Riaan Wolmarans ‘When you play for two hours, the big numbers have got to be played to get the crowd moving.” That’s top United Kingdom DJ Tall Paul’s failsafe recipe to charm clubbers worldwide and it’s brought him top honours in his profession. We’ll get to see his towering 1,95m frame behind the decks when superclub Gatecrasher returns for the Ericsson Gatecrasher Global Sound System tour one of many massive events taking place over the next month.
Gatecrasher known for its stylish, lavish events, as witnessed here earlier this year visits Cape Town’s Three Arts on November 24 and Jo’burg’s Electric Workshop on November 25. On the bill are Brian Banshee, Scott Bond (a Mixmag resident DJ of the year) and Derek the Bandit, with the big drawing card Tall Paul, Muzik’s DJ of the year in 1998.
He’s a man of many talents even though he assures me that DJing comes first, he’s also renowned as a talented producer, and spends most of his week in the studio, limiting DJing to weekends. South Africans will probably be the first to hear his new track, which he is busy completing while he plays the hits, he also likes introducing clubbers to new music.
Serious dance fans can also opt to see the famous Richard Dorfmeister this weekend (see story above), or they can save their money until December 1 and 2, when the Renaissance Live tour touches down on local shores, with Chicane, Sister Bliss, Roger Sanchez and Gordon Kaye headlining the events at Cape Town’s Big Arena and Gauteng’s MTN Sundome.
If these beats are too hectic, save some energy for what is billed as the biggest reggae festival to hit the African continent. Home to My Roots (December 15 to 17 at the Big Arena, MTN Sundome and Durban’s Absa Stadium respectively) will have the Grammy award-winning Burning Spear (Winston Rodney), Culture and The Wailers (Bob Marley’s backing band) getting irie on stage.
Those who prefer decidedly more pop-flavoured tunes will be thrilled when Australian pop duo Savage Garden, who have had monster hits such as I Want You and Truly Madly Deeply, perform on December 14 and 17 at the Big Arena and the MTN Sundome.
Local music succumbs to holiday fever with the Mentos the Freshmaker Tour, a national tour of bands and DJs that kicks off in Johannesburg on November 25 and then travels to Pretoria, Durban, Margate, Kenton-on-Sea, Port Alfred, East London, Port Elizabeth, Nature’s Valley, Knysna and Mossel Bay, culminating on New Year’s Eve on the Plettenberg Bay beach. Bands like Sugardrive, Tweak, Ethel My Love, Wonderboom and Henry Ate, and vinyl spinners like Jon Monsoon, Fokkolnonsens and others all take part in this rocking roadshow.
The year ends with the New Year’s Eve Synergy dance event in Cape Town and the MTV Dreamscape event in Johannesburg the word is that Carl Cox will put in an appearance at both events during the night.