Secret underground Music - The Cottage Club

Last weekend I found myself in a secret house/ shaped like a barn/ that held the presence of a chapel. It was built 10 years ago, to house beautiful music. It is run by a great couple, who are musicians themselves, and serves as a warm inspired platform for musicians to play in. It is set in the deep South of Kommetjie. It was my first time and I was filming none other than Marc Maingard. He is a gifted story teller, a wise soul, and a beautiful musician. He makes the best guitars in the southern hemisphere. I hope I can own one, one day.

Maingard Guitars

Live Acoustic

I'm playing this Friday, the 3rd of June at the River Club, with Matt Roux, Luke Davidson and Gavin Coetzee. All very talented and different musicians. I think it's going to be a great evening. Look at this beautiful poster Gavin made for it, I love the concept. Event organised by Andrew Williams.

Happy birthday Bob Dylan

So last week Bob Dylan turned 70. We all made a big fuss about it, and held a party for him. Cape Town's best folk musicians played tributes to him. It was super cool. And very special at the same time. More fun I've ever had in Mercury. ever. Here are some pics from the event. Organised by Gil Hockman.

Miss Texas 1977

Darren Roderick

Joshua Grierson & Amor Coetzee

Sixgun Gospel

Albert Frost

I spent the day taking photos of Albert Frost and Rob Nagel. They played at the Lievland Folk Festival on Sunday. I love the intense mood of the clouds in these pics, a perfect backdrop for the blues.

Folk Festival

What we are going to be doing on Sunday is a folk festival that takes place on a wine farm near Stellenbosch, called Lievland Wine Estate. It's a quirky mix of musicians and bands and all kinds of eccentrics. You can bring your own picnic and wine, and there's also wine on sale produced from the farm. The festival overlooks a dam, with a perfect view, and there are cows and horses and trees for the kids to play in. I love when Gil throws these events, because it means I can relax all day in the sun, take lots of photos and hang out. It's the perfect way to end your weekend. Here are some of my pics from the day...you can check out what we will be getting up to next summer here on the facebook group.

 

Albert Frost

Superette

Superette is my new favourite place. Wowza. It is a neighbourhood café in Woodstock where you can just sit and relax with a coffee, or enjoy a scrumptious and overly huge breakfast using the finest ingrediants possible. I'm normally a bit jaded when it comes to the restaurant experience, as they normally always let me down, but this place had me grinning from ear to ear. The service is great, the people are friendly, the menu is so good it's difficult to choose from, what more could you want? The menu is prepared by chef Lyndall Maunder and Aisha Redpath Treppo using locally sourced seasonal fare, fresh from farm to plate. It is open daily for breakfast and lunch, as well as their monthly Supper Club. Check it out, you won't be sorry: 218 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town.

Nate Maingard

Imagine a room filled with light, over the mountain, and down by the sea. This is where I heard Nate Maingard play on Friday night, in Scarborough. It is the most beautiful setting you could imagine. He played in his family's yoga studio, where he created beautiful sounds, on wooden floors, with ambiance and amazing acoustics. You couldn't ask for more. Nate is Cape Town based singer/ songwriter, in the Indie Folk genre, who spins poetry like it's the easiest thing to do on earth. I think he's my favourite male soloist at the moment, and that's a big statement because, as you know, Cape Town has a hugely talented Indie Folk scene exploding off it's charts. So go on Nate, I look forward to hearing what you create. I know it will be amazing. Listen to my favourite tracks here - http://natemaingard.bandcamp.com/

Here are some of my pics from Friday night's gig.

Happy Weekend!

Happy weekend everyone. This evening I will be watching friends play music, and tomorrow I'm having a craft day (Autumn always does this to me) I am playing two gigs next week, on Thursday and on Friday (Friday the 13th - oooh) so I must also practice a bit. Have a lovely weekend off.

Swings

This is what I dream of constantly.

Attic Studio

Right now I am dreaming about office space. A beautiful study at the top of my house. And what it would be like to work from home, or rent  a trendy office space in a shared Studio at the Biscuit Mill. It is my dream to have an attic studio at the top of my house one day. I reside alot of the time in a little suburb called Woodstock, in Cape Town. Here, there are the most amazing houses that you can renovate, which have the most beautiful light and space to work with. I guess its romantic, but I would like to live in a 3 tiered house, with mezannines and swings and ladders. And a front porch you can sit on and watch the rain.

 

Rainbow Cake

I've been mostly blogging about Music, and the bands I love in Cape Town. Well now I want to post a few cool pictures from the Coolest Blogs I frequent often. Just cause. I need some visual stimuli. I hope you find it stimulating too. The first one's from Lucky Pony, my most favouritist Blog in the world, and the rest are from A Cup of Jo, I love her stuff.

This cake fades from pink to white! And I mean, just look at the bunting!

Simple style, effortlessly

A Great Rack! :)

I wish I was more exciting and rode bikes more..

Andrew James

Andrew James, comprises of guitarist & singer Andy Jamieson and persussionist James van Minnen. Their songs are real, raw, and makes your heart want to explode out your chest. It is so damn good you've got to see it to believe it. Their music ranges from gentle ballads to improvised soundscapes you want to get up dance to, layered with looped guitar textures, sounds and effects. You really want to be listening to them in a forest. These guys are going to go far, mark my words. Cape Town you can be proud. Watch their beautiful craft here on You Tube.

https://www.facebook.com/andrewjamesband

Here are a couple pics I took of them at the Folk Festival this summer, on a Wine Estate. Organised by Gil Hockman. Certainly my best Summer Gig of 2011

Fulka

Fulka, is what you get when you combine the serious talent of singer/ songwiter Ola Kobak, and her husband and producer Jacob Israel. This Folk Band, has got to be my ultimate South African band at the moment. Alongside Ola, Jacob layers drum beats, vintage synthesizers and production; multi- instrumentalist Corné Roodt, playing piano, bass, drums, accordion and banjo; Christian Henn, whom the group describe as a kind of ‘song construction engineer’ and Jean-Louise Nel whom captivates with her backing vocals and viola.They are based in Jo'burg for now, but guys if they come to Cape Town, get there!

http://www.fulka.co.za

https://www.facebook.com/Fulkaband

Oh Sister Where Art Thou

They are cool, they are quirky, they are my mates. They are none other than OH SISTER, WHERE ART THOU. A new Cape Town band specialising in harmonies, percussion, and basslines... and a red ukulele! They are sisters Erica and Rosemary Lombard, who have teamed up with Simon van Gend of the Simon van Gend Band. I love them, I love them. They make me happy. Get yourself to their gigs, and listen to their  tracks here.

http://soundcloud.com/ohsisterwhereartthou
https://www.facebook.com/oh.sister.where.art.thou

These are some of my pics I took from their gig in the Secret Garden, in the House of Joy