Haal Asem Kwagga Tour - Q and A

Interview by: Ashley Brown

Van Coke Kartel, answers by Francois Van Coke:

How has it been performing with Z&G thus far?

It has been great. We have done many festivals together and always end up hanging out. We became good friends and decided to take this show on the road. The tour is only really starting on Saturday. We have done one show in Cape Town at Assembly and that was befok. Fans can expect a proper production with 2 well oiled bands.

What is the perfect amount to drink before a show? How much is too much?

If you are playing the wrong shit, then you had too much. I couple of shots to get you in the mood is more than enough.

Who has the worst bad habit?

Probably me( Francois). If I drink too much I go mal.

Does VCK have any traditions before getting on stage?

Not really. We try to hang out together for at least a hour before the show to get the vibe pumping.

What is VCK’s favorite Z&G song?

The Inside

Zebra & Giraffe, answered by Alan Shenton:

How has it been performing with VCK thus far? 

It's been awesome, they are such a great live act to watch! So it's great walking off stage and being
able to watch a great band!

What's the worst thing that ever happened to you on stage? 

Once my (Alan) guitar strap literally tore in half, and my guitar dropped to the
ground...I felt so vulnerable, haha...almost naked! Once, it happened to our
keyboard stand too, it's a little embarrassing to say the least!

Who is the biggest moaner in the band? 

Hmmm, that’s a tough one. Andrew definitely enjoys moaning the most though ;)

What is the bands favorite thing to do on tour? 

We love discovering great restaurants in the towns we visit, also driving the garden route is so so
beautiful... We love being able to tour but at the same time, see our beautiful country.

What is Z&G’s favorite VCK song? 

Our old favourite was definitely their single "Haal Asem" but they have been playing a new track called "Vir Almal" on tour thus far, and I think that’s definitely their best song yet!

PRESS RELEASE 



Zebra & Giraffe and Van Coke Kartel

Sponsored by: MK, Monster Energy, Jagermeister, Ray-Ban and Music Connection.

Van Coke Kartel, winner of the MK “Best Live Act'' 2010 and ''Best Afrikaans Rock Album'' SAMA 2010,
joins forces with the SA radio chart topper and winner of “Best English Rock Album” SAMA 2009, Zebra &
Giraffe, to bring you a dynamic combination of English and Afrikaans Rock that promises to be one of the
best live experiences in SA Music.

Van Coke Kartel are known for their balls to wall rock shows and Zebra & Giraffe for their eclectic sound.
Both are known for their great live shows. These two extremes in the local music industry are gearing up to
bring a show to your home town that can not be missed. Haal asem and get ready to party the stripes off
your socks!

Zebra & Giraffe

After the successful release of their second album ‘The Inside’ in September 2010, Zebra & Giraffe began
2011 in fine style with the release of the 2nd single ‘Terrified’. The song reached the Top 20 on the 5FM Top
40 and #1 on various campus stations. The band also scooped another SA first by filming a video for the
song entirely on the iPhone4. The video also reached #1 on the MK Top 10.

In May 2010, Zebra & Giraffe were nominated at the SAMA awards for Best Rock Album – their
2nd consecutive nomination in this category – they also performed their latest single ‘End of the Road’ live
at the awards show. Earlier in May, they were also invited to perform at the exclusive Musexpo showcase
in Hollywood, Los Angeles alongside bands from across Europe, the UK and America.

May also saw the release of their 3rd single ‘End of the Road’ which features a video shot by acclaimed
directing cinematographer Rob Malpage – the video subsequently spent 3 weeks at the top of the MK
charts. The band is about to release their 4th single to radio called ‘Undo These Lies’ with a video due to be
out in August.

Van Coke Kartel

Van Coke Kartel kicked 2011 off with supporting international acts Alkaline Trio and Funeral for
A Friend as part of the Ramfest 2011 Festival. Their explosive live performances during this tour
earned them recognition as one of the hottest acts in SA today. In May and June 2011 the band
visited London and Amsterdam to play various successful shows with the highlight of performing with
Springbok Nude Girls at the premium London venue Shepard's Bush Empire. The band will be returning

to Amsterdam in 2012.

Van Coke Kartel will be visiting Taiwan in July 2011 to play three shows in Taipei. The highlight will be
playing at the Hohaiyan Rock Festival with an estimated attendance of 500 000 music lovers.

On their return to SA, Van Coke Kartel will start pre production for the new album with Theo Crous at
Bellville Studios. The album will be released in November 2011.

The bands first single ''Vir Almal'' will be released (free download) at the beginning of September 2011. A
accompanying music video featuring the complete new band will be released at the same time.

Tour dates and details:

Date: 30 July 2011
Line-up: Van Coke Kartel, Zebra & Giraffe and DJ Sideshow
Venue: Assembly, 61 Harrington Street, Cape Town
Cover: R70 at the door on the night of the event
Pre Sold tickets: R60 via http://www.webtickets.co.za/assembly
Contact & info: Pierre Coetzee: +27 21 465 7286, +27 82 555 7789, pierre@theassembly.co.za
Time: Doors open @ 21h00
Other: Haal Asem Kwagga Tour 2011: The best South African live music experience.

Date: 13 August 2011
Line-up: Van Coke Kartel and Zebra&Giraffe
Venue: Aandklas, 43a Bird Street, Stellenbosch
Cover: R50
Contact: Marcus Oosthuizen: +27 21 8833545, marcus@aandklas.com
Time: Doors open at 18h00
Other: Haal Asem Kwagga Tour 2011: The best South African live music experience.

Date: 16 August 2011
Line-up: Van Coke Kartel and Zebra&Giraffe
Venue: Kalahari Teater, Redefine Boulevard (Old Game), York Street, George
Cover: R70
Contact: Dietlof Henn / 0448745000 / 0711371893
Time: doors open 18h00 / show starts 20h00
Other: Haal Asem Kwagga Tour 2011: The best South African live music experience.

Date: 17 August 2011
Line-up: Van Coke Kartel and Zebra&Giraffe
Venue: The Union, Steve Biko Building, Prince Alfred Street, Grahamstown
Cover: R50
Contact: Shane – 079 476 8898 | shaneyellow@gmail.com
Time: Doors Open 19h30
Other: Haal Asem Kwagga Tour

Date: 18 August 2011
Line-up: Van Coke Kartel and Zebra&Giraffe
Venue: Detroit Motor Spirit, Corner of Albany Road and Frederick Street, Port Elizabeth
Cover: R50
Contact: Shaakir Ebrahim / info@detroitsa.co.za / 0848277849 / 0415823777
Time: Doors open 19h00


Date: 19 August 2011
Line-up: Van Coke Kartel & Zebra & Giraffe.
Venue: Cool Runnings Fourways, Johannesburg
Address: Shop 30, Riverbend Junction, 1 Riverbend Road, Bloubosrand, Fourways
Cover: R50
Contact: 011 704 0987 | luke@stage-management.co.za
Time: Doors Open 19h00
Other: Haal Asem Kwagga Tour 2011: The best South African live music experience.

Date 20 August 2011
Line up: Van Coke Kartel and Zebra & Giraffe. Acoustic show.
Venue: Ridgeback, Centurion
Address: C/O Jean Ave and South Street.
Cover charge: R20 – general and R50 VIP & Stage area
Contact: 076 722 1115 /vickeyryan@gmail.com
Doors open at 18h00

Date: 24 August 2011
Line-up: Van Coke Kartel and Zebra&Giraffe
Venue: Memphis, 12 Esselen St, Die Bult, Potchefstroom
Cover: R40
Contact: Fabio / 0834444101 / memphisrock@live.co.za
Time: Doors open 18h00
Other: Haal Asem Kwagga Tour 2011: The best South African live music experience.

Date: 25 August 2011
Line-up: Van Coke Kartel and Zebra&Giraffe
Venue: Mystic Boer, 84 Kellner Street, Bloemfontein
Cover: R50
Contact: Theuns / mysticboer.events@gmail.com / 051 4302206
Time: Doors open 19h00
Other: Haal Asem Kwagga Tour 2011: The best South African live music experience.

Date: 26 August 2011
Line-up: Van Coke Kartel & Zebra&Giraffe - & Dance You`re on Fire.
Venue: Town Hall, 66 Carr Street, Newtown, Johannesburg
Cover: R60
Contact: Gert – 082 332 5772 | gert@thetownhall.co.za
Time: Doors open 20h00
Other: Haal Asem Kwagga Tour 2011: The best South African live music experience.

Date: 27 August 2011
Line-up: Van Coke Kartel & Zebra&Giraffe
Venue: Arcade Empire, Cnr Hans Strydom and N4, Pretoria
Cover: R60
Contact: Robert Peirera / 0720206120 / robert@iloveptown.co.za
Time: Doors open 19h00
Other: Haal Asem Kwagga Tour 2011: The best South African live music experience.

Updates on Haal Asem Kwagga Tour on:

http://www.zebraandgiraffe.co.za

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zebra-Giraffe/7527326422
http://www.twitter.com/zebraandgiraffe
http://www.youtube.com/ZebraAndGiraffe

http:// www.vancokekartel.co.za
http:// www.facebook.com/vancokekartel
http://: www.twitter.com/vancokekartel
Band Blog: http:// www.vancokekartel.co.za/dftwr

Hashtag on Twitter: #haalasemkwagga.

Van Coke Kartel and Zebra and Giraffe would like to thank: MK, Monster Energy, Jagermeister,
Ray-Ban and Music Connection.

Bohemia in August

ROBERTSON WINERY JUKEBOX

Turn up the beats and come out to Stellenbosch’s all time favourite hangout for another month of sweltering local rock ‘n roll acts at Bohemia Pub.
Brought to you for you for free, every Thursday in August, by Robertson Winery.

It’s all happy hours with no cover charge, very decently priced Robertson Winery box wines and Bohemia’s awesome drink specials from 7-9pm.

And don’t be fooled by how light this party is on your pocket. The line-up is
jam-packed with some of the hottest acts in (and out of) town:

4 August:

* Hot Water is one of SA’s most exciting musical projects; an Afro-Folk-Rock-Pop-Blues-Jive machine
beyond description. Authentic South African sounds and bringing people together is what the music is
about. Don’t bother finding a seat for this one, you won’t need it.
http://www.hotwater.co.za/

11 August:

If you believe in Rock & Roll, this one’s for you!

* There’s no need to introduce Taxi Violence. They rock it out their way and always will. http://
www.taxiviolence.com

* Supporting them are new kids on the block The New Mustangs, a 3 piece Rock & Roll act from
Cape Town. Their raw rock & roll sound “with a bit of a twist” is fast gaining appreciation in and
around their hometown. https://www.facebook.com/thenewmustangs

18 August:

* From the stomping grounds of Cape Town, Holiday Murray bring their carefree folk-rock sounds,
catchy riffs and beautiful charmonies to light up the smoky dance floor. https://www.facebook.com/holidaymurray

* Be sure to come early though, as you don’t want to miss another fresh Cape Town band, Irivine,
“putting the heart and soul back in to indie rock”. http://www.irvineband.com/

25 August:

* The month ends on a happy tone with The Rivertones, Cape Town’s favourite reggae band, renowned
for evoking the spirit and sounds of the late Bob Marley as well as bringin their own jamming to the
party. https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=64614208736

Masquerade Gig at ROAR

by Even_Steven

It was a chilly Friday night, more suited to dvd’s and popcorn than live music, but my friend and
i braved the chill to attend the masquerade gig at ROAR. Having seen 3 of the 4 bands lined up,
including the return of Gnolium after a lengthy absence, i knew it would be an awesome night. On a
buzz from the sushi i was having for supper, i lost track of time and completely missed the opening
band, Woodstock Mafia. I’m sorry guys, blame it on the rainbow rolls and fashion sandwiches. I’ll
catch you next time.

Firefly is an alternative rock band from the northern suburbs, sounding a bit like a mix of Paramore
and Evanescence, only heavier. I like that they have touches of older rock influences, like AC/DC and
Metallica. They just got back from their East Coast Tour with Ree-Burth, and their confidence of
touring with a bigger band showed. They got the crowd warmed up good and proper, and belted out
some good tunes. Their vocalist, Sarah Jade Haskin, has some good pipes and great stage presence,
and got everyone to bob along to the tunes. I particularly liked “Intoxicate” and “Bad Habits”. The
riffs and lead were sweet, and the stand in drummer did a decent job.

Next up was Gnolium returning after a lengthy absence. If you haven’t heard them before, a recipe
for them would sound something like this: Take one measure of A Perfect Circle, a half measure of
Radiohead, a dash of Tool, and a sprinkle of Chevelle, and you might get Gnolium. You might not.
Their sound is hard to describe because they sound a bit like all these bands, and yet they sound like
no one. Their drummer, Sebastian Guile, arrived back temporarily from overseas just a month back.
Needless to say, i was sceptical about this performance since they haven’t rehearsed together for
more than 6 months. They took FOREVER to sound check, before finally the curtains parted.

The opening song was rather lukewarm, but my scepticism soon faded. “De Ci Dre”
and “Ephemeral” were sublime, and the somewhat lengthy “The Distance Lost” as well
as “Decadence” were great as well. The female vocalist (when i could hear her) was also a nice
touch. More please. Only one question: Where was lead guitarist Greg Abrahams? No mention of
him or why he was absent. The extra bit of magic that he brings to the songs was sorely missed.

Monolith are from the Northern Suburbs and mould their sound around bands like Deftones/Staind.
I last saw them at the Niva Battle of the Bands final, and to be honest, they were awful – out of tune,
dropped drumticks, and some bizarre announcement that it was the bassist’s last gig, which turned
out to be untrue. But they had a new drummer this time as well as a guest rhythm guitarist, so i had
enough reason to hope for improvement.

My hopes were soon dashed. The vocals were flat and weak, with melodies that seemed identical
to the song played before. This was redeemed somewhat with their crowd pleaser “Misery” and
two new songs which sounded OK-ish. Some vocal training might help. Sarfaraaz Khan on bass was
the highlight; he played some nice lines and had good stage presence. The new drummer, Michael
Steyn, is DAMN good. However, what he was doing on drums didn’t quite match the rest of the guys
on stage. He needs to tone down, or the rest of the band needs to step up.

Thanks ROAR and the organisers for a great night out, no regrets on the missed popcorn and dvds

Q and A with Gazelle

by Ashley Brown


So I was watching the NY Love Gazelle by Vincent Lacroqc video, it seems you are having a good time in NY, does NY like the South African vibe that you bring to them?

Well so far NY has been a new start for me and it is always a humbling and testing experience. I can definatily say I am very fortunate to have met some amazing people that is helping me build things here and I am very excited to see what the next half a year offers. There is some super exciting things in the pipeline that I rather show soon than talk about now. One thing is certain, we have been filling the silos full of material that is ready to flow to the people.

I know many South African fans are a bit upset that Gazelle left South Africa, how often is Gazelle planning to be in South Africa?


I think fans definitely never have to feel that Gazelle had left South Africa. It is my home, it is where I am from and where I will always go to. This year alone we have been fortunate enough to do quite a lot of shows in South Africa and some other neighboring countries like Mozambique and Swaziland. The Atlantic has become like a river with a bridge over it with the amount of times we've crossed it this last months. We have been working on various new exciting collaborations with artists abroad that is coming to its state of completion. So we are looking forward to bring back to South Africa what we have been busy with in other parts of the world.

Oppikoppi is around the corner, are there any surprises waiting for the crowd?

Yes one massive surprise that  we have been working on for quite a couple of months... but I guess it wouldnt be a surprise if if I spill it to you now... so I can tell you if you can keep quite. 

Redbull Sound Clash vs Die Heuwels Fantasties made a huge impression, will Gazelle and Heuwels ever change the VERSUS to FEATURING?

Yup surely. Die Heuwels is really good friends of ours and we did a song together that we performed at the Soundclash called Binneindurban. This song has been in the mix for quite some time since both our schedules have been very demanding it has been tough to finish. But we hope to bring it to you very soon....Its gonna be a classic..were actually seeing Freddie in the studio tomorrow to take a listen to the first mix..

You are very busy with shows, but when can we expect a new CD and what sounds can we be expecting?

The first that is dropping in the next weeks is a single called LERATO which we did with a group called Perfect Losers from Paris. Then we got a whole bag of singles that are all collaborations that we had done with people like Peaches and Jack Parow..
This is followed by our Remix album, THE REVOLUTION WILL BE REMIXED that has got some of the most amazing producer talents from all over, Ben Mono from Munk, Claudia Ptoile, Lazyflow, Mix & Blend and a whole host of others..

The new album is a surprise but its been an amazing experience making it and I'm so looking forward to share with everyone.

Cape Town these days have a trend on Electronic music, what do you think about it?

I guess trends come and go... and come again... and go again....
We definitely consider ourselves as a big crossover band at this stage forging together the sounds of the organic and electronic.

Do you find that Gazelle has more supporters in America than in South Africa? And if true, why do you think this is?

Its been interesting for us traveling to so many countries and performing there since we had started to build followings of different capacities in various parts of the world.
But I still always know that the South African audience was my first audience and therefore will always be making music for them. 

Last but not least what sneak peak into the future can you give Cape Town Music Scene?

Too much secrets haha, maybe a movie...