OBS & Rock n Roll

Sedgwick, you sly bastard. Being the smrinking queen that I am, I find myself often moved to alternate alcohols. In the winter I sometimes end up with good old OBS. These days though, I've discovered a better dose to soothe my aching winter limbs. They come in a handy little wrapper called Old Brown and the Sherries.

I once read somewhere that they described themselves as "the snorre that fell from the Beatles when they dropped acid"..or something in that line. Just that should tell you al you need to know about these mustache-obsessed rockers.

Think teenage angst thrown in a garage and given a mic to megaphone that irritating melancholic baggage out. I set my Friends on Fire minus the urge to step on cats for back-up effects. Full out garage indie punk gone godzilla. I like it. I like it alot.

Old Brown and the Sherries, 4 real-life Randfontein punks who decided not to give into the Brakpan-breker mentality that reigns in their town. I saw them perform for the first time in January last year. My second run-in was in Potch, at my darling Memphis. And, contrary to popular belief, my fascination with this band is not solely due to their totally shaggable guitarist - the very droolworthy Sias Olckers. No, it goes deeper than that. You could say they speak to your inner angry teenager, or maybe it's just good old rock n' roll. Whatever strikes your fancy, these boys are worth listening to.

Now - drumroll please, cue the tristesse of symphonic sadness and heed my sorrowful words. For all you deadset punkrockers, you blackened stains of the conventional tapestry, all the washed-out souls so dear to my heart who never knew of Old Brown and the Sherries, your chance has gone, for they are no more.The bitches broke up.

Well, ok not exactly "broke up", but they have undergone a line-up change. And my totally shaggable boy has left =(.

But we shall see how these new boys are doing soon, all the best to the newly aquired 'snorre'. For now, irritate the boere with this tune:

http://soundcloud.com/old-brown/rocker-spaniel-mp3

Keep calm and mustache on*

En ek kan nie ophou kyk nie...

Memphis. My home away from home. A glorious bar in Potchefstroom where my passion for music was fueled. Coming from a small town - not quite as John Deer as Vryheid, but I've got to admit, not far from it - I never really had a chance to discover the music SA has to offer. My total exposure was MK, and lets face it - a live show is so much different. MK introduced me to the already big musos, but Memphis allowed me to discover the unknown ones for myself. This sanctuary, a haven for all the unique freaks I love calling my kindred spirits, is where I saw his work for the first time - Sean Brand, a true living, fucking legend.

I'm going to take a short break from my smrinking to tell all you lovely people about my other passion - photography. Studying in Potch last year, I visited our lovely little gallery while a Sean Brand exhibition was on display. Being an exceptionally bad photographer, I was absolutely dumbfounded. This man is a fucking genius.

I recall one photo in particular, a moment where Francois van Coke stands still, the screaming crowd at his feet, the moving clouds painted above. Awestruck. I must have this photo. And of course I bought it then and there, took it to Kodak, blew it up to A3, & hung it centered in my small art studio. And there it hangs till this day. A constant reminder of the brilliance that is discovered in these moments, the art that is photography.

Quite something isn't it?


This photo inspired me. On my way back from campus, instead of heading to my awkwardly painted flat, I went to Game. I bought my darling Niki - a Nikon D3000 - my first camera. And there it started. I still suck uncompromisingly, but I see no end for my new-found passion. I'm addicted. Addicted to capturing moments in time. Maybe one day I'll let you see some of my work, but for now it's a private obsession.
In the not so far future when I'm being chased out of my office at the Rolling Stones South Africa building to go and attend yet another music festival with Niki in my bag, when Memphis wants to hang my pictures on their walls, maybe then I'll give you a sneak peek.

But for now I'll admire from afar as Sean Brand is living the dream. Combining my two passions - music & photography. And I hate him. Want ek kan nie ophou kyk nie.

http://soundcloud.com/sick-cindy/aint-enough

Poetry is lame..except when it's on a fridge

Death to MTV. I absolutely hate MTV. As much as I love smrinking and anti-John Deer protests, I hate MTV. Hate. H-A-T-E. I mean seriously, I couldn't care less about how fat Snooki is ( Hello Dumbass, she's pregnant). Just the fact that I know that makes me hate that channel even more. Do these people realise that MTV stands for M-U-S-I-C T-E-L-E-V-I-S-I-O-N? Morons. How do even begin to explain a lack of music on Music Television? Ugghhhhhh. So I have decided to lock my TV onto MK. Yes, you have to see a rediculous amount of Bouwer Bosch and his blonde girlfriend, but the music inbetween those moments are good. Wake up Nerds! We have an unbelievable amount of talent in this country! Just the other day as I was ready to call in a complaint for too much Bouwer on the air, the moment was saved by a clip of Oppi.

Ah my Oppi. My gorgeous hell. And on this clip was a strange sounding band with bad fashion choices. And I knew that on this clip you just had to point the camera to the audience, a bit to the right, and you'd see my multicoloured hair swinging as if I was at Headbangers Ball. I had a right to dammit. Fridge Poetry was at Oppikoppi.

I was suprised to see Fridge Poetry on the line-up. Not because they are not awesome enough to play at this dusty heaven, but because I didn't think they were that well known. I saw Fridge Poetry for the first time on stage when I went to see Old Brown and the Sherries (Oh we'll get to them in good time) in January last year.

If you're a Gogol Bordelllo fan (if your not, you'r an idiotic disgrace to the human population), you'll dig this band as their sound is just as difficult to place. It's like they couldn't decide which music genre to choose, so they did them all. Draadsitters. They are currently busy with a tour appropriately named:

THE SAVE-UP-ENOUGH-TO-RECORD-A-RAD-ALBUM-TOUR

Date	Venue	Tickets
August 31, 2012	Wits Yacht ClubWits Street Party	R30 at the venue
September 8, 2012	MocambiqueFestival of Rock	Bookings
September 20, 2012	Tanz CafeJammin’ at Tanz Cafe	R50 at the Door
December 31, 2012	Smoking DragonSmoking Dragon Festival	At the Door

Now come on, who's not going to support the bitches with a tour name like that? I'll buy a ticket to every show just because of that name. Brilliant.

Go support these wonderful idiots, I'd like to see if they make a rad video after this rad album. They'll probably put it on MK, 'cause it's too much bloody music for MTV.

Here's some wonderfully idiotic music to get you through the next episode of Bouwer & Blondie:

http://soundcloud.com/fridgepoetry/02-the-clinch

Last note: It pains me to say this, but - even though I have a Bouwer issue - I still love the first Straatligkinders album. (That physically hurt)

Peace out poetsxx

Saved by a hippie

After inspiration hit me over the head with her amazon-like Jimmy Choos, I have decided that I need to tell you about all the awesome talent that exists under our sunny skies. About all the music I've discovered while smrinking. About all the bands that, frankly darlings, you need to know about if you have any hope of keeping your closet John Deer free.

I shall start with the obvious. With my music mecca, my little piece of nirvana, my dearest Oppikoppi.

I have been an avid Oppikoppi-goer for the past 4 years, cause face it - under eighteens are deprived of so many joyous things, and thus I had to wait my turn, until finally - Oppikoppi Smoorverlief.
You don't know until you've been there. You will never understand until you have experienced this dusty, thorny, dirty, horrible weekend. It will be the best weekend of your life. Period.

I've been smoorverlief, I've had sexy.crooked.teeth, I've met my unknown brothers and I've tasted sweet things. And I still feel deprived.

What incredible genius came up with this concept?
Pietie (probably high as hell, fresh from woodstock): "I'm going to start a commune, on a koppie. And dub it Oppikoppi (clever, clever), and invite 20000 of my closest friends. But what about the beer? Not enough beer. I got it! I'll deprive them of toilets & showers so they'll go home in three days. Yes. Yes. Muahaha."

And so started a South African music institution. Who said Society doesn't benefit from high people?

I will not describe my Oppikoppi to you, because you just won't get it. All I can say is wet wipes, wet wipes, wet wipes. And all you kinderd spirits that have experienced this dirty hell are sitting their with all-knowing smirks on your faces, because what happens at Oppi, stays at Oppi. Unless your watching the MK special with your mother a week later and up pops your identical twin from Scandinavia with bloodshot eyes drunkenly slurring "Oppifokkenkoppi!"
Mom, meet Svetlana.

Last note - Keep your closet anti- John Deer with the following tune:

Old Brown and the Sherries - Old Brown and the Seventies
http://www.myspace.com/oldbrownandthesherries/music/songs/old-brown-and-the-seventies-82503194


Enjoyxx

From the Underground

I absolutely love music. More than I love smoking. More than I love wine. Even more than I love them combined. If someone should invent a glass, that enables you to swallow gorgeous Merlot while simultaneously inhaling a beautifully crafted Piet Blou, that might come close to music, but only very nearly.

I recently visited a very boring, very dead - like night of the living zombies (without the actual awesomeness of zombies) - dead, town in Kwa-Zulu Natal called Vryheid. Yes, Vryheid. And as you can imagine, said town was filled with John Deer pampoenboer types, people who can't get over high school and - probably the worst - people in high-school. On that fateful night, I, for some unexplicable reason only God knows, ended up in a very pampoenboerish dodge nigchtclub kind of place ironically named 'Huistoe'. After having to listen to aforementioned high-schoolers making the hilarious joke of: "Kom ons gaan huistoe.", over and over again, a band was anounced. Mmm, unknown band in unknown town. I like it.

This band was called Bri6ge. Like bridge 6, only cooler. They weren't half bad for a small town garage band. Heaven only knows how they kept at it with the people in that town, who it seems are still living in the 1920's or something where my darling rock 'n roll was not appreciated. So much less even hard rock or metal. But alternative they were, and I was impressed.

It's been about two weeks or so, and what would you know, while I was still pondering my genuis invention of a smrink glass (see how clever i am) at The Shack in the Vaal this evening, it would seem that this very same band would participate in the annual Rotary Battle of the Bands. Well, well, it would seem they're not so stuck in that town after all.

Now, their previous show was ok, but tonight they were going at it like mad monkeys. I mean, seriously, who knew that boy could scream like that? Damn. Well done. And the pretty lil' bass player had all the boys jumping of course, as only us awesome female musicians can accomplish.
Though it was still early, and thus the crowd still a bit iffy, they held their own and put on quite a show! Cudos to you for showing us that more than John Deer khaki'd boertjies can come from your sleepy little town. Definitely a band to keep an eye on.

I won't forget the other musically gifted of course. Though not as hardcore as my personal favorite, but solid bands nonetheless. I congratulate I Like Lucy (you sassy bastards), City Monks and Project Blackout on awesome shows and great energy. Keep a lookout for all of them, well worth seeing.

Some awesome talent tonight, which only makes me wonder - what other musical gems are hiding in the underground scenes of our small towns? Mmm, I'll keep you posted xx

 PS: How cool is that bass?