REVIEW BY LINDSAY RAVENSCROFT:
Three chicks cruising in the country by the light of flickering, far-spaced
street lamps. We pull up outside the small town's apparently only bar to
get directions. An invitingly banal wooden exterior. The only person privy
to the information is the hippy. Something... landing. We give our best
used-car-salesman smiles and get what we want. Then we flee before the overly
curious bar furbishing become animate. As we stride inside, our timing
is perfect. The Rudimentals have just begun their set. We greet them with
a smile and get absorbed by the time warp of the 'lang-arm' dance hall.
The walls glare back at us, only a light coat of dust separating us from
them. Blank. Not one useful sex tip. Less than an hour outside Cape Town,
at the beginning of the wine district, the Mother City Alliance takes to
the backwoods for their third concert. On the Blair Witch's top 10 list
for sure. A great turnout, half of them familiar faces, the other half,
aspiring local delinquents. The audience is eager and excitable. Like a
garden gnome set free in Knysna forest. The fresh, energetic atmosphere
charges up the bands in turn. Good old-fashioned Duracell bunny bedlam.
The Rudi's deliver their cheerful ska-reggae sound passionately as usual,
keeping up their excellent level of music. The perfect catalyst to an extraordinary
evening. The cows catapulted themselves over the moon. Excellent sound
all around. The Hogs are up next. George, the frontman for the renowned
and happily infamous group, whips the crowd into a moshpit maelstrom. Frenzied
and as fanatically rude as ever. A couple of 'mallets' pop around the corner
to witness the punk circus first hand. Oh please don't wink at me, that's
so gross. They should've just used the tried and tested "Want to race my
motor" line. The keys would have been mine in a second. And they'd have
been left choking in the dust. Bring on the dirt roads! Following Hog
Hoggidy Hog on the stage is the fast and furious New World Inside. Very
tight. Breaking speed punk records and unsuspecting hearts. Great to see
such supportive fans. The three chicks by then had had their fill of drunk
punks and barnyard bewilderment, and head back into the night. Hmm what
a great location! Quaint and obscure, or rather, "Hey I've never had a bar
tab here before!"