On arrival, the pungent scent of weed filtered through the air, setting the scene for the second annual event. Little children dressed in pink pixie dresses and warm cosy hoodies infiltrated the crowd of young, old and over-the-hill - Sowing the Seeds is a proper family-friendly event. Most embraced "festivities" from the very start with enthusiastic over-aged kids swinging from monkey bars while sipping on champagne and others soaring through the air on play swings.
While the ice queen that is the Southeaster blew hard enough for the organisers to have to make a slight venue change (and within an impressive 40 minutes mind you), Sowing the Seeds did not disappoint. Honey B and 7ft Soundsystem warmed the early arrivals by playing up-tempo beats, setting the scene for the vibrant man with a spring in his step and a feather in his hat, Jeremy Loops.
Armed with 10 pristine harmonicas, a guitar and ukelele, he entertained a highly appreciative crowd with funky, foot-stomping folk rock. I'm not sure about the mechanics behind it, but Jeremy uses loop pedals, echo and distortion units in creating his unique sound. Trak, the other half of the duo, came in midway through the set and added some delicious hip hop flavour to proceedings.
The Cape Farmhouse is the perfect venue for Jeremy Loops; his style of music and personality fit neatly into the Rocking the Daisies vibe of carefree hippy happiness. This performance was great in officially opening up the dance floor and wins, on all accounts, best act of the day.*
One woman, we'll call her Jane (Tarzan's broad), enjoyed the performance so thoroughly that she decided to get on stage and shake her money maker. Jane was later spotted that night swinging from the support wires of the main tent flashing everyone in her line of sight. Others also let their hair down by climbing the support poles and attempting acrobatic manoeuvres that impressed those around them and frightened the hell out of those directly beneath them.
Bringing traditional African sound to Sowing the Seeds was Hot Water - known for their charisma, they complemented Jeremy Loops & Trak with humour and vigour. While Shushu and Bushfire are always firm favourites with their fans, it was Tribal Man that was the highlight of their performance and the day. Copley is known for going into character for this track, but he took it to the next level this time round. Leaping from the speakers on the stage to the support poles of the main tent, he took on the intense role of the "tribal man" breaking free from within. With spellbinding intensity that brought even the smokers out of their stupors, this enactment really fascinated everyone.
aKing's performance was slightly rough at the edges, but with ridiculously masterfully composed lyrics every track these Belville stars produce was sung with gusto from various corners of the crowd. This band have the winning formula that has seen their fan base grow exponentially over the years. Listening to them perform songs from their latest album, "The Red Blooded Years", it's bound to lure in more passengers on this "Holy Train". Not used to playing an acoustic set in front of a large crowd, I'd say they did pretty well.
A young sweaty, red-faced Captain America, with T.I.T.S. on his face, felt inspired enough during aKing's set to get on stage and attempt to rally up an already excitable audience. The Captain was spotted throughout the day accompanied by his sidekick, Mr Tie-dye sipping on Red Bull Vodka - this could explain his enthusiastic behaviour.
The best part about Sowing the Seeds and Rocking the Daisies is that almost everyone embraces the "make love not war" sentiments that have become synonymous with the festival. However, while it's perfectly acceptable - and even encouraged - to hug a stranger, sharing your bodily fluids with an unwilling party is not. Using your spit to try and remove someone's tattoo remains a definite no no. Yes, it is real and no, I don't believe I have desecrated the temple that is my body. *rolls eyes*
The DJs took over Sowing the Seeds once again, with James Copeland and Mix n Blend in the closing sessions.
We ended the evening with a quick photoshoot courtesy of one of the many, many, many sponsors (that were excessively mentioned throughout the day), Airwaves. Practically running blindly through the dark to find our cars, we survived the bone-chilling wind. Sowing the Seeds has successfully set the momentum for an awesome Rocking the Daisies 2011.
See you at Darling, seedlings!
*Bored by the monotonous beats of James Copeland, who's just not my cup of tea, we left without seeing Mix n Blend - legend has it that their electronic set is sick, so perhaps a trip to The Assembly on Thursday, 21 April, 2011, for the Greenpop Cool as Folk party is a must to catch them along with Jeremy Loops & Trak and a host of others.
