Unknown South African Soundtrack #3

Consider this episode to be the music diary of my old life in Durban.

It’s the monthly music show escaping us from politics!

I’m selling you my memories. These artists are from sunny Durban in South Africa where I grew up.

I normally entice you into our non-Gaza, non-Russia, non-killing adventure with ballads, and then play the heavier stuff when you’re (hopefully) fun and drunk. This time, I’m going to beautifully bruise you first. Or you can drop to the bottom and work your way up.

HABIT TO - ‘GRATITUDE’

We begin with Habit To who was Durban’s most original rock band. They won a band competition I hosted. Brothers Dale and Andrew were amazing musicians and such nice guys. Michelle’s voice was as wondrous as her guitar. My only criticism was the first time I saw them play in that smokey bar. She was shy, and I advised her not to be afraid to be a woman on stage. Later that night I was told she was still in school. Oops. Never thought to check bands for ID. But you’ll forgive me if you hear the mature guitar and vocals she pulled off that night. And kudos to her and Dale getting married, and getting music residencies overseas. Joy.

GRYND RODD MUSE - ‘ON YOUR KNEES’

The best metal Durban had, and a good band to drink beer with. Damn shame they never got to make an official music video before they broke up. At least they got captured live in studio, and I’ve digital copies of the two albums they made. I cannot recall the name of that audacious lass on the cover of their sophomore atop this page, but this track is from their debut, ‘The Violence of Apathy’. To Chris and the gang, cheers and skol wherever you are!

SQUEAL - ‘LONG PIG’

It was the Nineties, not long after I left the air force, when I encountered Squeal playing in Monk’s Inn, the best scummy bar in town (and my favourite venue memory). An older me would wonderfully get one of their tracks for a double CD I compiled. Dave, the singer and guitarist, had his own studio. He was one of the friendliest dudes in the scene.

URBAN CREEP - ‘SEA LEVEL’

I never knew them, but saw them perform in the Nineties. The most memorable was at The Sixties Bar just off the beachfront. Before the action it was a restaurant, and on those rare moments when a young me got to stay at my Gran, she used to take me there for cottage pie. It was a long walk for my little legs, but worth it… especially when I grew up to drink beer.

SIBLING RIVALRY, LOWPROFILE, CITY BOWL MIZERS & SHEEPDOWN

Punks used to be my friends, but at some stage the younger crowd decided I was The Man and hated me. Now they’re adults, and I’m even older. Love or hate doesn’t change the fact that they often made the most fun music as these songs testify too. Gotta admire the balls on City Bowl Mizers for featuring the Durban beach front is such spectacular fashion, and Lowprofile the inner city. And I’m still young enough to appreciate nipples. Sheep Down was my genre favourite.

PEREZ - ‘WASTED OUT’

In the late Nineties, girls loved this band more than any other. I saw them several times, the last at Burn Night Club where I worked.

FIRE THROUGH THE WINDOW - ‘JUST LIKE YOU ARE’

I knew their record label so it’s strange that they’re the only band on this page I never met. I recall them getting media coverage when Apple picked up their song for a TV commercial.

TIM PEPPER - ‘HARD AS HELL’

Tim came from America but lived in Durban for a long time. Think he did his high school and university here. He quit his job as a teacher and headed to Nashville. He never hit it big which is ridiculously unfair since he possesses the perfect symbiosis between melody, meaningful lyrics and an open heart. Please pay attention to the words in this amateur video, and catch more on YouTube.

GUY BUTTERY - ‘WET FEET’

Guy Buttery is South Africa’s best guitarist. His ‘Wet Feet’ will astound you. Years after I left our home town, I got to host him 1400km away in Knysna. And then, remarkably, I bumped into him several years later, in a dirt road desert town called Nieu Bethesda that had less than 1000 residents. I’ll always remember that weekend because my friend and I were given the keys to the local bar, and trusted to leave whatever money we owed in a glass on the counter. It was nice to encounter trust. We played darts, drank too much, overpaid, and made memories.

SHOMON - ‘MAMA AFRICA’

Shomon! I’m tempted to illegally upload all her music so you know how special she is. We had a fight over a decade ago and never spoke again. Music, however, lives longer than petty humans. That she isn’t famous still stabs me.

NIBS VAN DER SPUY - ‘BEAUTIFUL FEET’

For fans of Jack Johnson but classier and deeper. Nibs is a living folk rock legend! Find his beautiful music on Bandcamp.

FARRYL PURKISS - ‘KISSING DEVILS ON THE CHEEK’

I only did one show with Farryl Purkiss, and that wasn’t in Durban. We never to know each other, and I think I only saw him live one other time, which was at a music festival. He’s a crowd pleaser with classy, soft rock. His third album was produced by American producer Kieran Kelly who worked with the incredible Sufjan Stevens and Angus & Julia Stone.

ROWAN STUART - ‘SURVIVORS’

Rowan’s been making pretty music for 20 years. I was searching for a video for ‘Soul in a Suitcase’, my favourite song of his, but there isn’t one. However, that gave me time to catch up on his music, and this lovely track from the ‘Faraway’ album.

Sadly, no videos available for Saturnine, Sitter, Lucid, Ketamine, Starplayer and others.