Surprise at Paul Bothner

Written by: Clinton Koordom

Picture by: Anthony Koordom

Mark Haze with members of Cape Town alternative band Playing with Reason

On a day where I thought I would just pop in at Paul Bothner’s in N1 City, I read a notice at the entrance of the store stating that endorsee Mark Haze will be doing a meet & greet and having a talk later the evening. I waited a little over an hour to hear what the Idols finalist had to say and it was definitely worth the wait. Spotting him at the signing booth having a chat with manager Nicci Hayden, I went and introduced myself to the very friendly and down to earth musician.

Keeping everything very informal when his talk started, he spoke to the audience all about why and how he started out as a musician. At his current age of 29, I was surprised to learn that his musical journey already started at the shy age of 4. As many people are actually unaware, this was not the first time Mark tried out for Idols. His first attempt at the competition was back in 2002, when Idols initially made its debut on South African shores. Being told that his voice was too “rocky”, he went on his own path with the various bands he had been apart of over the years. Of these bands, the most notable would be 12th Avenue, who will remain the band behind this talented musician.

Continuing with his story leading up to his current success, the very uplifting and inspiring tale of his life captured the attention of all present including a young girl who had brought her guitar along for an autograph. Ending off with a short Q&A session, Mark Haze revealed some details ranging from behind the scenes at Idols all the way down to why he wears a chain on his pants. When the talking was done, those lucky individuals who had the opportunity to listen to his story were treated to a solo acoustic performance of his brilliant new song “Where Angels Fear to Fly”.

Catch Mark Haze this weekend at Obs Arts Festival on 9 & 10 December 2011. Mark Haze has been signed to Universal Music and will start recording his first album in January 2012. Keep an eye on this top South African performer, as only great things are in store.