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In Op-ed

If You Can’t Offer These 10 Things to Musicians, You’re Not Ready to Host Live Music

June 24, 2025 No Comments

You wouldn’t invite someone over for dinner and ask them to bring the cutlery, cook their own food, and leave before dessert. Yet somehow, that’s still how too many venues treat live musicians in Cape Town.

According to a 2022 study on revenue streams for music creators in South Africa by Music in Africa, live performance makes up 36% of total monthly income for South African music creators — over R42 million per month — yet artists earn just R11 076/month from gigs on average. That’s modest pay for what’s essentially a full-time job — and it makes the basics all the more important.

In Review

Face Jackson’s Final Show (For Now) Was a Holy Mess in the Best Way

June 21, 2025 No Comments

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.

In Event

Bongeziwe Mabandla Brings Stillness to the Heart of Feastival at Cabo

June 6, 2025 No Comments

There’s a certain kind of hush that falls over a beach crowd when Bongeziwe Mabandla sings — and at Feastival this past Saturday, you could feel it in your chest. Dressed in an ivory Boys of Soweto boiler suit and armed only with his guitar, Mabandla didn’t just headline — he transcended.

In Review

Shadowclub and Rising Local Acts Light Up District at Madman Mayhem

June 4, 2025 No Comments

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.

In Op-ed

Africa Is the Future – So Why Are We Still Trying to Leave?

May 20, 2025 No Comments

Right now, somewhere in Lagos, Johannesburg, or Nairobi, a kid is uploading a beat that could blow up in Berlin, London, or Paris. Meanwhile, Cape Town artists are still asking if they need to leave home to be heard. Here’s the thing: they don’t. The African music industry isn’t just having a moment – it is the moment.

In Op-ed

Gig or Show? Why the Difference Matters

May 13, 2025 No Comments

It’s 7:45pm and you’re three songs into your set when a waiter drops a tray of shooters in the front row. A birthday group hoots mid-verse. You finish your song. Nobody claps. Welcome to the gig you thought was a show.

In Review

Blue Mar and Housedads Turn a Small Crowd Into a Big Moment

May 10, 2025 No Comments

If a band delivers a world-class set to a crowd that could comfortably fit in your lounge, does it still count? At Trenchtown on Friday night, Brazilian groove-masters Blue Mar didn’t just count—they converted, turning a modest turnout into a masterclass in musical joy.

In Event

Sishii’s Camomile Live Comes to Cape Town

May 6, 2025 No Comments

When Johannesburg’s sold-out Camomile Live series finally lands in Cape Town this June, it won’t just be another gig to fill your winter calendar. It’s the latest chapter in a much bigger experiment: What happens when an artist stops trying to fit Cape Town’s music scene and instead makes Cape Town come to him?

In Op-ed

What You Need to Know About SAMRO, CAPASSO, and SAMPRA (and How to Get Paid!)

April 28, 2025 No Comments

If your music is getting airplay, streams, or gigs – but your bank account isn’t seeing the love – you’re not alone. Welcome to the maddening maze of South Africa’s music rights organisations: SAMRO, CAPASSO, and SAMPRA.

In Op-ed

Buy Now, Pay Later: Is It Worth Going Into Debt for a Music Event?

April 22, 2025 No Comments

Imagine being in debt for a festival ticket. That’s the reality now; we’re buying vibes on lay-by and financing joy like it’s a washing machine. This is the reality for many South Africans who’ve started financing not just essentials, but enjoyment. In Cape Town, with its skyline of rising costs and shrinking dreams, even a night of music comes with a payment plan.