I receive a lot of event invitations on Facebook to other artists' shows. I also send out similar invitations to my own shows. The thing that bugs me though is when the description of the show is 30% information on the bands and their set times and 70% information on the exceedingly long list of drinks specials that the venue has on offer.
Yes, it is nice to have a tasty cold beverage, purchased at a bargain price, to enjoy while watching a band, but this should not be the selling point of the event. If people want the music industry to develop, then venues, musicians and promoters should start focusing on what the event is all about: Music. If your venue claims to be a "Live Music Venue" and not simply a pub with a termite-infested stage, then start running it like one. Centre your focus on hosting great live music events with top-quality sound and lighting. The music industry should be focusing on music and leaving the liquor focus to the liquor industry.
Showing posts with label Venues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Venues. Show all posts
12 September 2012
02 September 2011
Backstage passes
Continuing in showing off my collection of partially focused cellphone photography, I snapped a few pics of some backstage passes I've collected from various shows I've played or been involved in somehow. Check it out!
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| Hard Rock Cafe - Cape Town - 1999 |
I was only 11 when this show happened, but I got this backstage pass when I went to the soundcheck with my uncle, whose band headlined the event. It was the New Year's Eve/Millennium Party and it was also my first visit to the Hard Rock Cafe.
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| Lanners Landing - Klapmuts - 2002 or 2003 |
One of the most intense shows I've been to. This took place before I joined 12th Avenue. I was working as a roadie/lighting technician (underage labour) for the band at the time. The crowd was so crazy that someone picked up a monitor from the front of the stage and passed it around the crowd!
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| Southern Exposure Festival - Observatory - 2003 |
My first (unofficial) show with 12th Avenue. Their drummer at the time had hurt his hand and I filled in for him.
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| "Crazy" EP Launch - Mercury Live - Cape Town - 2005 |
Our first EP launch was a major DIY effort. We had these passes made for the band and crew and spent the entire night before the show inserting the CD sleeves into the cases, as we printed the first set of discs ourselves.
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| "Crazy" Tour - 2006 |
My second tour with 12th Avenue, which included my first trip up the Garden Route.
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| RAMFest - Rawsonville - 2007 |
We played the opening night of the inaugural RAMFest outdoor festival. It rained really hard for most of the night, but stopped when we hit the stage, and we got the funniest stares ever from the late night staff at the local KFC. I suppose we asked for it showing up in our stage clothes...
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| "Rock N Roll Circus" Tour - 2007 |
Much of this tour is a blur to me. I do, however, remember falling asleep for a few seconds on stage in Durban, due to pure exhaustion, as well as Mark and I having to ice our feet after walking on hot tarmac to the beach.
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| Seether SA Tour - 2008 |
Nights 1 & 2 of Seether's "Homecoming" tour. Good times!
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| Seether SA Tour - 2008 |
The venue for the Durban show didn't have enough space for dressing rooms for the support acts, so Shaun from Seether was cool enough to share their room (and their food) with everyone.
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| Seether SA Tour - 2008 |
Final night of the Seether tour. What a party!
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| FIFA World Cup FanFest - 2010 |
We were selected to play four shows at the various Cape Town FIFA FanFests. We met some fun football fanatics (alliteration...nice) at those shows.
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| Random Festival - 2010 or 2011 |
I don't actually remember what show this is from, but I thought it was cool that the promoter made custom passes for each band.
04 May 2011
Busy busy busy!
After a moderately quiet April, touring for 12th Avenue is in full swing again. Already, we have a few battle scars, which are an inevitable part of any tour. I have a few scratches on the back of my hands that I assume are from loading equipment into a vehicle. I've also been dealing with blisters on my fingers from drumming, which are thankfully all calloused now, as well as on one of my toes, as a result of doing a 10km walk the other day. My bassist, Brian, was unfortunate enough to get his thumb caught in a car door at the last show, but thankfully it's just bruised and he can still play bass.
Apart from minor injuries, the shows have been incredible so far, and we have loads more coming up. Thank you to everyone that's come to the shows so far. Your support is greatly appreciated and you really make it that much more meaningful for us.
Make sure you get down to one or more of the following 12th Avenue shows. We'd love to see you there!
12th Avenue upcoming tour dates so far:
6 May - Nameless Pub, Somerset West
10 May - Aandklas, Stellenbosch
21 May - Private Event, Cape Town
26 May - Tings n Times, Pretoria
27 May - Cool Runnings, Fourways, Johannesburg
28 May - Die Mystic Boer, Bloemfontein
3 June - The Grand Daddy Hotel, Cape Town
10 June - Plaasteater, Brackenfell
Apart from minor injuries, the shows have been incredible so far, and we have loads more coming up. Thank you to everyone that's come to the shows so far. Your support is greatly appreciated and you really make it that much more meaningful for us.
Make sure you get down to one or more of the following 12th Avenue shows. We'd love to see you there!
12th Avenue upcoming tour dates so far:
6 May - Nameless Pub, Somerset West
10 May - Aandklas, Stellenbosch
21 May - Private Event, Cape Town
26 May - Tings n Times, Pretoria
27 May - Cool Runnings, Fourways, Johannesburg
28 May - Die Mystic Boer, Bloemfontein
3 June - The Grand Daddy Hotel, Cape Town
10 June - Plaasteater, Brackenfell
15 April 2011
It's all about the venue
My lifelong dream is to headline at Wembley Stadium in London, England. It's just such a fantastic venue with such a rich history of excellent performances. Apart from that, it's totally humungous! However, this isn't the only place I'd like to play. Cape Town Stadium, where I got to see the legendary U2 perform earlier this year, would be epic, as would any of SA's 2010 Fifa World Cup Stadiums. Madison Square Garden, NYC, USA would be another great place to perform.
However, when I think about it, I've actually performed in some amazing venues, and from a young age no less. I was only 13 when I played a drum solo in front of about 3000 people at Bellville Athletics Stadium, for my school's Inter-schools Athletics Tournament, which was nerve-wracking, but loads of fun at the same time.
Here is a list of a few incredible venues that I've been blessed enough to perform at, and why that particular show was so memorable. Enjoy!
Grand Arena, Cape Town - 2008
The opening night of our tour supporting Seether. 5000 people singing back at us waving giant foam fingers. Not to mention, the amazing backstage area, equipped with plenty of food and drinks. We also played Standard Bank Arena, JHB; Wavehouse, Durban; and NMMU Sports Centre, PE on that tour, all of which were amazing. However, the Cape Town show stands out the most, as it's my hometown and it was my first ever huge arena show.
Artscape Theatre, Cape Town - 2005
My high school jazz band performed at the Cape Town Youth Jazz Festival. We did a half hour set that included some of the most insane improvisation and musical innovation. I particularly remember using a 5/8 running into a 6/8 time signature on one of the songs.
Die Mystic Boer, Bloemfontein - 2010
Closing show of our 2010 tour. We had an incredible show and one of the craziest backstage parties ever.
Mercury Live, Cape Town - 2006 & 2011
I've played at Mercury so many times, but our music video launch for our song "Single" in 2006 and our album launch for "12th Avenue", earlier this month, were two of the most epic shows I've played there.
Endler Hall, Stellenbosch - 2005
I played at a Choir recital here while in high school. It's just a beautiful auditorium with incredible acoustics and a genuine pipe organ. I love it when you can hear every voice and every instrument when there isn't a single microphone in the room.
Wanderers Sports Club, Windhoek, Namibia - 2010
My first show outside my country's borders, but definitely not the last. The crew at this venue made me feel like a rock star. I didn't have to worry about a thing.
City Hall, Cape Town - 2004
Another jazz band performance. City Hall looks amazing from the outside and even better from the behind the kit.
Zeplins, Pretoria - 2005
Probably the strangest place I've ever performed at. Very dark, very gothic, but still rocking. It was here that we opened our first ever national tour as a band, and where I witnessed my first ever failed stage dive. Can you spell faceplant?
V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre, Cape Town - 2008
This is another venue that I've performed at since high school. I can't remember all the details of every show I've done here, but I do remember a show in 2008 where the stage was covered in artificial grass, which was helpful since my bass player at the time left his shoes at home!
However, when I think about it, I've actually performed in some amazing venues, and from a young age no less. I was only 13 when I played a drum solo in front of about 3000 people at Bellville Athletics Stadium, for my school's Inter-schools Athletics Tournament, which was nerve-wracking, but loads of fun at the same time.
Here is a list of a few incredible venues that I've been blessed enough to perform at, and why that particular show was so memorable. Enjoy!
Grand Arena, Cape Town - 2008
The opening night of our tour supporting Seether. 5000 people singing back at us waving giant foam fingers. Not to mention, the amazing backstage area, equipped with plenty of food and drinks. We also played Standard Bank Arena, JHB; Wavehouse, Durban; and NMMU Sports Centre, PE on that tour, all of which were amazing. However, the Cape Town show stands out the most, as it's my hometown and it was my first ever huge arena show.
Artscape Theatre, Cape Town - 2005
My high school jazz band performed at the Cape Town Youth Jazz Festival. We did a half hour set that included some of the most insane improvisation and musical innovation. I particularly remember using a 5/8 running into a 6/8 time signature on one of the songs.
Die Mystic Boer, Bloemfontein - 2010
Closing show of our 2010 tour. We had an incredible show and one of the craziest backstage parties ever.
Mercury Live, Cape Town - 2006 & 2011
I've played at Mercury so many times, but our music video launch for our song "Single" in 2006 and our album launch for "12th Avenue", earlier this month, were two of the most epic shows I've played there.
Endler Hall, Stellenbosch - 2005
I played at a Choir recital here while in high school. It's just a beautiful auditorium with incredible acoustics and a genuine pipe organ. I love it when you can hear every voice and every instrument when there isn't a single microphone in the room.
Wanderers Sports Club, Windhoek, Namibia - 2010
My first show outside my country's borders, but definitely not the last. The crew at this venue made me feel like a rock star. I didn't have to worry about a thing.
City Hall, Cape Town - 2004
Another jazz band performance. City Hall looks amazing from the outside and even better from the behind the kit.
Zeplins, Pretoria - 2005
Probably the strangest place I've ever performed at. Very dark, very gothic, but still rocking. It was here that we opened our first ever national tour as a band, and where I witnessed my first ever failed stage dive. Can you spell faceplant?
V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre, Cape Town - 2008
This is another venue that I've performed at since high school. I can't remember all the details of every show I've done here, but I do remember a show in 2008 where the stage was covered in artificial grass, which was helpful since my bass player at the time left his shoes at home!
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