so i normally like to know what the night has in store for me but when i decide an hour or 2 before heading out where i'm going and with who generally i have no clue what i'm getting myself into!!!

thursday was the first time i have been out in a while (well almost a week which is surprisingly long for me!) anyhoo i ended up at Fiction with people i hardly get to see and it was fantastic=)

Fiction is always fun, people may complain that there is nothing different about the 'new Fiction' and in truth there really isn't (more on that just now) but one thing that has changed is the level of music they are churning out. having been open for little more then a month or so they have already succeeded in brining in 2 huge international acts. namely zombie nation last week and this week the sounds of Drumsound and Bassline Smith from the UK.

arrived there to the sounds of the ever popular Niskerone ripping the dancefloor to shreds and was also pleasantly surprised that it was not too full (something that never happens in Cape Town) once Niskerone finished up his hour and a half of magic the international was up and boy did they do good...even on the same sound system their was just so slick. each track melted into each other and the bass was insane. after an epic 2 hour set one had to wonder how on earth the next dj up must be feeling...but when you are SFR you really have nothing to e nervous about. for such a small man he really has a lot of energy! he just got up there and did what he does best...kept the party going.

so they have managed to get some amazing parties going at the 'new Fiction' but there are still issues...i'm sure there are valid reasons for this but really not serving beers like Amstel, Windhoek, Heineken...or Spiced Gold, or Captain Morgan...it's just weird.
Lastly, packing a million more people then the club can hld into the venue...not cool. when you can't even open the doors onto the balcony because there are so many humans pressed against it then you know there is a problem!

anyways, it was a good night and hopefully the new head honcho's keep the good music flowing=)
tonight is untamed youth with an amazing line-up that includes Haezer (always good) slightly more expensive at R50 but tomorrow is a holiday so your wallets will have time to recover!

happy reading
see you on the floor=)

it's taken me a few days to decide whether i was going to write this or not. reasons being i don't feel words can accurately describe the pain, beauty or amazing aspect of it as well as the fact that it's incredibly personal.

this isn't a review, or a critique, or anything to do with music actually. it's a reminder of a life.

on thursday the news of a shark attack having occurred filtered through the various social networks and gossip lines. the story was unclear and the media did very little to extinguish the false stories. later in the day it emerged that the victim was somebody known. the first thing one thinks when discovering news like this is 'that can't be right, you're not meant to know the victim of these things...the things don't happen to me...' well apparently they do...and it's one of the hardest things that can happen to you as a person.

the story remained unclear for a while as the media continued to blunder its way through false reports, wrong facts and a general mistreatment of the incident. it was only on friday morning that the story became entirely clear. David Lilienfeld had been attacked by a shark somewhere between 4-5 meters long while surfing with Gustav in Koggel Bay.

now all of this was reported on the news so we'll skip to the part that needs to be shared, his memorial paddle out on Saturday.

Driving into Camps Bay from Hout Bay i was met by the mist rolling in off the sea and shrouding everything in a strange, muffled, 'Pirates of the Carribean-esque' vibe. it was pretty freaky actually. as i drove along the beach front looking for parking i was met with the most incredible sight. hundreds upon hundreds of people gathered on the grass across from Cafe Caprice....and i do mean hundreds. people are saying there were close to 500 people there, and i definitely believe it. once parked and down on the beach i realized how incredibly quiet it was, the sombre mood was broken by a heart-wrenching sob or a whisper of condolence from one friend to another. i can honestly say this is one of the most painful things i have ever had to endure, there was so much sadness but also a feeling of camaraderie and love that i am so glad to have been a part of and to have been privileged enough to feel.

as everybody gathered on the beach in their wetsuits with their boards i got a sense of just how many people there were, and it was strange, those who weren't meant to be there (tourists, the ice-cream men) steered clear. it's like they knew this was a private matter...massive respect.
paddling out into the freezing water with the others there was no sense of urgency to get in and out (although it was freezing) it was like the love and unity that was being experienced was warming everybody up.
respects were paid, flowers were thrown and letters to David were burned in the middle of the circle.
i dont want to go into detail because i am afraid my words will never to justice to the absolute beauty that was there.

i realize this is not a full coverage of what happened on saturday but i also feel that it is enough for you to realize what an amazing person David was, how many lives he touched and how beautiful and perfect his send off really was.

what happened to him isn't right, but we said good-bye right.
love to his family and friends in this tough time, always remember the amazing person he was.
RIP David

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CfYZTvrMoU&feature=youtu.be

so...did you all have a jam-packed weekend?
I only made one of the mentioned events in my previous post but it was still fun=) if a little disappointing in comparison to the first event like this that was held a while back.

Converse...this little idea that you have made big through free tickets (every body loves free things) is rather brilliant...just one leeeeetle problem, there should have been at least 1000 more tickets. you know Cape Townians...when do they ever do what they say they are going to do. there were far too few people at the event this time around and one can blame the freezing winds or the fact that there were so many other events on that night but it needs to be taken into account...coz it kinda killed the vibe.

The venue itself was great, nice and big and open and the sounds from the three stages didn't mingle with each other and it was literally like walking into different worlds when you hit the various stages. I must admit, the line-up left much to be desired. there was absolutely no consistency. the chilled sounds of Beatenberg and Holiday Murray were great but it didn't really fit in with the whole night. don't get me wrong i love them but it was just weird. honestly the only set of the night worth mentioning is the magician that is Toby2Shoes...seriously that man can make anything work...people were jamming so hard and it was the first time all night there was some kind of energy to the crowd, pity it was right at the end.

aside from the weird vibes the entire set-up was slick...fun lamp mazes, a very kitsch bed that you could get your picture taken on, the bull riding from the last event and THE BEST THING...sumo wrestling....i noticed this bit as a 'midget' (possibly just a short human/child) was jack russel humping a tall mans face while both were dressed in sumo suits...absolutely incredible! the bar was reasonably priced and the staff knew what they were doing which was a nice change from most events!

all in all it was a great event but, honestly, had there been a charge on the tickets and had i paid for it i would have been extremely disappointed.

that's all for now, happy reading and see you on the floor=)

so much happening this weekend:
Cape Town has an astonishing talent for cramming major parties into one weekend and then being dry and dull the following...well maybe dry never dull=)

if you're stumped for ideas, take a look at this: THIS IS JUST FRIDAY!!!

*CONVERSE: TAKE IT OUTSIDE - for those of you that were at the block party a few months back you know how much fun this Converse concept is! A free ticket that you obtain off the event page on FB (sold out at the moment but apparently getting more so keep an eye open) there is a large variety of music including Mao, Toby2shoes, Holiday Murray, Beatenberg...the list goes on and on. If you get a ticket definitely head that way on Friday!

*ZOMBIE NATION is attacking Fiction this Friday too...seriously go check it out...the event is up on FB, tickets are pricey but well worth it...for a taster or if you're scratching your head going 'WHO?' click the link below and then thank me=)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSJQLCImV18&ob=av2

*TASTE OF CAPE TOWN is also on from Thursday to Sunday...it's the one time of year everybody gets guilty free eating from the expensive restaurants;)

*DIRTY BOUNCE...one of the best concepts I have heard of in a long time!!! Take 3 amazing bands, Nomadic Orchestra, Mr. Cat and the Jackal and The Bone Collectors...put them on stage separately and they're freaking amazing right??? right:) now put them on stage all together and you get an ear-shattering, mind-blowing experience of talent and amazingness! Do yourselves a favour and stop in at Mercury on Friday night to check this out. 3 separate shows by 3 amazing bands and then a collaboration by all 3 of there various songs...now that is value for money!

*Assembly has DCTHQ as usual but the line-up this week is something special!
SFR, Bruce Willis?? Mix N Blend, George Daniel, Totem vs ALXR and Phaze will all be making an appearance...sheesh!!!


If none of this pleases you head on out to Village at (in my opinion) the best venue of the season Flenterskloof Farm in Franschoek. It's a weekend event with some amazing dj's and lets be honest...always one of the best parties of the season.

Ok I think I've overloaded your senses with enough awesomeness!

Happy partying, see you on the dancefloor=)

WARNING: this post is a complete rant and totally opinionated so don’t read it if you’re sensitive to such issues. No clubs/venues have been named.

Is it just me or are there serious bouncer/ego issues in Cape Town at the moment???

I realise there are a lot of problems surrounding certain bouncing companies at the moment but does that mean that the ‘new’ bouncers (i.e.: the old ones in plain clothes) have the right to be completely rude and inappropriate?

Three times in the last 2 weeks of being out and about I have been subjected to verbal harassment, inappropriate comments and more recently a complete fuck up at the door.

Ok, ok from the beginning:

Entering a club last week I was grabbed by the bouncer and sniffed. I know some may giggle at this and now I find it a little amusing but at the time I was completely horrified as this bouncer made comments about my perfume, attire and general person. I’m sorry I did not come to the venue to be picked up by a large man in a leather jacket and gold chain…not really on my ‘to-do’ list for the night!

A few days later I went back to the same club and the same bouncer was at the door. Thinking he would, at the very least, recognize me and say hi (for all my sins) I was subjected to a tirade of verbal abuse because of my paper driver’s licence.

I realise that paper is no longer accepted, authorized or not, because it is so easy to forge but is it really my fault that 1) my wallet was stolen and this is my only form of identification at the moment and 2) the gaggle of giggling girls in front of me were bounced…no.

I recoiled from this bouncer screaming in my face as he tried to belittle me in front of the crowd (line) and calmly asked if he had taken the time to even look at my birth-date or if reading was not in his job description…not my most mature moment in my 23 years on this planet…but seriously what an idiot.

Yes he was doing his job, yes it was paper and I was in the wrong but then he shouldn’t have let the 17-year old girl behind me in…two sides of the coin my friend.

Lastly, and this is the incident that has sparked this rant of outrage occurred on Friday.

Correct me if I’m wrong but generally you pre-buy a ticket to skip the long-ass queue of those who weren’t so bright…right?  So very wrong it would seem in this case.

So you get to the club and the pre-bought ticket line is merged with the VIP line as well as the guest list line…still generally ok…not that night. The line was incredibly long, there was a FLIPFILE for all the guest list names and even the artists were queuing at one point. Now all this may have been generally accepted with slight grumblings right…not when the cash/paying line was being let in first!!!!

You pre-buy a ticket for a set amount of money so you then get to the venue (where they already have your money) and then you wait in a line because they are taking more money from those paying cash…that is pure greed.

I had a friend who paid cash and got in an hour before another friend who had a ticket…this is after they slammed the gates shut and those who were inside did not have the option of going out…the venue was not even close to full.

It caused huge problems, with the bouncers swearing at every person who came near them, punches were thrown at bounces and innocent passer-by’s and I swear one guy nearly had an epileptic fit induced from pure hysteria at trying to get in (he had a ticket)…It’s not a great way to start a night and it certainly isn’t a good reputation for a venue to be gaining.

I’m not saying it was entirely the venues fault as it was a semi-private event but really…the greed is too much.

First rule venues: stay loyal to those who are loyal to you.

There is something about events at Zula that brings a smile to every body faces. Maybe it’s the new venue still holding some appeal or perhaps it is just the fact that almost every event there is sure to be a night of fun and happiness.

Friday night was no exception. The line-up can only be described as pure awesomeness. Dj’s battling each other, mash-ups that just shouldn’t work but sound too appealing to miss and the added theme of ‘fright night’ being Friday the 13^th and all the hype attached to that in itself.

I was excited. Aside from it being the best friends birthday and, therefore a guaranteed night of debaucherous fun, the line-up and hype made it that much better. Aside from a few minor issues (explored in the next post) it really was a fantastically organised and fun event.

Onto the important bit: THE MUSIC!

I arrived as Mao vs. Das Kapital were warming up…and by warming up I mean the vibe and the mass of sweating bodies already on the upstairs dance floor. If any of you have seen these artists separately you’ll know how fantastic they are but together they were a warm, heaving explosion of crazy bass and happy commercial mixes from Das Kapital mixed in with Mao’s noise that no two men should be able to create…and it worked perfectly.

After getting the dancing shoes moving our group of happy friendlies moved downstairs where Bruce and Mark had just started what was, in my opinion, the battle set of the night. Bruce is the sunrise God of the trance scene and Mark has made a name for himself playing the early set at parties that keeps the feet stomping. Together they’re lucky there wasn’t a hole in the concrete floor. Mixing together like they were joined at the hip they literally had sweat dripping off the roof. (I’m not even joking I’m sure I felt a few drops on my head at one point!)

A seemingly tough act to follow…so the organizers time-slotted the one DJ that can play by himself and make the crowd that much happier…good old Broken Toy. He never disappoints…ever. Starting with his well-know tune Talk Talk he carried everyone through an hour of smiling faces, bouncing bodies and very sore feet the next day. Following James came the smooth act of Shift, playing a set that showed his years of experience. Although the set was good the anticipation of seeing the amazingness of Xatrix vs. Rubix Qube was palpable…for those of you that caught this act at Masqued Ball you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about…sheesh it was insane. It was like a brand new crowd had arrived and there was a whole new energy.

Moving upstairs after that amazing set for what we thought would be a change of pace we walked straight into the heaving mass of sweat that Niskerone had created in a way only he can. At some point in the night a surprising amount of hay made it’s appearance on the upstairs dance floor (I honestly have no clue where it came from) and as he closed the set with The Prodigy’s killer tune Breath mixed as only Niskerone can there was hay raining from the roof as it was thrown around…it was like being caught in an itch snow storm of hay hysteria…and so fantastic=)

Bruce Willis?? Vs. Lg Fritz closed the evening off in true style and so it was with very itchy, sweaty bodies, ridiculously sore feet and cheeks sore from smiling that 4am rolled around, he club closed and we dragged ourselves home.

Although I missed acts like George Daniel vs. Dublusion and Riot Squad vs. Pascal and Pierce as well as the always amazing Jester vs. Frozen Ghost because of the two separate stages I’m told that it was just as amazing.

Once again, an awesome night and if you haven’t been to a Zula event…seriously…get your act together ad head on over as soon as possible!

i'm back!!!!!

and boy, considering I have been retardedly slack this one is going to be a goodie=)

I was going to take you all down the rabbit hole to a wonderful land of mystery called the The Flamjangled Tea Party but that was a few weeks back, things are hazy and quite honestly there are truly no words to describe how incredibly amazing this event is. Do yourselves a favor and go next year, if you have a bad time I will personally pay you back the ticket money. I still wake up most mornings and wish I was back there.

Next, hmmmmm oooooo Labyrinth is back with a vengeance. they held 2 HUGE events, 1 for Public Holiday last month and the other as a fringe event to the CTEMF (more on that just now) both were fantastic but it still blows my mind that the guest list queue into trinity is longer then the paying queue. seriously...what...is...the...point??????? 

This CTEMF weekend was amazing!!! It's a brilliant concept and I really hope it continues to grow as a festival over the years (just maybe not on the same weekend as Jazz Fest!!!)

Basically it's a weekend festival that was held on the roof top at the Waterfront and it is dedicated entirely to electro...some of you may be shaking your head at this but, in all honesty, it's definitely the most popular genre around Cape Town and the festival attendance over the 3 days proves this.

Side notes:

* the toilets were amazing! i know this doesn't seem like an important thing but trust me...3 days...portaloos...girls worry!!!! these were perfect.

*the bar...EVERY time a drink was ordered (same round) the prices changed, and I'm not talking a few rands here and there i'm talking anything between R2 and R20!!!!

other then that it was incredibly well organized and definitely one of the most beautiful venues for a festival. sea on one side, mountain on the other, the weather was gorgeous and some of SA's top electro acts made an appearance. always great to see the Goldfish boys doing their thing...they do it so freaking well!!!! also a mention must go to Sibot and El Gordo...after their performances it is easy to see why they are paving the way for SA electro over-seas and why they are such hot property back here.

other things that have been happening...Fiction is back FINALLY!!!!! and it's good=) it's like welcoming home a close family member thats been overseas for too long.

however, maaaaaan hat did they do for 6 month!!?? yes it's bigger and smells better but there are random nails sticking out of some places, doors that don't lock in the girls bathrooms, nothing to dry hands on (again a big deal for girls) and a damn sneaky step and the bottom that is higher then the others and makes walking to the bathroom and back an incredibly unpleasant experience. add that to the missing inches of the stair railing and a comedy of errors is on the way!!!! it is good to have it back though=)

they've had 3 events there so far...the return of It Came From the Jungle...always for a bit of floor-shaking D 'n B. 

next was the FANTASTIC swing party on Easter Sunday. these events surprise me every time....from how dressed up and themed everybody gets, to the brilliant dj's and of course the dancing. who knew Cape Town kids had such class;) 

then the return of untamed youth happened....ohhhhh boy. aside from the ridiculous amounts of heels, boobs and vests running around (those who need to get that will) it was good. about 100 people too full but that's never gonna change is it.

that's about all i can think of at the moment. again, so sorry for the delays but i do hope this has made up for the loooong wait!

Happy reading=)

here is a little taster of some stuff i have been working on...and why i haven't been blogging...i'm soooo sorry aboutt hat kids.
anyhoo i wrote this for my media seminar at UCT. happy reading!

James A. Copeland is a diminutive, 28-year-old Cape Town born and bred wunderkind. He may appear unassuming and quiet but put him on a stage behind a set of turntables and he becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Continuing to make waves in the highly competitive trance scene of Cape Town under his alias, Broken Toy, he has recently added an extra psy-trance notch on his belt in the form of Super Evil and has broken into the newly revived swing music genre as James. A. Copeland the ‘ 1930’s, Havana born mysterious operator of the Swing & Big Band Operation.”

At the age of 24 James was signed to Alchemy Records and released his debut album filled with nine tracks that ensured he fast became a regular on stage at all major trance festivals. Four years down the line and he is now headlining many of these festivals as well as the off-season indoor parties. Asked how he feels about this, he gives the humble response of ‘just enjoying playing music that people enjoy listening to.”

Now that Broken Toy is an established entity he has shifted his attention to other projects. One of these is the insane pairing of James and Adriano Rodrigues, a fellow Paarl boy who can create sounds on an electric guitar that most would deem impossible. With Adrian on electric guitar and James on the decks they create a sound that can only be described as psy-rock…and that’s exactly what James was going for. The feeling they get when the bass drop of “we want your soul’ kicks in and every person on the dance floor shouts those lyrics at exactly the same time is what they want to create with every one of their songs. A feeling of unity and happiness all rolled into one kick-ass set that leaves people panting for more.

After all the fun that is created by his trance genre sets the idea of a swing music persona is mind-boggling. And yet that is exactly what he has created with James A. Copeland, the Cuban DJ shrouded in the mystery of his bands disappearance and his rise to fame…well that’s his story and he’s sticking to it.

Swing music has only recently made a comeback, especially on the Cape Town scene of eclectic music taste and people are devouring his tunes faster then he can produce them. With mentors like Swing Gods Fletcher and Toby2Shoes, James hopes to become as much of a favourite on the Swing scene as he is on the trance scene and with his live set at the Flamjangled Tea Party, “one of his favourite festivals” he feels that people are receiving him warmly and are happy to distinguish his various persona’s and genre types. Not much is known of his swing DJ guise and it seems that is how he intends on keeping it. He wants to create an air of illusion around a scene that is fast becoming a firm favourite in the party plans of Cape Town youth and adults alike. Much of what was asked during the interview was vague and non-descript…exactly how he wants it, for now.

Although he claims not to have any concrete plans for new projects in the near future, James has shown that a lot can be done in four years and we should definitely watch this space. From being the trance icon of Broken Toy, to the one part evil of Super Evil to the Cuban refugee of James A. Copeland, he has shown that there is much to be done and well received in Cape Town and he definitely plans on using that as much as he can for as long as he can