#dogtown

A homeboy from DOGTOWN. Be sure to check the hashtag for more photos of this varrio.

Wow, what a night…

Saturday’s celebration kicked of with Saintfearless: yourLMG’s Best New Act of 2011. Their energetic performance was a great party starter and a perfect accompaniment to the first “cheers” and “prost” of the evening. If you like shirtless, tattooed, badass rockers - Saintfearless is for you.

Next up was Dogtown, a fresh Durbanville-based band which left my tail wagging for more (see what I did there?). This young band, which started out in April 2011, consists of Tyan Odendal (lead guitar and backing vocals), Sias Visagie (guitar), Bennie van der Merwe (lead vocals), Jp Le Roux (bass) and Nelis Uys (drums). Their EP contains some memorable youth anthems, balanced with alternative rock hits that have a bit of a Libertines-ey and Strokes-ey feel to them. Dogtown’s luminescent and jovial stage presence created a fun mood. Not only was the crowd having fun - the band was too: I couldn’t help but smile over Sias’s little tambourine dance. Their liveliness managed to get a few more people off their bums and onto the dance floor. By the time they performed “Sunshine”, their better known song, we were all singing along and having a good ‘ol jol.

Jakkals, which formed in July 2010 and which consists of Tim Cole King (drummer), James Boonzaier (singer, songwriter and guitarist), Patrick Skuce (bass guitarist) and Johnny Kotze (guitarist, co-writer) - was the next band to grace the Assembly stage. They have rocked out on famous (or infamous) stages at Zula Sound Bar and Purple Turtle - and they were no strangers to the Assembly stage either, having played alongside South African music industry giants We Set Sail and Holiday Murray for the Rocking the Daisies Afterparty. There is definitely a Jakkals hype in the air: Jakkals were recently accepted for the MK MVP music video initiative and they are no strangers to Assembly Radio. I was a little sceptical of Jakkals prior to Saturday’s gig, not because I disliked the band, but purely because their music, which I was briefly introduced to on Assembly Radio, hadn’t blown me away. However, my view on this band completely changed after their spectacular performance. I finally understood what all the hype was about! Their energetic stage presence, which could easily rival that of “Kings of Leon” or “30 Seconds To Mars” is able to turn Jakkals virgins (like me) into longtime Jakkals fans. Jakkals have mastered the balance between badass rock and moving, soul-stirring vocals. James’s voice was one of the main reasons I went home afterwards and searched the crevices of the internet for more Jakkals tunes and videos. They definitely left their mark.

aKING was phenomenal as per usual. The evening kicked off with a fun-filled, bang-your-head-along-to rendition of “Runaround”, and they generously proceeded to perform all of their hits. Their vibrant stage presence made us reminisce about the old Fokofpolisiekar days, of which we were so generously reminded of as a couple f-bombs were thrown around - true Fokofpolisiekar style. What is there not to say about this band? They are one of South Africa’s top rock acts, with a massive fan base of over 15000! Laudo Liebenberg’s rugged, deep vocals and lyrics are captivating and shiver inducing. I have been to my fair share of aKING concerts in my life, and to date none of them have ever disappointed. The only criticism I could possibly think of is that the setlist was quite predictable and similar to their previous concerts.

Now, the best for last: Black Handed Kites. I have been to many concerts and gigs in my lifetime, but none have left me as awestricken, dazed and amazed as I was after their far too short performance. I was filled with astonishment at their high vocal range, their impeccable harmonising ability and the lilting rhythm that is the lovechild of the banjo, guitar, tambourine and drum - which left me wanting more.

This comes as no surprise to me, as TeeJay and Richard man CoffeeStainedVinyl - one of the most successful studios in the country. They have worked with the likes of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Drums, Little Dragon, and even Jakkals! Their deep lyrics combined with an idiosyncratic, innovative melody is gold. TeeJay and Richard’s dulcet harmonising ability never fails to gives me chills.

TeeJay Terblanche’s kooky style made me chuckle, yet also appreciate his originality and confidence. I dubbed it “Wayne’s World meets tourist” - and I was very tempted to walk up to TeeJay, shout “Wayne’s World, Wayne’s World, it’s party time! Excellent!” whilst high-fiving him. Ah, what a cool dude… It’s hard to believe that merely four years ago he was the black-haired, skinny jean clad vocalist of New Holland.

Despite the evening’s disappointing turnout (come on, people: there should’ve been a queue all the way down the street!) - it was a night to remember. All you bitches that rested for Seth Troxler better be jealous.