aKING In Studio With Third Album

aKING is currently in studio recording their third full length album with acclaimed local producer Theo Crous at Bellville Studios in Cape Town. The highly anticipated album, due for release in early 2011, is rumoured to be influenced by the pop-rock sounds of the late 70s and 80s, while new member Andrew Davenport (Thieve) is also credited with injecting a new dose of melody into the musical partnership. Said drummer Snake Venter, "The songs are quite varied - we have an upbeat pop-rock number, a heavier rock number, a ballad, an African-inspired rock track and a dark-sounding 80s track. There's a lot of variation in sound and it should be quite interesting to see which songs will make it onto the album."

The band, who has recently recorded an appearance for the M-Net Variety Show - to be broadcast in 2011 - will also be featured in two major advertising campaigns next year, one for Engen Wimpy and one for Woolworths.

During December, aKING will perform a number of gigs along the coast, as well as the Just Plain Christmas Up North - Down South Party with Die Heuwels Fantasties, Die Tuindwergies and Frankie Fire at Menlyn Shopping Centre in Pretoria on December 10. Said bassist Hennie Van Halen, "We'll be playing a few shows up the East Coast and further North in Joburg just before Christmas. Our East coast fans can expect a repeat of the nightclub Van tour we undertook a few months ago. There's also a show in Swakopmund, Namibia in the pipeline close to New Year's Eve, but peeps who are spending New Year's Eve in Cape Town can expect a show at the Waterfront. Our set will definitely incorporate a couple of new songs and the addition of a keyboard on stage."

For more info and gigging details, visit their Facebook page.

Boys Will Always Be Boys... Or Will They?

No. They grow up, achieve worldly wisdom and finally realise what life is about. What do you get when you combine a "boy band" with the following: pop and rock infusions, a hint of modern country, 3 voices, 3 instruments, 3 manly men and their own songs? A "boy band" with a twist? Wrong!

ADAM is a band where masculinity plays first fiddle. The three members are all entertainers in their own right: guitarist/singer/songwriter Hugo Ludik, Binnelanders Sub Judice actor Reynardt Hugo and Marno Van Der Merwe, who is currently starring in Robinson Crusoe And The Caribbean Pirates.

ADAM's Kleurvol was written by Hugo, Willie Van Der Merwe (these two also wrote Kurt Darren's hit Papsopwinterwaternat) and Johan Strydom. It speaks to the heart and is about that special someone... "Jy is die kleur in my blou Maandag" sums it up perfectly. The music video was shot by Pierre Smith who has worked with Kurt Darren, Nicholis Louw and Heinz Winckler. Check it out here!

Visit their Facebook page for more info and gigging details.

Happy Monday!

Hey peeps!

I hope you all had a rocking weekend!

I was driving back to Jozi this morning with a heavy heart. I had a relaxing weekend in the Free State, spending time with my family and friends. I wasn't exactly in the mood for deadlines, traffic and end-of-year chaos, but as I drove past the city I remembered what a beautiful place it actually is and how much I love being a part of it.

So, I'm happy to say that I've changed my mind about being back in the concrete jungle. Besides, it's time I treat my BlackBerry to a night out on the town...wink, wink! Oh, and I've got some exciting things lined up for MusicnStuff... Watch this space!

Peace!

Competitions & Stuff

Hey all!

Yeah, I know - it's been a while! But I'm sure everyone is feeling year-end pressure and counting the sleeps to the holidays... I sure am!

Here's something to look forward to: if you buy your Up The Creek tickets before January 1, 2011, you will automatically - without any effort from your side - be entered into a lucky draw. The only effort from the winner will be dragging his/her bags into their bungalow, and spending the (FREE!) R1 000 on top. Yup, this grand weekend prize includes:

* 2 tickets for Up The Creek Fest from 4 - 6 Feb 2011
* A bungalow for the weekend
* R1 000 spending money
* The refund of your original ticket purchase

The winner will be announced on January 10, 2011, so go to www.ticketbreak.co.za and buy your tickets now!

But wait, there's more!

You can also SMS and win tickets! Simply SMS the word 'CREEK' to 39716 to stand a chance to win tickets to Up The Creek 2011. SMSes cost R1.50 and free SMSes do not apply.

Pimp Your Lilo!

In the grand one-year-old tradition of 2010, the ANYTHING THAT FLOATS competition is making its return next year! If it floats it counts, but if it floats AND looks pretty - or floats very fast - it counts even more. The captain of the fastest vessel wins two tickets to Up The Creek 2012, as does the captain of the best looking contraption. Granted, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in true Up The Creek style we're not talking merely a splash of paint and a pink balloon here...

The line-up for Up The Creek 2011 includes Boo!, aKING, Jack Parow, Flash Republic, Karen Zoid, Elvis Blue, Taxi Violence and MANY MORE!

Keep an eye on www.upthecreek.co.za for regular updates and more competitions.

Artist Q&A: Anton van Wyk

Greetings, earthlings!

Happy Thursday! The weekend is almost here and I hope all of you have rocking plans!

I had a quick chat with Anton Van Wyk, Van Diens Af's guitarist, to find out a bit more about how they got into the industry and what it's like to be in a band!

Where and how did Van Diens Af start?
William (Jonker, lead singer) and I have been friends for 20 years now and we've been making music together since we were 13-years-old - always dreaming of having a rock band. Living in Secunda means limited opportunities regarding music. We just stuck together until we found the right musos and VDA was born.

What's the story behind your hit, Hou My Vas?
Hou My Vas is a classic love song about having the perfect girl, giving your everything to her and then she truns around and smashes your heart!

What is the most memorable gig of your career so far?
I think our hometown gigs. It's always great to get a chance to play in Secunda. We played with aKING and Fokofpolisiekar in Secunda and it was great!

What is the most trouble you've ever gotten into?
Trouble? That's something we try to avoid at all times. But I think the worst was a good old fist fight... which we won!

How would you convince people to go to your gigs?
If you are ready for some great fun and energy on stage, good tunes and in the mood for a great party, you better do not miss VDA on stage!

Art Goes Pop

Die Heuwels Fantasties' new release is not only the ideal listening experience when on the open road, but it's also a fusion of their pop style and visual art.

This deluxe edition includes all the songs from their debut album, Die Heuwels Fantasties, as well as a couple of new tracks such as Way To Go featuring Thieve, the acoustic version of Pille Vir Kersfees and a cover of Fokofpolisiekar's Ek Dink Aan Jou As Dit Reën. The second disc features the music videos of these songs as well as four bonus videos.

The album will be released in mid-November, with artwork specially designed for each of the tracks by Arno Kruger.

Free Music!

Cape Town ska outfit Captain Stu will be releasing their much anticipated EP entitled Free Music on Friday, November 5.

Produced by SAMA Award winning producer Neal Snyman (known for his work with The Parlotones, Van Coke Kartel and Freshly Ground - to name only a few), Free Music has a fun, bouncy, energetic vibe, yet underscores of a more mature sound are evident. Says Snyman, " The predictable cliché of 'They were a great bunch to work with!' always sounds trite and contrived. The one thing that made working with Captain Stu easy, was their openness to my often brutal/rude opinions and my shit comments about no f*cking djembes or didgeridoos. Either way, despite my grumpy demeanor, I enjoyed the sessions and, f*ck it, they're a great bunch of guys to work with!"

James Klopper, lead vocalist, says working with Snyman was a real inspiration. "He really made the recording process comfortable for us. He is also a perfectionist, which meant that every single take had to be to his standards. This pushed us a lot and taught us what it's like to work under pressure."

Captain Stu decided to give the EP away for free seeing as the music industry has changed drastically over the last few years from an analogue environment to a completely digital one. They feel that in the process of giving away their music for free, the EP becomes more useful as a promotional tool to sell the band's live performance to the public.

Free Music will be launched at Zula Bar in Cape Town on November 5. Doors open at 20h00 and tickets are R50 at the door.

Visit www.captainstu.co.za for more info.

Artist Q&A: Adam Boyd

Greetings, music lovers!

I apologise for being so quiet these past few weeks... Have no fear; I'm back and I've got some exciting things up my sleeve to help make the last few weeks of 2010 more bearable - like this short Q&A with Wake To Wonder's Adam Boyd!

What did you want to be when you grow up and how did you end up with Wake To Wonder?
I always knew, even from a young age, that I wanted to play music and entertain people. When I was 4-years-old I grabbed a pair of Chinese chopsticks, some ice-cream tubs, pots, pans and some bowls and started playing my heart out to the sounds of Def Leppard. I learnt 4 instruments whilst growing up; the piano, drums, guitar and harmonica. I also sang every day until I decided to start a band to take my musical passion further. After a couple of failures and some valuable experience, I joined Wake To Wonder as the lead guitarist. When Wake To Wonder's singer (Jaime) left, they struggled for months to find a replacement. After no-one was found to suit the band's image and sound, I stepped in and have been singing for the band ever since.

What are you currently working on and when can we expect to see you perform next?
We have a couple of things in the pipeline at the moment. We got sponsored a music video for our track Mr. Potato Man (Is A Ladies' Man), and will be shooting this next month. The track went down extremely well on Highveld and stayed on the Homebrew charts for over 16 weeks. It also peaked on Ryan Seacrest's show at Number 3. We are also planning to shoot another music video entitled Brace The Broken, which will be aired next year if all goes well. We are writing new material for our second album which we are extremely excited about! We are also currently preparing for our European Tour in 2011 which will include some massive festivals in countries like Holland, Germany, Latvia, Finland, and more... Our fans can see us perform at the Vereeniging Ice Rink on November 6 alongside Van Diens Af and Countdown To The Red Carpet, as well as at the Midvaal Makiti in Meyerton alongside Prime Circle and Wonderboom.

What's the hardest part of being in a band?
When you are on the road a lot as a band, you get irritated with each other and sometimes lose your way to why you play the music you love. I think staying motivated when times are tough is the hardest part. That normally falls away once you play an epic gig as that always brings everyone together as a family.

If you had to date a member of the band, who would it be and why?
That is a good one! Mmm... I think you should never mix business and pleasure! (Laughs)

If you were to send someone to prison for crimes against music, who would it be?
There are many crooks in the music industry who always try take advantage of bands and I think those people should all be paraded around the streets naked on a carnival float for everyone else's amusement. This should be followed by a swift kick to the head. I don't like to name drop but I am sure for anyone who is in the industry, all have their own people who have messed them around in the past. Where there is opportunity, there is always someone looking to exploit it negatively. That's why all the bands in SA should stick together as a family instead of working against one another. Let's be united!

Complete the following:
When I was 17, I was... a ninja!
Before I go to bed I... fight other ninjas with my awesome ninja powers (I always win!).
Life is... music, music if life. Ninjas are agile, sleek and daring - except that one from Die Antwoord; I don't think he can pull off a back flip, do a crouching tiger or do a double hi 5! One day I shall teach him the ways of Bodacious... Kapow!

Well, now you know who you can go to for ultimate ninja training!

Til next time!

Izzy
xxx

Van Diens Af Rocking The Scene

Hailing from a small, sleepy town in Mpumalanga, Van Diens Af has proved that passion alone is enough to kick ass on the Afrikaans Rock scene. Add to that committment, heaps of talent and catchy punk/rock tunes, and you have a band ready to take the local music industry by storm!

Van Diens Af has come a long way since forming in 2008. Their debut album, Dit Wat Was... has garnered them a 2010 VONK Award for Best Rock Album and Hou My Vas (Die Einde Van 'n Hartbreek), the first single off the album, has been on high rotation on MK and various radio stations across the country since its release. Having landed a record deal with The David Gresham Record Company, they've shared the stage with local music greats including Chromium, Van Coke Kartel and All Will Fall.

Van Diens Af is from left to right: William Jonker (Vocals), Anton Van Wyk (guitar & backing vocals),

Karl Dugdale (bass) and Kevin Curry (drums).

Catch Van Diens Af live at Lake Umuzi, Secunda on November 26.

Visit http://www.vandiensaf.co.za/ for more info.

Up The Creek 2011

One river, three stages, four days, loads of music and comedy and 2 000 festival-goers with a passion for some of South Africa's best music in common - get ready for Up The Creek 2011!

From 4 - 6 February 2011, the usually quiet campsite close to Swellendam will once again be transformed into a slightly surreal spot of revelry, raging rock and soulful tunes, performances from another planet and shenanigans of the type you can only pull off when you're safely tucked in next to the mighty Breederivier for four days.

Four hundred die-hard Creekers can pull in on Thursday, 3 February for a chilled-out preview gig at the bar stage. For R100 extra, you can choose the best spot for your tent and kick-start the weekend's carousing so that the place is cooking by the time the rest of your friends arrive.

The line-up for 2011 is nothing short of phenomenal and the following bands and artists have been confirmed so far: Boo!, aKING, Jack Parow, Flash Republic, Elvis Blue, Dan Patlansky, The Dirty Skirts, Captain Stu, Karen Zoid, Bed On Bricks and many more!

Ticket prices range from R150 to R590 and tickets are available at www.ticketbreak.co.za.

Visit the Facebook page for more info, or contact Ann Sowden on info@upthecreek.co.za.