Welcome to Bellville Rock City
24 Mar 2009
Described as a "city" within the City of Cape Town and situated on the other side of the boerewors curtain Bellville seems to breed rock bands faster than bunnies breed bunnies. Seeing as I am from the Southern Suburbs and my grasp on Afrikaans is pretty much limited to the basics perhaps I am not the best person to write this review however as the Bellville band boom is so much the hot thing right now even us English townies are exposed to and appreciating the Bellville boys. Just this weekend saw Fokofpolisiekar supporting their child hood idols The Spring Bok Nude Girls at the Assembly as well as aKing gracing the Kirstenbosch stage for the first time.
If anyone had mentioned Afrikaans music in the past I would shudder and think of those 'lovely' songs by Kurt Darren and tracks like “Rooi Rok Bokkie” off albums like “Al jy all time gunsteling treffers volume 7” But bands like Fokofpolisiekar, Foto Na Dans and aKing are changing the way Afrikaans music and Afrikaans culture is perceived, or at least how it is perceived to the uninitiated like myself.
Bellville Rock City contains a compilation of Afrikaans and English songs from the rather incestuous bands from Bellville including Ashtray Electric, Fokof, aKing and Jax Panik. A documentary; 12 Mile about the rise and success of the bands showcased on the CD as well as couple of music video and mp3's and a retrospective collector's 48 page booklet including quotes and pics of all the bands selected for the album. Altogether a great little package that captures the mood of the bands and the Bellville movement.
And what of the the album? Ashtray Electric kick things off with “Quite Overstated” definitely one of my favourite tracks off the album, incredibly catchy and soulful. Other songs to note are Fokofpolisiekar 's "Ontken and Alles", "Spaceman" by the Spring Bok Nude Girls, aKing's "I Believe", "Last Day December" by Thieve and Van Coke Kartel's “Buitenkant 2”. Some songs however for me fall a little short especially when compared to the better and more established artists. Tatum's "The Parade" being one of these songs that seems just a little too undeveloped and rough, which is a pity for it is the only track selected that has some female band members.
Who knows how long the Bellville band craze will last and if we will be seeing a new batch of bands emerge from the Bellville area? I get the feeling that this is it and the craze may be rather short lived though I do believe that things are just beginning for bands like aKing and Jax Panik and we will be hearing a lot more from them in the future. As Johnny de Ridder from Fokofpolisiekar and Die Heuwels Fantasties says in the 12 Mile docci they were just the "right group of people in the right place at the right time."
Welcome to Bellville Rock City hope you enjoy your stay.
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