The BedRock Diary 2003

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Wednesday 31 December 2003

And so, the curtain comes down on yet another big Bedrock year as we approach the eve of our 10th year of existence.  This has been a fine year for the band with a number of watershed events occurring - gigs aplenty (including that significant 100th), our huge success at the Windhoek Rock Festival, jamming with some great fellow musicians such as Roger Kaye and continued exposure of the band in trade publications.  So, let's steam into 2004 and let's see what the future holds for us all!

MAY YOU ALL HAVE A STUNNING NEW YEAR AND MAY 2004 BRING YOU ALL THAT YOU WOULD WISH FOR YOURSELVES.  DON'T FORGET THAT SECRET OF LONGEVITY - KEEP ON ROCKIN'!!!  

Tuesday 09 December 2003

A Rockin' Send-Off For Venetia Bound Steve & Cheryl

If there are ever a category of people deserving of a BEDROCK send-off in Oranjemund, it's Pete's neighbours who are the ones whose collective ears bear the brunt of the band's many hours of practices and comings and goings.  And Steve and his family definitely fall fairly and squarely right into the centre of this category!  Having recently learnt that Steve and Cheryl, with the kids, are off to Venetia it was decided that it would be a fine gesture for the band to bid them farewell at their Company farewell.  Being on the eve of a public holiday many of Steve's colleagues and friends were out of town, however, those that were around present themselves in fine order at the local Rugby Club.  After the speeches and formalities had been completed the band took the stage and duly ensured that this was one family of neighbours who'd be given a Mobile Party of a send-off!  Cheers guys, and that's for your fine tolerance and neighbourly spirit over the years - go well up there in the big, dry and HOT North!!  And don't forget to spin those Bedrock disks whenever you get the chance!!! 

Saturday 29 November 2003

"Fatso" Serenades Blommie On The Occasion Of His 50th! 

This was one of these occasions we had all been waiting for, basically, 50 years!  That's right, Blommie's 50th birthday celebration.  And being a man of discerning taste the Birthday Boy had selected the perfect venue for the occasion - the "Place Of Happiness".  More importantly his folks were in attendance, his Father being none other than the well known vocalist of his day, Johnny "Fatso".    Johnny is particularly well known in the Strand area where he has performed to local audiences for many year and, despite advancing years, still has a voice of quality and charm.  In due course, one people had settled down, Bedrock got into it for a while before announcing the guest artists of the night, Fatso himself.  Is the man an old pro, or what?  Leaning on all his years of experience as a performer, Fatso quickly had the audience's attention as he worked his way through a clutch of great songs, kicking off with "Blueberry Hill".    It was one of those occasions when everyone, the band, the artists and the folk in attendance enjoyed it all as much as each other.  Best of all was that Blommie was on his best behaviour all night, leaving us all to wonder where the "real" Kevin was!  Isn't it amazing just how well we can behave when our parents are around - even at 50 years of age!!  Have a good one Blommie and may life be kind to you over thew next 50 years.  And Thanks for letting us be a part of this special occasion.

Saturday 08 November 2003

Even "Loose" BEDROCK Rock!!

It was probably to be expected that, after all the excitement and adrenaline of last weekend's Rock Festival, we'd be a little loose on our return to The Don - and so it was to be! Not loose in the sense that the "wheels came off" but we just weren't as tight as normal and there were periods where our collective, and individual concentration, lapsed. I suppose it also proved for once and for all that rockers can improvise! I guess we just wouldn't be BEDROCK without these little "twists and turns" in our career. The gig started rather quietly, as has been the trend at The Don of late, however, by the time midnight arrived the place was fairly crowded and all they wanted was "more". Earlier in the evening we had run through our Windhoek set just to share with our local friends how that had gone. Our third set was the one that really geared things up with one party favourite after the other being churned out to the good folk out front. One thing that wasn't at all loose was the competition for the "Party Animal Of The Night Award". Previous winners, Cynthia Fire Engine and Bob Geologist, were present and threatened to join to the charge but both faded well before judgment time. An early pace-setter, Ronel Carats, maintained an enviable consistency throughout the night and could be the only winner. For a change the victor continued to party on long after the band had packed up so RC was certainly "on her game" on this occasion! But for now we are going off to work on some new material and to spice things up for the remaining gigs of the year. See ya soon - at The Don on the 05 December, if not before! So, until we meet up again - Don't Behave!!

Saturday 01 November 2003

BEDROCK Rock The Festival!!

Don't we just love it when a long range plan comes so beautifully together! In this instance it was the Bank Windhoek-sponsored Rock Festival, held at the Windhoek High School stadium grounds on Friday, 31 October - Saturday, 01 November. We were extremely flattered when we were invited, some months ago, to participate in this event. Not only would it be our first gig in Windhoek, even after having been around for nine years or so but, over-and-above that, it was a chance to play a gig alongside some real "names" on the local music scene.

So, on Thursday afternoon Eddie & Solange set off in their zippy little Corsa Lite on the long, tarred, road to Windhoek. Next morning, Bassman & spouse and Kenny took the alternative back road route through the many stunning, empty, kilometres of some of the best countryside Namibia has to offer. Past Aus, Helmeringhausen, Maltahohe and Kalkrand until we all met up in Windhoek on Friday evening. After booking into our "digs" we descended on the scene.

Busy entertaining when we arrived was prominent local muso Koos Van Zyl. The fact that the lighting technician had gone AWOL and Koos was, literally, in the dark didn't deter him from delivering a Top Notch performance! Also soon on the scene was the marvellously efficient Marian from Take Note in Windhoek - suppliers of quality instruments and musical services to the Band In The Sand! Elsewhere in the marquee was Stefan, Namibia's easily identifiable representative on the last "Big Brother" series. Lead man Kenny scored quickly obtaining a precious, and rare, autographed shirt from the BB personality for his daughter. Well, that's what he told us anyway - maybe it was for himself!!

Not having to play on Friday night was quite a treat as it allowed us to soak in the atmosphere (along with the beer and pumpelmussen) and get orientated. So, Friday evening was spent watching JUST JACK, BRIAN FINCH, DELTA BLUES and, finally, the headlining act, KAREN ZOID. Not having seen Karen in action before, we were pretty impressed. The Lady knows her stuff and is a great entertainer. We eventually broke free and found our way to our "pits" quite some time after the midnight hour.

Saturday it was our turn and, just after 7:30 that evening, we took the stage. We quickly got our sound sorted out and then, after a few brief words of introduction, ripped right into "Crowd Invasion". It was obvious that many people present had no idea what we would be producing. In fact, it seemed that some expected the very worst from this strange threesome from the Namib who played, what they called, "Desert Rock". Well, five minutes later they were no longer wondering anything as BEDROCK had revealed all - musically, that is! Just as we had rehearsed, we drove right into "La Grange" after "Crowd Invasion", followed by "Yeah, Yeah". By then we'd basically won the crowd over, if that's the right term. Not that they really needed winning over, they were just a bit apprehensive at first. (How do we know we succeeded here? Well, some of them bought bleedin' CD's didn't they?). Our next triplet of songs kicked off with "Take A Look", followed by "Mobile Party" and winding up with "Nothing Worries Me".

A quick introduction to the band and we were off again into "What Crap is That?" before pulling it right back for our final song, "Rock 'n Roll Man 1". For us, the whole experience was capped with a brilliant performance by, both, the sound engineer and lighting technician. Guys - you were really stunning!

Then we were off stage again, 33 minutes after hitting the notes of our first chord. What a rush!

Come sunrise we were on the road back to our desert enclave again, 1000 kilometres distant. But did the miles matter? No ways! It was all so worth it. The only downer of the weekend could be the lack of support from the public but, hey, this didn't effect the music and we all had a great time. A special Thanks to all those who made us feel so welcome, as well as those who helped us with "this and that". Hopefully we'll see you all again next year!!

Saturday 18^th October 2003 

BEDROCK Stumbles On The World Cup “Blues”!! 

Okay, so let’s blame it on the World Cup “blues”.  I mean, we know how passionate southern Africans are about Springbok rugby and little hurts more than a loss to the Poms.  And that’s exactly what happened today – defeat in the preliminary round of the World Cup to the English.  Even after a good round of golf and a bit of free booze, such a “disaster” is hard to cope with.  And this must have been the reason why the party spirit deserted the local golf club for last night’s gig.  Admittedly it had been a pretty long day as well and the sandstorm and chilly weather after nightfall didn’t help but, usually, Oranjemunders will rock on through all of it.  But on the back of rugby defeat?  No chance.  And so it was against this background that we set up on the stage in the marquee and, bolstered by a good meal, got into the swing of things.  Well the band did anyway!  What support we did have was pretty spirited and, as usual, we enjoyed ourselves.  Rocking along we successfully managed to drive what people were there out within the space of three sets so it transpired to be a rather rare early night!  To those who lasted the distance, thanks for your support and unmitigated praise.  Thanks, too, to sponsors B&E for supporting local music in lieu of “imports” as well as to all those who kept us supplied with pumpelmussen.  See you all soon…

11 October 2003

ROCKIN' DOWN THE AISLE WITH THE BAND IN THE SAND!

After catching a few hours sleep and with the sounds of the Don still ringing in our ears, it was time to hit the road for McDougall Bay to make our appearance at that hamlet's society wedding of the weekend. For those of you who are unfamiliar with these parts, McDougall Bay is the sleepy, but beautifully picturesque, seaside settlement just south of Port Nolloth some 90 kilometres from Oranjemund in South Africa. After being lost for a short period of time (and trust us, getting lost in McDougall's is not that easy!) we found our way to the venue, a magnificent double storey guesthouse slap-bang on the beach. The welcome we received was extra special and, in next-to-no time, we'd set up, sound-checked and were lounging around taking in the stunning ambience and vista. It was around about this time that our charming hostess, the bride of the day, wondered whether we couldn't play the Wedding March seeing as how the recorded version could not be located. Mmmmm…we hadn't actually practiced it but we'd see what we could do. With Kenny's fingers deftly running over his guitar frets he soon had it sussed out - praying that we could remember it when the time came! Good humour - as always with this band - was abounding and I guess it took some folk in the vicinity a while to get used to it. Once they did, they were away! We all marvelled at just how calm the bridal couple were - not a hint of stress, fatigue or anxiety as they took it all in their stride. Four o'clock arrived and, with the lawn full of wedding guests, we took our cue to break into the bridal march which we did - with power chords!! What was meant to be a Hendrix inspired piece of guitar innovation turned into a virtuoso performance closer to Guns 'n Roses "November Rain" than it did to a "Star Spangled Banner"-tinted version by Jimi. Man, it was that good!! The timing was perfect as it lasted just long enough for the bride to make it from the verandah and across the lawn to the Minister. The formalities were soon over and it was time to rock. And rock we did. Big time! It is hard to believe that it is possible to have two incredibly good successive gigs, but that is precisely what happened this weekend. Whilst The Don saw us surrounded by familiar faces, McDougall's was fresh territory but, boy, did the folk give it their all! We knew, from the outset, that we were amongst friends. This was also one of those occasions where the band just played on…and on. Eventually people were bopping on the stoep walls, clambering overhead on roof supports and, generally, just going crazy. There was just no end to it. But it had to end sometime - sad, but true - and, after playing a second or third or fourth "one last one", we could strum on no longer. Time to put our feet up and enjoy a couple of really cold, refreshing, drinks. Thanks to all the wonderful folk who were responsible for these extremely enjoyable occasion - and an especially thanks to Cassie and Andre for deciding to get married on the day that BEDROCK were playing in McDougall's!! Also to Fanta for playing a leading hand in teeing our visit up. And, finally, to all the wonderful folk at the wedding, from far and wide, Thanks for your hospitality, friendliness and support….especially those guys who were roped into helping lug our equipment about due to the odd gammy leg here and there! We hope to see you all again soon!

Friday 10 October 2003

100TH GIG ERUPTS INTO A PARTY TO BE REMEMBERED!

There we were on a Friday night thinking how quiet it was - and seemed likely to stay - as we worked our way to the end of the first set. It wasn't absolutely dead but the masses weren't exactly falling over themselves to get to the bar! Perhaps people had partied excessively at last weekend's bierfest, or maybe there were just too many functions simultaneously on the go? Nice thoughts…but pretty useless ones, too. And so it was back to our "duties" and on with the second set. And then it happened - the place just suddenly erupted! Where they all came from, we do not know, but come they did - in their throngs. Within the matter of half-an-hour or so the ambience at the good old Don was transformed from an almost sleepy Friday evening into one huge mass of partying souls. Now, you must understand, we've been playing gigs at the Don for nearly ten years and, in fact, have played more gigs there than anywhere else. So we've seen the Don in all its moods. We know "quiet", "not so quiet" and "definitely not quiet" pretty well. And this evening was at the absolute extreme of "definitely not quiet". All this, of course, was extremely satisfying as this gig was our 100th public appearance since setting out as BEDROCK back in 1994. We had hoped for something special but this response was beyond our wildest dreams. Caring for our supporters is, as you will know, high on the band's agenda and so we thought it would be fitting to give everyone in attendance a complimentary glass of champers to mark the occasion. Maybe this had something to do with what happened!! As the night advanced activities just became more and more hectic. Quite what prompted people to start hoisting their pals onto their shoulders is anybody's guess but, hey, it was something different for a BEDROCK gig. Like a herd of jousting giraffe the lively bunch of doubled-up party animals bopped and swayed the songs away. Even Kenny's gammy leg (I promised not to say too much about this rather unfortunate "injury" and so I won't say any more than this…) started to return to full comfort and mobility. Like I said, it started to return…but it never quite made it all the way there. As with all fantastic occasions, this one seemed to be over almost before it had started. Selecting a "Party Animal Of The Night" presented us with a really tough choice and, in the end, we had to award it on a group basis to the fantastic crowd of youngsters who had charged at it all night. What it is (was?) to be young!! Not a gammy leg in sight…

Friday 5 September 2003

Bedrock Trio Debut Leaves Them Breathless At The Don!

Like they say, you can't keep a good band down and so it proved to be with our latest appearance at the Don. Did we rock or what? It would have been reasonable for our faithful following to wonder what they'd be getting as a three-piece and, boy, did they find out! Not that we haven't played as a three piece before. Way back in the mid-90's Charlie, Pete and Eddie were a trio for a time after Pete Krog's departure. More recently, of course, the band topped the opposition at the 2001 Battle Of The Bands competition as a three piece when Mike couldn't make the gig. So, the feeling isn't entirely unknown to the guys. Difference is, this time the band have worked on putting together a really, good, solid and full three-piece sound. And didn't it just work a treat. With the fine folk of the village (together with a whole host of "strange faces") steadily streaming in the venue had filled, basically, to near capacity by the time the second set was halfway through. The band unleashed their array of new covers with ZZ Top's "Tush", followed soon afterwards by the Equals' great old hit, "Baby Come Back", Slade's "Cum On Feel The Noise", McGuiness Flint's "When I'm Dead & Gone", George Thorogood's "Move On Over" and "Bad To The Bone" and, last but not least, a sensitively delivered (by Kennuf) version of that great ZZ Top piece that's as close to a ballad as they're ever likely to get, "Rough Boy". All ingredients essential to a great party mix. So infectious was the mood that even our erstwhile publican hit the dancefloor to rock with the patrons - could this be a first? With a birthday and an anniversary to celebrate amongst the audience, the occasion was special in more ways than one. It was also great to see a number of fellow village musicians there, both from Snoblind and Jetfuel. Thanks for the support, guys - always good to see you giving us a bit of a hand out! As usual, competition for the "Party Animal Of The Night Award" was intense with more than one past winner threatening to make it a double. Friend Cynthia, although starting with a burst of energy, started to wilt quite early due - or so her story goes! - to being up at 03:00 the previous night. Now why would anyone want to keep up that early for a Bedrock gig - even the advertisement in the local rag said we'd only start at 10:30? Strange excuse. Then there was last month's winner, old friend "Doppies" who had calculated that playing blues harp badly might advance his case. Bad call. Nice harp, Doppies - but don't give up your daytime job! The birthday boy, Andries you-know-who, was also given an opportunity to render a version of his favourite song - "Midnight Special". This was an interesting exercise as our Birthday Boy obviously thought that the song only has one sixty line verse - and treated it as such. Quite interesting having to play the verse chords through the chorus. Best thing is that he never noticed a thing!! Hopefully our Birthday Boy will use the next twelve months to practice before his next birthday. Anyway, the important thing is that the performance contributed to the general hilarity of the evening. And so we rocked on through to the other side, as they say. The "Party Animal", at the end of the day, was a fairly easy choice as most of the participants had expired leaving but one obvious "survivor" - Well done, Jo, you certainly expended some energy in winning this one. Enjoy the pumpemussen!!

Sunday 10^th August 2003 

Hot Front On Way As Bedrock Trio Cooks Up A Quiet Storm 

Saturday 05 July 2003 

The Night The East Weather Turned The Medicine Man Into A Party Animal! 

True to Bedrock form, just when things are going well we decide to try something different.  In this instance it was the decision to move our usual month-end Friday night gig to a Saturday night.  Now, as all self-respecting Oranjemunder's know, if you want to party in this place Friday night is the night.  Oh well, we’ve just proven that again in case any of you are interested!  There again, we’re not as dumb as we look – or behave!  You see, the move was made so that young Dan Shout, who arrived today for a short visit, could gig with us.  It’s always a lot of fun for us, and you guys out there, to have young Dan on board pitching in with some saxophone and keyboard.  Besides, it also looks good on his CV – you know…that he has played (again) with Bedrock.  (Not!).  Anyway, things became even more complex when Pompous Pilot advised that he had unexpectedly to fly the following morning and needed an early night’s sleep. I mean, can you believe it?   (We thought aero planes had autopilots for the convenience of tired – or drunk – pilots?  Will someone please explain what all this cumbersome technology is for, if not to give rock ‘n roll pilots a little leeway!).    And so, we got down on it and rocked.  A couple of new Bedrock originals were aired for the first, these being the Kenny Ramage penned “Drinking On Saturday Night” and Dave Mac’s funky little number, “Funkman Blues”.  Yeah, baby, let it all hang out!   As per usual our eagle eyes were scanning the scene for a potential “Party Animal” of the night and the Medicine Man staked an early claim with his air guitar, air vocals and air dancing routine.  Little did we know at that time that the man would just grow stronger and stronger through the night!  There were one of two brief challenges from other quarters, including a spirited scene of the Best Of Dance From Woodstock ’69 from one latter day Michael Flatley-inspired clone, however, these counter-challenges were quickly snuffed out by the Medicine Man who was on something of a roll.  Perhaps, in the best tradition of the West, the magnificent East Weather ensured that nobody was immobile through being frozen – although the gout the following morning would have been another story!  As we anticipated, 11:30 duly arrived and Pompous Pilot quickly and discreetly packed and headed for his cockpits (one, his bed, the other, his aero plane!) and tip-toed out without leaving the slightest trace of a vapour trail.  Pete, Kenny, Eddie and Dan stretched the evening out a wee bid, though, with a couple of closing numbers before they, too, decided that drinking would be much more fun – and so it was to be.  (By the way, have we ever had more drinks bought for us than we had last night?  T’was enough to sink a bleedin’ speaker stack!  Thanks ever so much for kind folk – you are all wonderful at displaying your appreciation of the best that rock has to offer).  Anyway, it was fun and we hope you had as good a time as we did – ‘til next time – Cheers!

Saturday 14 June 2003

You Say It's Your Party? Happy Birthday To You!

The day dawned on a beautifully sunny and warm Oranjemund day, something of a rarity in mid-winter. Still, the warmth undoubtedly put the spring back into the community's footsteps (as it did with the band's, too!) as we positively bounded about with energy in setting up our rig at the Oranjemund Rugby Club, the site of today's birthday gig. Make that a double birthday gig. All was set for a great day as we kicked off in the cool shade of the braai area with our first set at about 13:00. Dave "Pompous Pilot" MacMillan looked a real sight with a large, plastic, creepy crawlie dangling down the front of his face as it tried to graze a non-existent mole off his forehead! Pete, as usual, was fashionably dressed having foregone his Mandela shirt this week for a more conventional Bedrock band member's top. Eddie, well, he was his usual conservative self. The one person who couldn't be beaten for appearance on this occasion (and, trust me, this makes a change) was Kennuf, sporting a very hairy 'T' shirt on a Scottish theme. The theme? Oh, a good, old fashioned, Gaelic "Kiss My Ass!". With a virtual fashion show on hand how could the band fail to entertain? Having made a collective - and significant - fashion statement (let's see how many people dress like us in weeks to come!), we rocked into - and on - with the show. Minutes before the kick-off in the South African versus Scotland rugby Test we fell into silence, as everyone repaired to the Big Screen to watch the game. 90 minutes later, and with a victory to the Springboks in hand, the party guests were ready to kick up a gear. "Birthday Boys", Corrie and Alan, were doing well although Alan was idling in wait for his "second wind" early in the evening. Too much excitement the night before, perhaps, Mountain Man? With a nice crowd of supporters joining us in the braai area, we continued to provide solid rock entertainment until it was time for us, too, to join the festivities. The evening was a total gas - good food, good company, good "refreshments", good dancing and, hey, Good Times! Thanks to the Birthday Boys for looking after ourselves so well and for making use of the one and only BAND IN THE SAND! May you both have many, many, more such occasions in the years ahead.

Friday 06 June 2003

Bedrock Banish Winter Blues!

It was cold.  It was windy.  It was dark.  It wasn't "going out" weather.  But that all changed when the Bedrock gang descended on The Don and fired up.  Everything instantly warmed - inside the venue, that is.  Okay, so the booze helped a little but what the heck.  The trickle of folk through the door quickly turned into a bit of a Crowd Invasion as party mania took hold.  They were all there, from the four corners of our little society.  A number of people declared their early intention of competing for the "Party Animal Of The Night Award" and even the present holder, Bob Rock Doctor, was on hand in an effort to defend his title.  The onslaught, however, was more than he could contend with - especially at his age!  The result was that, after announcing the interim standings of the "Party Animal" leader board, Bob did a "wheels up" and vanished.  Needless to say, we're still looking for him!  It was also a multi-birthday occasion in the village, with at least four such instances being brought to the band's attention.  We hope you all had a great day and, for those of you who were at The Don, a fantastic evening, too.    The night fairly sped away as the band kept the dance floor busy with the ladies, generally, proving they had way more energy than most of the guys.  Keep it up girls - there can't be too many bands around that have better groupies than you lot!  Before we knew it the midnight hour had passed by and we were into our last couple of numbers.  Still, there had to be the "Party Animal Award" announcement.  This honour went to our very own Birthday Girl, Solange (Eddie's better half), who adjudicated Cynthia You-Know-Who as the recipient.  Well done, Cynthia - we do hope you'll be back soon to defend your title.  The band would also like to officially declare that we acknowledge that you're certainly fitter than any of us - and at least your brains stay in position  when you "mosh"!!!  To those new faces who were in attendance - great to have you at one of our gigs.  We guess you enjoyed yourselves as most of you seemed to have made it to the end of the night!   Please come back as a party's always guaranteed.

Saturday 24 May, 2003

Early Dawns, Mushy Prawns, Seal Skins and Even (More) Rumours

Saturday morning saw us all descending on the previous evening's birthday boy's comfortable homestead for a champagne breakfast.  Birthday Boy looked surprisingly fresh - as did the champagne and orange juice - which was quickly poured (and consumed).  A short distance away in the kitchen the breakfast steaks (marinated in Tobasco sauce - mmmmmm...) sizzled away.  The signs for a enthralling day were there for all to see.  For those of you who have ever been required to entertain, you will know that it is never a good idea to start the morning of a gig day with an enjoyable activity such as a champagne breakfast!   Just as worrying was the type, and number, of party animals who were descending on the address.  There were some real hooligan types gathering and discretion  definitely suggested that - if there was to be any gig at "Rumours" that night - it would be prudent for the band to make themselves scarce.  Okay, it could be implied that Schalk's message was that here was the party - right at his breakfast table...errr...bar.  And we were definitely not left in any doubt of that!  Still, rock muso's - like cowboys - don't cry so we climbed in fearlessly.  Needless to say, the champers soon ran out as we washed our divine steaks down with copious quantities of "breakfast juice".  When the re-supply team was dispatched to procure further stocks the Bedrock folk knew it was time to beat it.  To stick around would be to entice consequences that weren't even worth contemplating!  We duly extricated ourselves and went into town before all meeting up again for lunch at a waterfront restaurant.   The weather was sublime, the mood relaxed and the menu comprehensive.  Lunch went down quite well apart from Dave's mushy prawns which, he concluded, had absorbed too much water during the freezing process.  Anyway you folks out there - beware mushy prawns.  They can really spoil your day.  Never mind what they could do to your musical talents and abilities!  Kenny, on the other hand, couldn't stop rabbiting on about how superb his Thai curry had been.  Between that and his insistence on placing his newly acquired seal skin shoes on the table, the decorum of the occasion soon deserted us.  Oh yes, his Good Lady also spent half the lunch parading up and down in her newly purchased bargain-priced fancy coat.  At least they disproved the theory that there's nothing to be had in the shops of that quaint little town.  Anyway, we took the afternoon off to give Dave time to sort out his dreaded (almost hated!) gig list.  Even with his spouse's assistance it was a photo finish, the task being completed just before set-up time at "Rumours" pub.  (Yes, he did curse the bass player continuously during this process but, hey, that's what bass players are for!).  The gig duly kicked off at eight with an early crisis being overcome when the Ozzie Osbourne wig suddenly declared itself after hiding away for a number of hours.  Sneaky wig.  If you don't behave yourself we'll glue you into place.  Should be fun on the Citation!    All went well and we did reasonably well from the door and a fair quantity of Bedrock gear moved as well.  All-in-all a tremendous weekend - apart from the fact that Champagne Breakfast Birthday Boy and his entourage fell over hours before this gig and never even made an appearance.  So, to all you great Buchters up there - Schalk and Dalene, Dawn and Pieter (and offspring) and all those of you who supported us many, many thanks.  We do appreciate it and we will be back!! 

Friday 23 May 2003

Dust, A Birthday & A "Cover" Story

No trip to Luderitz is ever without one constant factor - dust!  And so it was to be on this occasion for those of the band who had to travel in the gigmobile.  Reliable and stately she may well be, but dust-proof she is not!  Notwithstanding this fact, the trip was pleasant and stress free.  The most amazing coincidence of the day occurred when we bumped into Dieter Noli at the Luderitz end of the trip where we were all waiting for a security gate to be opened.  Dieter is the "desert tramp" featured on the front of our latest CD, "So, Where's The Party?".  As soon as he heard we were off to make a party that evening he joined the caravan and threatening to see us later.  Anyway, apart from that the trip was pretty uneventful and soon after arriving we were setting up and sound-checking in the German Club Hall.  The initial shock that some band members immediately felt over the non-availability of beers at this stage of proceedings was, thankfully, soon overcome and affairs proceeded as planned.  A dry progression, true, but this probably expedited things if the truth be fully known.  There was, admittedly, an extended period of "hide 'n seek" whilst various band members tried to figure out where the light switches were but, hey, we're not electricians.   Still, all these slight impediments were overcome and, at the duly appointed time of "shortly after eight o'clock" we kicked off.  The occasion, for those who may not be aware of this, was a double birthday party for local Buchters, Schalk and Daleen.  An early bit of fun materialised when Dieter Noli, true to his earlier word, made an entrance in the garb (and hat) he is pictured in on the cover of "Party?".  He immediately entered the spirit of the occasion by repeating his "crawl" across the dance floor and up and down the stage steps.  Actually, he nearly the did the treasured "family jewels" a mischief when he bounced down the steps rather unceremoniously but no permanent harm was done.  Well, we hope not.  To say that Schalk was out to enjoy his own party would be nothing short of an understatement - he was going to be certain that his 40th was going to be a celebration to remember forever!  Shirtless he partied, pranced, cahooted and gyrated his way through the evening, the compleat "life & soul" of his own party.  Schalk, in fact, probably has been the best guy to ever play a birthday gig for because his appreciation knew no limits!   Daleen, on the other hand, was the perfect lady and never disgraced herself in the slightest.  Just goes to show - sensible people can resist Bedrock's "temptations".  The gig finally drew to a close and, after packing up, we headed off to Kapp's Hotel for a restful night's sleep.  Hope all you folk who were there enjoyed the party - we certainly did! 

Saturday 17 May 2003

BEDROCK Rocks at Candle Rock!

At long last - our Rosh Pinah dèbut!  After our previously aborted attempt last year, what a pleasure it was to finally be able to bring our particular brand of rock to the Candle Rock Riding Club's inaugural event.

 Brimming with our usual exuberant levels of enthusiasm, optimism and bonhomie we set off for Rosh Pinah at 09:00 this morning, arriving comfortably in time for our 11:30 start.  The folks behind the event had excelled themselves and the band's playing area had been established perfectly to spec.  What a pleasure it always is to play for people who are so well organised!  The fact that there were so many familiar, and friendly, faces about made us feel even more at home.  Why, there were even quite a few folk from Oranjemund in attendance - just shows how exciting Oranjemund is on Saturdays!! The weather was playing along beautifully - blue skies, windless and pleasantly warm.  It must be said, however, that Bedrock's arrival and entrance wasn't quite in keeping with our "rock heroes" status.  Not only had we failed in our bid to secure an executive jet to arrive in style (finance was a problem) but, when we did arrive, the gigmobile's engine died as we rolled to a halt a few metres from the venue.  (You people would have been forgiven for thinking that, if this is the arrival, what the hell's the rest of going to  be like!). What a blow - having your fan base having to push you and your equipment to the stage!!  Still, this is the beauty of Bedrock - our supporters are always well and truly involved.   Okay, so maybe our mechanical support wasn't quite there but our musical "chops" certainly were.  Well...for the most part.

 Setting up was pretty straight forward after we sorted out a power supply.  First song gig up was a newie, JJ Cale's "Crazy Mama".  From there we worked through a protracted session, keeping the folks musically entertained for well over one-and-a-half hours before taking our first break.  Talk about giving it your all!  In the meanwhile the potjie competition was, literally, going up in smoke and people keep talking about pot to the extent that we were all quite confused by 14:00.  Still, the beers were ice cold and the "witblitz" was, well, memorable.   In due course the winners of the potjie competition were announced - amongst much friendly dissent from certain elements of the crowd.  As a purely unbiased and detached view, Bedrock reckon that there was definitely some "inside trading" and that Ingrid's ranking of Gerald's pot may have had a hint of collusion about it!  Of course, the other phenomenon that struck us were the number of raconteurs that are to be found at Rosh Pinah.   Rarely have some many people wanted to make some many speeches to so few people at one occasion.  Every time we turned our backs there was another "Toastmaster" wanting a mike!! The next club to be opened at Rosh Pinah must be a public speaking one, surely?  Don't forget to invite us to that one, too, please.

 Well, after the prizes had been dished out we played a couple more songs ending on our current anthem, "Crowd Invasion".  By then the gymkhana was in full progress and it was time to load up and depart.  With the assistance of the assembled masses we pushed, pulled and guided the gigmobile into a position where it could be loaded.  That completed, another few strong shoves saw us start up and slowly make our way into the distance.  For Kenny and Pete it was to be a long, and eventful, journey.  You see, about two kilometres from Rosh Pinah the gigmobile's engine chucked in again amidst a cloud of dust and smoke.  With Dave & Eddie having uncaringly fled kilometres ahead of us in a wild plunge for the Oranjemund Golf Club, Pete & Kenny were well and truly on their own.  Fortunately it was on a downhill and Kenny, strong as an ox after an adequate intake of "witblitz", gave the gigmobile a mighty shove downhill (backwards, of course!) and we were mobile again.

Humming "Mobile Party" in unison, the fearless duo slowly travelled on, across the barren plains of the Sendlingsdrif desert flats, meandering along the Orange River and up into the lifeless Daberas hills.   The sun set and went and, so, too, did the gigmobile's lights.  There we were battling along in pitch darkness, Pete praying for an early rising moon and Kenny asking him constantly if he could "see anything".   Never underestimate the value of local knowledge, folks, as we avoided colliding with galloping gemsbok and ne'er wandered from the centre of the road.  The clock was counting down, however, as the darkness grew ever more intense and the gigmobile's engine, ever more rough.  And then it finally happened.  Gigmobile - engine, lights and all - coughed its last few horrible chugs and died!  The good news was that we had plenty of beer but, having non reflective labels, they weren't going to save us from the dreaded tail-end shunt that might be anticipated on such a dark, dusty, remote, desert road as this.  Suddenly, to our rear, a pair of powerful headlights punched the night sky as an oncoming vehicle approached at powerful speed.  It is on occasions such as these that heroes are born - and so it was to be with Kenny who, without concern for his own safety, volunteered to be a human shield and to place himself, rather cunningly, in the middle of the road with arms flailing to (try) to warn the oncoming vehicle of our presence.  If he succeeded in that ambition and the vehicle did stop without first pulverising him, we could, perhaps, ask for assistance.  If, on the other hand, the vehicle didn't see the un-luminated and small-of-stature Kennuf, well, we'd probably have had to slide him under the door back to his wife!!  Good news - as you probably would have guessed by now - is that the driver did see Kenny, did slow down, did stop, did tow us in and did see us home alright.  Thanks Tobie - we will definitely get you that case of Hunters you so richly deserve.

And so another exciting day in the Life Of Bedrock came to an end.  Hopefully it won't be too long before we get to gig in Rosh Pinah again so that we can really get in there and shake 'em down!! 

Saturday 05 April 2003

BEDROCK Does A "Floater"!!

Ah, at last, the advent of one of the most eagerly anticipated social days on any Oranjemunder's calendar - the annual "Anything That Floats Day". In fact, this one was in serious jeopardy until, literally, the last minute due to the number of "floaters" drifting down the Orange River. Not with me? Quite understandable really, so let me expand. Every now and then, when the Orange River's waters are particularly low, this toxic algae washes into the river and travels downstream. This algae seems to be generated, in part, by human and animal waste and can cause very unpleasant things to happen to one who swims in the waters and, especially, one who drinks the said H2O. It is rumoured that not even copious quantities of beer will wash the taste out of one's mouth! So the impending arrival of this "floater lurgy" nearly put paid to the Yacht Club's plans for their own "floating" competition. The good news, however, was that the river algae was slower than the Yacht Club's committee and an algae-free day was duly enjoyed.
At the duly appointed time, early afternoon, the boisterous and enthusiastic crews gathered around their rudimentary craft and joyously launched themselves into the race at the sound of the hooter. As usual, there were craft of all sizes and shapes, most of which seem to have been designed to create resistance on the water. Indeed, marine engineering skills seem to be particularly short in this little town of ours. Nevertheless, it was soon clearly evident to the gathered throngs of on-lookers, that staying afloat and winning were secondary considerations to having a good time. Don't ask who won because I don't think that even the judges know but an extremely festive time was had by all.
Back on terra firma and it was time for the BEDROCK lads to take over - and the Crowd Invasion was immediately entered into. With the added attraction of Dan Shout guesting with us with his array of saxophones, the party vibe was quickly triggered with the horns featuring on material from "Summertime" to "Dancing In The Moonlight". Of special note on the day was Eddie's beaming face as he got to play his newly acquired microphone drum network "live" for the first time. The Old Man of the band, Dave MacMillan, also managed a monstrous smile when he managed to surround himself with monitors so pleased was he to be able to get closer to the sound of Pete and Kenny's voices!
The afternoon and evening were one of rare climatic beauty - the entire area basking in clear, blue, sunshine-filled skies and a sunset over the sea that cannot be easily described. A fitting close to a thoroughly enjoyable day.
Well done to the Cormorant Yacht Club on a fantastically organised and wholly enjoyable event.

Sunday 16 March 2003

Have You Used Your "Vote" On www.samp3.com Yet?

The mp3 download of "Crowd Invasion", one of the tracks off our latest CD is presently sitting at No 22 on the samp3 charts so, if you haven't yet downloaded it and have a couple of spare minutes, please go to the site and do so.

Don't forget that you can also subscribe to our regular Newsletter at the home page of our web site at www.bedrockband.com  Just put your e-mail address in the subscription panel and the next edition will be delivered to your desktop.

Saturday 8 March 2003

Mike & Georgia Tie The Knot!

Congratulations to Mike and Georgia on their Big Day today and may you have many, many, many happy years together.  (Hope Mike got to the wedding on time!).

Mike, of course, recently left the band in anticipation of his marriage and probable departure from Oranjemund thereafter. 

Friday 28 February 2003

Dave Makes His Début

The day started on a very sombre note when Kenny learnt of his Father's passing in the United Kingdom and it was a moot point whether the gig should continue.  It was Kenny's wish that it did.  I am sure that you will all join us in passing commiserations to Kenny on this sad occasion.

And so it was that the show went on and Dave "Pops" MacMillan made his début with the finest band he's ever going to be associated with!  The good people of our little village had, once again, turned up in numbers looking for a good party and we had no intention of letting them down.  

We kicked the first set off with Bedrock's anthem, "Rock 'n Roll Man", and let two songs pass before thrusting "Pops" forward with his rendition of the Eagles' "Tequila Sunrise".  Needless to say, this was beautifully performed and the harmonies were absolutely stunning!  From then on it was full charge as we worked our way through a bit of Status Quo, Bryan Adams, Doobie Brothers and, of course, a sprinkling of Bedrock originals like "Bronto Saw Us", "Take A Look" and "Yeah, Yeah".

Closing the first set we took a short break before turning up the pressure a bit more, launching into "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" as the pipe-opener to set two.  Our new rendition of Bad Company's "Shooting Star" was well received, as was Dave's ("Pops") very laid-back treatment of the Doors' "Light My Fire".  The one that really took everyone by surprise was, however, the Shadows' "Apache".  The folk just couldn't believe they were seeing Bedrock doing the Shadows but they were - and those who were present will always be able to say "We wuz there!".

Onwards and upwards we went, tearing into the third set with "Paranoid", Dave dutifully togged up as Ozzy looking resplendent in his long wig and yellow tinted glasses.  (To tell you the truth, he took this so seriously he even shaved off his little goatie beard!!).  The crowd just loved Ozzy and it's clear that we'll have to bring him back before too long.

Thumpers like ZZ Top's "La Grange" and the Kinks' "You Really Got Me" filled the air before we floored them all with yet another beautifully melodic Shadows tune, "Wonderful Land".  The set closed with Tull's "Locomotive Breath".

Our encore set put the icing on the cake for what had been another memorable occasion, opening with "Crowd Invasion" and closing with "Goin' Home".  At somewhere around one o'clock our job was over and it was time to drink beer!

Party Animal Of The Night?  Well, there could only be one winner - Darryl Weidemann if for no other reason than the fact that he recognised all the songs!  Well done, Darryl - we hope you'll be back to defend your title.

 Friday 31 January 2003

"So, Where's The Party?" Is Launched Amidst Much Fanfare!

At last, the moment everyone (in that band that is!) had been waiting for - the release of our third, and finest, CD to date with its fun-provoking title of, "So, Where's The Party?".  The months of recording, writing, rehearsing, mixing, producing and to-ing and fro-ing with CD manufacturers, graphic artists and other connections had finally reached fruition.  To mark the occasion we chose Don Esteban, our most centrally situated local watering hole, as the venue for this auspicious event.  And they were all there - folk from every walk of life in our community, tinkers, jesters, business people, visitors, artisans, managers, fellow musicians, media representatives and the unemployed alike.  We set ourselves a precedent but setting up inside the pub, abandoning our traditional performing patch in the courtyard area of the establishment.  This in itself presented a bit of a challenge when the pool table refused to budge as it was stuck fast to the wooden floor, however, as soon as we told our mate Andrew that the table had sworn at him (behind his back, of course!), the retaliation and was swift and violent and the table was soon enjoying the great outdoors!    With the table out of the way everyone had far more space in which to party - and party they did.  With the opening formalities over we kicked into our first set, relying on all those old standard covers that bring instant party success with them.  A dozen songs later the festive spirit had well and truly taken hold.  With the over-extended bar staff running their butts off trying to meet the demand of the dehydrated masses, the band took a short break to  make their contribution to the pub's turnover.  Outside in the patio area, people were "parking off" and, of course, making their purchases at the Bedrock shop.  Newly acquired Bedrock caps and supporters' shirts adorned a number of figures in the vicinity with more than one purchaser jealously guarding their recently acquired "So, Where's The Party?" CD.  Our second set featured twelve songs off our latest release and, despite being new material to many of the folk, the feel good factor of the music was soon there for all to see as they packed onto the dance floor again.  As we swung through our selection the songs received immediate approval with instant crowd pleasers from "Nothin' Worries Me" and "What Crap Is That?" to "Crowd Invasion" quickly taking hold of the crowd's party genes.  Onward we worked into our final set, again a selection of crowd-pleasing favourites.  At the end of the night we thought we'd get away with one encore set but, no ways, not tonight China!  We just knew we wouldn't be that lucky so a second encore set was quickly presented.  Finally, at about 01:30, we played our final chord and the reason for the occasion had been satisfied.  Not that that, in itself, sent anyone home.  No ways!  There was still time for a good, old fashioned, mining town bar scuffle and, once that was over, and the crowd was refocused, there was still plenty of drinking to do.  Not that we joined in, mind you.  No - we had answered our own question and had found, and exhausted, the party!   Finally, a few words of thanks and acknowledgement to you folk out there.  The fact that one of our greatest supporters, Gilbert, had travelled all the way from Cape Town by road to share the occasion with us was most humbling.  This gig also marked Sylvia's (Gilbert's better half) last attendance at an Oranjemund Bedrock bash.   I dare say that she and Gilbert will see us "live" again, however, for now they are moving to Cape Town so they'll be deprived of their monthly fix of Bedrock.  Go Well, you two, and thanks for the incredible support over the years - we're gonna miss you at our gigs but we will make sure that the spirit lives on.   Then we owe a huge vote of thanks, once again, to the local community who, as usual, turned out in numbers to support this occasion which meant so much to the band.  Thanks, particularly, to all those who bought CD's and Bedrock merchandise.   The same appreciation goes to Jessica and Kyla who did a stirling job running the "shop" for us and, last but not least, to Uta and her hardworking crew of staff for hosting the event for us and satisfying the demands of what was, undoubtedly, the biggest crowd this establishment has ever seen.  For those of you who haven't ordered our latest CD (or any of the previous ones yet) and would like to be part of the fun, you can do so by dropping Pete a note at:  sandmaster@ananzi.co.za  Do it!! 

Wednesday 1st January 2003

A Happy New Year y'all, and have a great 2003.

Pete is on leave at the moment so I just thought I'd take the opportunity to point out a few features in regards to this site.

• The official email address to contact BedRock is BedRock@bedrockband.com
• Have you downloaded your BedRock 2003 Calendar yet? You can find it here.
• To subscribe to the BedRock Newsletter, just pop along to the main page, fill in your email address, and press the subscribe button. Easy Hey?
• Did you miss an issue of the Newsletter? Have a look at the Archives.
• Have you added your name to the BedRock Guest Book? If not, why not?
• To purchase any of the BedRocks CD's, just pop along to The Shop.
• Did you know that you can also purchase BedRock t-shirts and caps?
• Rhodesian Music. Interested? Then just click here.
• And, last but not least, BedRocks latest CD will be released at the end of January 2003. If you would like to place an advanced order, just send an email with your postal address to - Sandmaster@ananzi.co.za

Cheers,
Kennuf

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All Music Produced by "Criminal Records" at "Dining Room Studios"

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Editorial Comment and Diary by Pete Shout.

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