No Bjork and a lacklustre foreign line-up drove DROR EYAL to the second stage at the year’s biggest concert
I WAS converted. I went down to see this over-hyped monument to PC rock, the 5fm Birthday Concert at Kyalami last weekend, plunging myself into an audience of 40 000 odd people and their collective sweat in order to see the finest musicians 5fm could muster from the four corners of the globe.
Of course, the only reason I went was because the tickets were free and I wanted to see Yothu Yindi. Instead, I ended up riveted to the second stage as a succession of brilliant South African bands showed exactly what it means to entertain and work a crowd.
Despite a rather early slot, the Zap Dragons soon had the crowd hyped up. They were quickly followed by Henry Ate, whose lead singer put up a mean psychobilly impersonation: all snake hips, leather pants, and the wickedest attitude.
The less said about Famous Curtain Trick the better – please take those FM-radio friendly sounds to the States, where they belong, and make way for Suburban Angel and some very fine hard rock.
The stars of the day however were Sugardrive, who thrilled, twirled, popped and rocked the thousand odd kids who decided this band was bigger then Youssou N’Dour. As Paul, a hyper- active packet of muscle and sinew from a Michelangelo wet dream, strutted and danced, the fans chanted along to the songs. Sugardrive are indeed the kings of cock rock.
Suddenly the hall emptied, as Tracy Chapman started on the main stage. Just Jinger, a new band, were faced with an empty hall. Toughing it out, the lead singer pranced about like some coke-crazed Cuban cop … it was a mean rain dance, because the heavens opened up. Although the 12-minute drum solo did get a bit much at times, the crowd loved it.
Cape Town band Nine took the stage to a near- capacity crowd. Is God on their payroll? They are indeed a force to be reckoned with and their Soundgarden-inspired sound won them many new fans.
Battery 9 proved popular and the hall heaved to their brand of industrial techno. Live Jimmi Presley stormed the stage in suits and ties, set their instruments on fire, and terrified those that weren’t too drunk to care with their harsh death disco sounds. Mark slithered along the stage like an angle- grinder in bondage, disseminating his quirky televangelism.
So, local is not anaesthetic as popular wisdom has it. The locals were energetic, professional, kicked some major ballistics unlike the bigger names on the main stage who sat back on their reputations. Most of the local bands are still gigging around Johannesburg and they deserve support.