This one’s for the fans

Slovenian ska-punk band Red Five Point Star are touring South Africa for a month. Lisa Steyn caught up with them.

For Uros Grahek, lead singer and guitarist of Slovenian ska-punk band Red Five Point Star, their current tour of South Africa is all about the fans.

Grahek and his band are excited to be back in the country after touring here almost a year ago.

“We realised South Africa was a good market for our music,” he says.. “That is why we decided to come back.”

While touring South Africa isn’t very profitable for the band, Grahek says the support makes it worthwhile. “You can tell people here don’t get to see foreign bands a lot.”

Many international bands only go where there is money to be made, but Red Five Point Star don’t care about that. “We get our value in Europe,” he says. “The profits from constant gigging there get invested in tours like this one.”

All of the band members have regular day jobs and do not consider themselves to be professional musicians.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about making money — it’s a hobby,” says Grahek.

For the uninitiated, Red Five Point Star combine ska-punk with hefty doses of jazz and rockabilly, making for an interesting and undeniably fun sound.

A 1940s swing-inspired drumbeat fuels a contagious desire to dance along.

The songs are simple but powerful, making for a tangibly energetic and extremely tight live performance.

Grahek says popular United Kingdom bands like Madness and The Specials paved the way for their ska sound.

“How are we doing tonight?” Grahek asks a heaving Back2Basix crowd during a recent gig. A roar of excitement is the only answer provided.

“It is so lovely to hear,” the Slovenian replies sweetly in his unpolished English.

Red Five Point Star have two full length albums on the market: In Color and Stepping Out, and a new live album, which was recorded in Slovenia last year. Catch Red Five Point Star at these venues during February and March:

March 20: Johannesburg, Cool Runnings Fourways