Keith Henderson
Ficksburg and Fouriesburg are two small dorpies a couple of kilometres apart in the Free State. Around Easter, they probaby receive the most traffic they see all year. The local law-enforcement agencies probably get into a relative flap about the large numbers of strange-looking potential dagga-smokers that start appearing and do not approve of the goings-on that happen over the hill and down in the valley.
In fact, besides the new-age hippies that arrived last year, they also had to deal with ravers and an entire contingent of Hell’s Angels chaps. Not pleasant if the only big emergencies you have to deal with are the odd flat tyre and the autoteller running out of money.
So what is it that happens in the place they call Rustler’s Valley? Well, if you’re Patrica Glynn and you’re approaching the subject Point Blank (she paid a vist to the valley about a year ago), then there’s a whole lot of dope-smoking slackers quietly sacrificing cats and getting into all kinds of subverisve stuff that Mom and Dad would definitely not approve of.
But if you’re one of the 6 000 people who pack the tent into the car along with the drum, the cooler box and some extra toilet paper every year around Easter, it is a celebration of life that begins with leaving your tough-guy attitude back in the city and embracing the idea of getting along with your fellow man, woman or beast, and having fun while doing it.
Soppy as it may sound to some, that’s exactly what Rustler’s has to offer. Besides the festival being packed from beginning to end with incredible music and a vast array of performance arts, the valley provides a place for people of all ages to enjoy the experience of being together with a large number of people minus egos and nasty edges. Granted, you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but Rustler’s and its crew do a pretty good job trying.
The beauty of the Easter festival is that days and nights are filled with colour and the experience can be a number of things, from exploring the valley on foot to lazing around the dam and flea market, to dancing your head off to mind-altering music all night there’s always something happening.
Among the acts performing are Guitars for Africa (featuring George Phiri and Bheki Khosa); Southern Freeway (featuring Phinda Mtya); Mike Makhubele and Tinghoma Sounds; Jungabees; Birds of Fire; Flying Circus; Steve Dyer; THC; Gito Baloyi; Suthukazi Arosi; Naqual; Jack Mango; Colorfield; Asazi; Jean Pierre Luong-si; Fetish; world music DJs Les Shill and Nikki Love; MedicineDrum; Slinky Wizard; Flying Rhino; Otherworld; and Return to the Source.
There will also be a free stage for spontaneous jams. Every day a different djembe-based band will start the sessions.
This festival-goer knows that he’ll be at the world stage when THC, a drumming and performance group from Durban, go on. See you there.