I have never been to a club quite like Trinity before: "superclub" is the only appropriate word for it. Spanning out over multiple levels and with bars scattered everywhere, it puts all of the so-called upmarket clubs on the southern suburbs scene to shame.
Young singer Louise Day and her band played to a surprisingly empty dance floor, although that seemed to matter little to the talented musician. There are so many young people out there trying to sing pop-rock that it's just not exciting anymore, but Day easily managed to keep me entertained, even though I didn't know any of her original songs. I think the difference lies in the fact that she, unlike most of the others, can actually sing.
When she announced that they would be performing a song they wished they had written, by one of their favourite bands, I was astonished to hear the opening bars of Use Somebody by Kings of Leon. I never would have thought that this song could work in a female voice, but again, Day surprised me.
Just Jinjer took their sweet time to come on stage, possibly waiting for the venue to fill up. I cannot for the life of me understand why more people hadn't turned out to see a band renowned for the high quality of their live performances, but by the time they finally started the set, a decent-sized crowd had gathered, although it was still by no means full.
I have always been more familiar with Just Jinjer's softer, more melodic hits like What He Means, but these guys sure can rock! They powered through Sugar Man, Bright Lights, Shallow and more, and the excitement in the crowd grew and grew with each successive song. Front man Ard Matthews proved that his
sense of humour hadn't been lost along with his famous dreadlocks, engaging in some banter with the crowd between songs. "Oops", he said, grinning mischievously after letting a swear word slip. A man in the front row shouted "Just sing!", "Okay, he wants us to just sing. Oh, that's my dad!" replied Matthews. I'm still only 90 percent sure that he was joking.
"There's a fire, starting in my heart." Wait, what? Were Just Jinjer really going to attempt Adele's Rolling in the Deep? Yes, they were, and in spectacular fashion, to the absolute delight of the audience. The final song, What He Means, was my personal highlight. It's a calmer, gentler song (indeed, arm-swaying ensued), and the lyrics continue to ring true: we really all could use a little peace, love and more tolerance.
The final band of the night were rockers aKing. Front man Laudo Liebenberg is a genuine rock star. Playing up to the screaming girls in the front row, dismantling the drum set at the end of the set, and jumping around the stage constantly, he was clearly having the time of his life. What a performance! From the rock sounds of Face-brick Constellations to the soft and beautiful Safe As Houses, I enjoyed every single song. aKing are a true rock band and their sensational stage presence, combined with the flashing coloured lights sweeping over the stage and the massive screen backdrop, made me feel like I was in an arena rather than a club.
The only down point of the night was the one or two extremely drunken people on the dance floor, slopping their drinks over people and all over the floor, and putting people in danger of being knocked out by their head-banging. Of course Trinity is a club - understood - and I have no problem with people having a few drinks and enjoying themselves, but where was the security when that drunken guy jumped on stage after aKing left and started shouting into the microphone?
But that was a minor flaw in an otherwise fantastic evening. After a quick stop for photos with aKing (thank you boys!) we headed home with aching feet and ringing ears, revelling in the conviction that we had had a better Friday night than 99 percent of other Capetonians.
Article previously published on www.whatsonincapetown.com
Photos by Lauren Granger
