Over the years the V&A Waterfront has showcased undiscovered talent through live performances on the Amphitheatre. With up to 80 000 visitors a day, Take the Stage at the Waterfront could be the break you are looking for.
Popular pop-rock band macstanley (formerly Flat Stanley) credits an appearance at the V&A Waterfront with their rise to international success. "The opportunity to put your band on a stage in front of a guaranteed audience that the V&A Waterfront attracts is one that no up-and-coming band should ever pass up on," says frontman Andy Mac. "With the diverse global audience the venue attracts, you never know who might be in the crowd watching you - in our case, it ultimately led to a European record deal." The band has just released their third album and enjoys a growing fan following in Europe.
Two other bands grateful for the opportunity to perform at the V&A Waterfront include Hot Water and Plush. "As one of the most visited destinations in South Africa, the V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre literally put us in the centre of the action and helped kick start Hot Water's career," according to Donovan Copley from Hot Water. "Our performances here also linked us in with European contacts which led over the years, to a 40 day tour in Europe in 2012."
Rory Eliot from Plush added that one of their first shows in Cape Town was at the V&A Waterfront on Christmas Eve. "It was one of our first paid gigs in the city. We decided beforehand that we would use the cash to take a bunch of friends out for a dinner to remember. The show was spectacular, with people lining the balconies and young girls who had seen us play before swarming around us in a frantic buzz. We finished the gig with signatures and photographs and the excitement of the show remained with us for a long time after. It really set the tone for what has been an incredible journey thus far."
The Take the Stage initiative is open to all bands not signed to record labels. To enter, send one song and a biography to moc.cisumderiwlaer@eilyk or moc.acirfai@tnimlaer by Monday, 31 December, or call Real Wired Music on +27 (0)21 532 2180.
