Friday, March 20, 2009

Goldfish at Spier Amphitheater

Last night the MFM 92.6 crew set off to Spier Wine Estate to see Goldfish live at their Amphitheatre. Spier is pretty much the perfect place. I mean, it has a deli and Moyo, both of which make delicious food, a winery that makes some wines good enough for even students to want to appreciate it, horses, cheetahs, a moorhen and a view to boot! The amphitheatre is impressive, and the gig was one worth attending, and writing about…
I arrived an hour and a half early. Apparently we were told a heinously early time to be there, because one cannot rely on people being punctual. A little annoyed, I returned home to work on an essay on the Rwandan Genocide, which was infinitely more appealing than mingling the pretentious crowd hanging around, loudly proclaiming their support for South African music, despite this being the only local band they have ever heard of. Oh, and Prime Circle.
More annoyance. I returned too late to catch Jac Sharp. What a bummer! I did, however, hear that the performance was great.
Onto Goldfish.
For just two guys on stage [at least for the greater part of the show], they do an impressive job of filling an entire amphitheatre, with people and presence. They spend their time mostly behind their wicky-wicky equipment, but you’ll catch them throwing around some sax, double bass and even the flute! Their sound is a blend of electronica and jazz, and they add a whole new dimension to the idea of watching DJs play live. It’s sure to get you jamming, and they had the entire amphitheatre on their feet with their hands in the air. You’ll catch snippets of the likes of Bob Marley, Funkytown and even The White Stripes. Joining them on stage were two of their session vocalist who added some soul with energetic roles on stage and some of the funkiest dance moves I have ever seen!
I must admit, however, that this is not my favourite place to see these guys live. Though the venue is quite stunning, I would rather battle through a throng of sweaty jock bodies- it’s the right Goldfish vibe. Though the crowd danced, I thought it rather stiff. Nonetheless a stellar performance, and I cannot imagine any one of the audience in the near sold-out amphitheatre would claim to have not enjoyed themselves.
But what I love Goldfish for most is what they’re doing for South African music. Not only are they passionate about what they do, but they toured many a country and are rumoured to have been well-received by people globally. So now people can go, “Hey, this South Africa place spawns some decent musicians as it turns out, let’s check the rest of their bands out!” Well, hopefully. They’re off for Ibiza again in the next few days, to represent.
Kudos to them for putting the South African music scene on the map!

No comments: