A band like Face Jackson was never going to bow out quietly. One of the first bands featured on Let’s Get Local, their farewell gig was a full-throttle farewell to eleven years of music between best friends.
Cape Town winters can be brutal — cold, wet, and all too good at convincing you to stay home. But the lineup on 23 May made a persuasive counterargument: layer up, step out, feel something loud. From the moment you walked into District, there was a charge in the air — not just from the hum of amps warming up, but from the crowd itself. A room full of faces, both familiar and unfamiliar, pulled together by the gravitational force of live sound. It was intimate. It was electric. It mattered.
South Africa’s alternative music scene is heating up as FREDDY L embarks on their Mother’s Calling tour, which kicked off at the start of October. The Durban and Cape Town-based trio, known for blending pop and rock with local South African influences, is set to light up venues across Cape Town and Stellenbosch this month.
The South African cultural landscape is in the midst of a seismic shift as Afrikalt, an alternative Afrikaans music and art collective, continues its much-anticipated “Paarl to Pretoria” tour. Kicking off on 29 August 2024, this tour has already set the stage for a groundbreaking celebration of creativity, diversity, and the vibrant undercurrents of the Afrikaans-speaking community.
Doors opened at 8 PM, and by 8:10, I was contemplating my options: stay at home or venture out solo to the Fokofpolisiekar show at Foul Play. The allure of live music won, and I found myself at the venue by 8:25, beer in hand, watching a diverse crowd filter into the dimly lit space. This was my first live show in Cape Town, and attending alone made me a bit apprehensive.
Cape Town’s music scene thrives on diversity, and Luzelle is a prime example. This genre-bending vocalist and guitarist isn’t afraid to surprise audiences with her powerful voice and dynamic performances. Weaving English and Afrikaans lyrics with folk-rock influences, Luzelle carves her own path, drawing inspiration from legendary artists like Karen Zoid and Freshlyground.
In the ever-pulsating heart of Cape Town’s music scene, a band is making waves with their high-octane live shows and ever-evolving sound. Metro Villa, the city’s answer to The Hives, brings a head-banging energy that’s both infectious and exhilarating. We recently caught up with Cam (lead singer) and Dan (guitarist), the driving force behind Metro Villa, to delve into their musical journey, their electrifying performance at Big Little Concepts, and what the future holds for these rising stars.
Psychedelic boere-punk trailblazers, Karel Bester en die Kraaines Band, have made their recording debut with a raucous live set from the smoke-stained bowels of Aandklas in Stellenbosch. Released on 29 September, it’s a reckless, high-energy romp that parties until it passes out, head spinning with dreams of dirty deeds.
Hold on to your music-loving hats, Cape Town, because Francois van Coke & Vriende 2023 is back, and it’s bigger and better than ever before! This year, the event not only returned to its hometown of Pretoria but is also making its Cape Town debut, taking the Mother City by storm on Saturday, 16 September, at Grand Arena, GrandWest.
Meet Black Math, a band that defies description on paper and can only be truly appreciated through their explosive sound. Hailing from the jungles of Durban, Cameron Lofstrand (vocals and guitar), Tyla Burnett (bass) and Acacia-Ann van Wyk (drums) came together over a decade ago as scrappy high schoolers. With their energetic creations, the trio has captured the hearts and moshpits of South Africa’s rock community.