombies started. So that’s a highlight for us as well. What is Zombies advice to new organizers and mu-sic promoters, what should organizers do more and what in the bands opinion is organizers biggest mistakes? Adriano - Do your homework. If you're starting out I'd say the best thing you could do for yourself is to start talking to the bands and established promoters out there. They'll be able to clue you in on what works and what doesn't which will end up saving you a lot of time and money. Work closely with the right people and promote, promote, promote. You can't just create a facebook event and hope that people are going to rock up. I think a lot of guys get it wrong when they get over-ly ambitious. Don't get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with reaching for the stars but you have to understand that the scene is what it is right now and you need to work with that. Otherwise you're going to find yourself becoming despondent very quickly. It's going to be tough what with the scene being relatively small in com-parison to some of the other scenes around here but it's totally doable. You just need to do your homework and recognize what you're working with. Very often fans forget or do not know that band members have day jobs to survive and pay the bills, what does the boys from Zombies do as occupa-tions and what do you get up to pass the time in-between gigs? Adriano - We have a very unlikely collection of careers for a metal band. Some of us work and some of us are still studying. Gavin is busy doing his Masters in Neuro-psychology and Ferdi has just completed his Masters in Theoretical Chemistry. Louis is working as a Systems Administrator and obviously has Burning Tone Studios to keep him busy as Producer and Studio Engineer. Wez is a Sous Chef and I work part time to help pay the bills while trying to pursue a full time musical career. In between gigs we're pretty much busy with promoting Zombies and all our other projects. I suppose when we have total down time (which is rare) some of us enjoy nerding it up with some online gaming. Besides that there’s really nothing out of the ordinary. Like everyone else, kicking back with some booze and friends is al-ways a good way to spend your downtime. Who would Zombies like to give thanks to? Adriano - We’d like to thank everyone who was involved in getting this band running and to all our fans and friends that came to support us at our debut show. A tremendous amount of effort went into making Zombies ate my Girlfriend a success and none of it would have been possible with only the band members. We are eternally grateful for everyone’s efforts. By Ryno De Lange Pics courtesy Zombies Ate My Girlfriend

Photos by Curt Lottring & Pierre Rommelaere