The BedRock Diary 2005
Back to Main Diary Page
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL - MAY
YOU ENJOY A BLESSED AND SAFE HOLIDAY SEASON!
Saturday 17 December 2005
Rocking
The Christmas Spirit!
In
Full Christmas Cry
They say that you can never really predict how gigs are going to pan out
and this was one of those occasions. The reason for this is that we
normally play our final gig each year around the 10th December, depending
where the closest weekend is. This time we couldn't use that
weekend so decided to push our luck really hard and see who'd pitch up on
the 17th, a week before Christmas Eve. What you've got to understand
about this is that, in our desert town, everyone gaps it for the Christmas
school holidays. Whilst most places elsewhere are bustling with
throngs of Christmas holidaymakers we usually turn the lights out!
Against this background it was a total guess as to whether anyone rolled up
at all - never mind how many! But, as we've said before, Bedrock are
enthusiastic if nothing else. Like I said, one can never predict and
guess what? Yep, they rolled in...nearly 100 of them! What an
absolute pleasure on a warm and sunny desert afternoon. We were soon
underway and the good folk, with a sprinkling of visitors to town, were soon
doing their chilling out thing.
 Once
again there were a few particular highlights of the afternoon.
Firstly, Dave was able to parade his brand new "baby" (no, not the
grandchild born the other day - he's not allowed to hold that one in case he
drops it!). This "baby" is his new 50th anniversary limited
edition Fender Stratocaster. Unlike most babies, this one doesn't
whinge or cry but, man, can it make a noise! There is just one snag,
however, and that is that the instructional DVD that was supposed to
accompany it is missing. So, if any of you come across it please get
it along to Dave so that he can learn how to play the damned thing!!
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the day saw us present the
"Party Animal" prizes (there were two this time because it's
Christmas)  to
the oldest recipients ever! Yes folks, we had two very gracious ladies
there who, despite being well into their 70's, partied all the way with the
best of them. Even after the younger chicks had tired from all the
dancing (or was it the drinking?) geriatric rock was still dominating the
dancefloor. The other wonderful thing, of course, was that - for once
- Dave and Pete had members of their own age group in the audience!
Thirdly, we discovered some interesting facts about a few of our
supporters. Some of the guys - and we will not divulge their names  without
a small gratuity - were seen, not only dancing with other guys, but chatting
up the grannies too!! In fact, this smooth talking ended up on the
dancefloor where one of the "suspects" was captured going for some
Dirty Dancing with a member of the Granny Rock brigade.
"Yes ma'am, we know a couple of good lawyers if you'd like to talk to
us about it..."
Well, as you can guess, it was a lot of fun and a great way to end off
the gigging year.
Friday 04 November 2005
Rockin' With The Mafia!
It's office Christmas party season again and this was a
long-standing arrangement with the band to entertain those mobsters from
SAJV in a Bugsy Malone-themed evening. It was actually a very special
evening for the band for two really BIG reasons. Firstly, you see, when
the band made their public debut
more than 10 years ago it was at this very venue - the local Gun Club - for a 50th birthday
party. From that night onwards, the die was cast and the band never
looked back, playing loads of gigs thereafter. Apart from never
looking back they were also never invited back to this particular
venue! Could there have been some sort of message in that
oversight? So this was, to some extent, was a bit of a homecoming.Secondly,
this was the first time EVER in the band's history that  they
got to witness a whole bunch of nubile (okay...okay...and some not quite so
nubile!) ladies doing the can-can as a precursor to the band taking the
stage. We're not sure how this was arranged but PLEASE could we have
some more! Granted, it wasn't that friendly to our pacemakers but, man, we
could have at least died with smiles on our faces! Anyway, it took the
senior members of the band a while to regain their equilibrium which is why
it was just well that there were a few speeches and what-have-you.
The
evening's co-ordinator and hostess, Wilna "Drops", had got
everything just right, from the choice of venue, the decor, the food and the
theme. The band was one member short as the booking had been taken
before Heiko had joined us and, as Murphy's Law would have it, he wasn't
available for this gig. No matter, Dave leapt forward with his usual
panache and in next-to-no time we had rattled out a whole lot of standards
to fill in the gaps. Come the night, we were soon up to speed and the
good folk of SAJV made our job very easy but dashing onto the dancefloor
with enthusiasm. The formalities were keep nice and short and the
festive spirit truly prevailed. It's always special to find some new
"Party Animals" and that was the case on this occasion when
Steven and Naomi Muller outclassed all their opponents. Well done,
you guys - we hope it won't be too long before you return to defend your
title!
Saturday 01 October 2005
Gigging With An Icon, Heiko's Debut & the
"Lodge" is Launched!
 When one talks of action-packed days little could
compare with this, trust us! Ostensibly, the band had been booked by
local entrepreneur, Fanie Smit, to play at a the official function to mark
the opening of his latest project, the "Op My Stoep" lodge.
(For those who are not familiar with the Afrikaans dialect, that means
"On My Verandah"). The lodge has been a dream of
Fanie's for many a year, however, his initial attempts to gain approval for
its birth from the "powers-that-be" had been repeatedly
thwarted. Fanie is, however, persistent to the extreme as he knew he
needed somewhere permanent where he could really let his passion for
accommodation and catering, as well as flair for organising a good party, go
mad! This tenacity eventually bore fruit when, in early 2005, he was
given the "green light' to build his lodge. As is typical of the
man, he wasted no time in turning talk into brick and mortar and within
weeks a number of extremely comfortable chalets had taken root in what had
been the dry, dusty, hostile dirt of the local Riding Club's redundant
gymkhana rink.
Okay, so a pretty big occasion but, really, for
BEDROCK, just another gig. Not so! You see, the first important
aspect about this day was that our latest addition, Heiko Doedens, made his
debut as our lead vocalist. And, boy, did he drive the young chicks
dilly or what!! Not his fault, mind you, but when you've got what it
takes, you've got what it takes! Actually, making your debut is one
thing but this baptism was really on a very large stage - in Oranjemund
terms, that is. Listen to this...not only was the young man stepping
out for the first time in a fairly coveted role as the band's lead singer
(something new for the band, too...we've never had a real male singer
before, let alone a proper male Lead Singer!!), but he had to do so in the
presence of a giant of the South African songwriting and performing scene, a
man who has been in the game for more than forty years and performed
with just about anybody who is somebody and can boast dozens of records and
hits of his own...yes, it was none other that the fantastic John
Edmond!
Dave, Heiko & Pete rock
along
To Heiko's credit, it just never let the occasion
overwhelm him (they raise these kids tough in Namibia, that's for
sure!). Well, BEDROCK got proceedings going with their first set just
to settle everyone in before handing the floor over to John at their first
break. This is when the real treat commenced as John, ably assisted by
his charming wife, Teresa, ran through a set of his most popular numbers
from "It's A Long Way To Pasadena", to "Round and
Around" and, of course, "Toy Train". As we all sat
there watching John weave his magic, it was hard to believe that we had such
an icon of the Southen African music scene in our midst.
Having started to earn his Oranjemund keep, BEDROCK
then returned to the floor and, with John taking on lead vocals, we moved
into a set predominated by rock 'n roll standards. John experience
blazed through as he led us through a number of timeless standards such as
"La Bamba" and "Kansas City". The Edmond magic was
an instant success as the dancefloor just filled from the opening
chords. At one stage John was even heard to declare (softly) that was
"just like his Bushcat days".
Well, the tone of the day had been well and truly set
and, as John stepped aside at the end of his energetic rock 'n roll burst,
Heiko took his place to lay down some harder rock sounds. And he
didn't fail us, or the audience! And, wow, she just kept rocking and
rocking until we couldn't rock no more!
Needless to say, the competition for the "Party
Animal Of The Day Award" was stiff and uncompromising and, rather
incredibly, it was one by one of our "almost senior" citizens, Bob
Burrell. Not that this is Bob's first award - if he's around he always
puts in a mighty challenge. On this occasion, however, the award was
something to be especially treasured and a contrast to the usual 750 ml of
liquor usually dispensed - in view of the occasion that this was, Bob
procured himself an autographed copy of John Edmond's brilliant "By
Request" CD. Well done, Bob, you triumphed against the best that
the local "Party Animals" could muster against you!
Saturday 23 July 2005
Grandfather Rock!!
On of the great things about being a
"senior" rock musician is that you can celebrate things that don't
happen to younger bands' members. In this instance, the arrival of a
bonny new baby. You see, when this happens to younger musicians it's
normally theirs, however, when they're a bit older it qualifies them as a
grandparent!! And what a joyous start to the day this was with the
news that Dave had become a grandpappy again - yes, it's not for the first
time! (And don't forget that Eddie's also a grandpa). There can
be few things better to celebrate that the advent of a baby and did we make
sure that the occasion was appropriately marked. Congrats Dave &
Wendy - we're sure you're mighty proud of the new arrival and all our best
wishes go with you and the family.
A modest celebration in view of the
fact that the baby wasn't in town!
Saturday 02 July 2005
Just Like Old Times...Bedrock Rock "The Don" Well, as we had promised, Bedrock were in full flight at The Don
on the occasion of their eagerly anticipated come-back gig of 2005.
And a merry occasion it was, too. In recognition of the event, the
band were promoted by the pub's management from the "left hand
corner" to the "right hand" one. That won't mean a
lot to you who haven't  ever made it to The Don but it means we have
migrated across the courtyard...a small step for mankind but a LARGE one
for the band! You couldn't make the move before because there were some
obstructions in the way but the path was cleared for us when the
proprietor bludgeoned what was there out of the way. For the first
time ever, we ever have permanent doormen now for our gigs and the best
part is that they also double up as roadies. Talk about striding
ahead! Anyway, and as is usual in our little desert enclave, there
were a few counter attractions on the weekend in question, however, our
friends were there loyally as usual and the vibe got off to a nice,
smooth, start when we started to rock at about 4.00 pm. We'd taken a
bit of a gamble with the mid-winter weather but, hey, the sun always
shines on Bedrock and that's what it did this day. (The fact that it
was Bassman's birthday may also have had an effect). It must be
said, however, that competition for the "Party Animal Of The
Day" award was a little slow to begin with. Perhaps folk were
overawed at some of the stunning performances that have won the accolade
before. Perhaps others doubted they were up to the challenge.
Personally, I don't think they'd had enough to drink as yet because as
sunset got closer, the competition got tougher! Some previous
winners put in brief spurts to recapture former glories but, this time,
the zest and energy of youthful bodies held sway. There was
something really special about this gig and that was the number of
"smaller folk" who had accompanied their parents, sisters and
brothers - it was unprecedented...and a wonderful ploy for grooming
Bedrock supporters of the future! Hope all you little ones enjoyed
good, quality, music - much better than all that electronic junk dished up
on MTV, hey? Don't answer that! There were also some old
Bedrock followers there who happened to be visiting our oasis - great to
see you guys again, Corrie and Glen. Hope you had a great
time. (Just say "Yes"). That's the nice thing about
a Bedrock gig - you can bring the whole family from sprog to Granny or
Oupa. Oupa doesn't even have to turn up his hearing aid! As
the afternoon slid away below  the
horizon, the evening fell and the band played on...and on. By then
the braai fires had been lit and a warm glow filled the courtyard.
The numbers of people "dancing in the dark" held firm, as final
bids were put in for the "PA" prize. Indeed, the darkness
even seemed to bring in a few faces who definitely weren't there in
daylight. Once again it was so lekker being able to lay a whole lot of new
material on the audience, one of the benefits of a long lay-off and plenty
of work behind the scenes. Granted, there was the odd rough edge
here and there but, hey, this is "live" performance and anything
can happen! Finally, the time arrived to announce the winner of the
"Party Animal Of The Day Award" and the choice was easy as there
was a clear winner by some way. Better still, she'd never won it
before, so well done, Trisha - this is one you really worked for!
Let's hope you'll be back to defend it soon. And then the gig was
over (amidst the usual chorus and cat-calls for "more") and we
were packed and dusted. All this was followed by a good meal at The
Don and relief at having finally returned to the music scene. Thanks
to all those who were there and we really look forward to rocking you into
summer. For more
pictures of the comeback gig, just surf into our photographs page...
Monday 20 June 2005
There's a Party Brewin'.... As
promised, folks, the show is just about back on the road!
Notwithstanding a number of unavoidable interruptions, the "Band In
The Sand" have been doing some serious rocking in rehearsal and our
come-back is set for the late afternoon of Saturday, 2 July, 2005, at Don
Esteban ("La Cantina" to some of you), Oranjemund's favourite
rock venue! We've given our repertoire quite a face lift but, stay
clam, all the old favourites and crowd pleasers are still there.
We've also brought in some new touches and innovations but we won't give
the game away by telling you about them before the gig - just be there to
see them! We've also been sprucing up your favourite band's website
and there's a new write-up in the HISTORY pages and, of course, updates to
the BAND entries. So, it's exciting times of us all. Now don't
forget - Saturday 2 July from 4:00 pm at The Don - and remember...you
gotta rock if you wanna roll!! Don't
forget that our regular Bedrock Newsletter still exists and is available
on your desktop for FREE!! Keep up with all the band's goings-on with this
highly entertaining publication produced by the band themselves.
Just subscribe at the foot of our home page.
Wednesday 04 May 2005
There's Something
Happening!
Well, as promised in our last entry, Bedrock are
staying on track and we're busy rejuvenating ourselves. We're not
going to say too much about it right at the moment but there's the
definite prospect that the and will back back on track, gigging
"live", in the not-too-distant future. That should keep
you interested! We're not going to reveal too much right now as
everyone enjoys a surprise, don't they? Too bad if you don't -
you'll probably get one anyway!
Tuesday 08 March 2005
Lying Low – But On The Go!!
 Hello out there to all our loyal followers, as well as those of you who
drop in less often or those who are, indeed, experiencing BEDROCK for
the first time. Yes, we’ve been a bit quiet so far this year as we’ve
absorbed further personnel losses to the band – actually, even we are
finding it quite hard to keep up with who’s in the band these days and
who’s not!!! At the last count our most recent recruit, Roxie Fichardt,
had decided that she was too young to take the pace and duly “called it
a night”. That happened during our break for the New Year season so was
probably quite well timed. Since then we haven’t managed to fill the gap
but, there again, it hasn’t exactly been one of our priorities. For the
moment, then, we’re just three – Pete, Eddie & Solange. We’ve also had
all sorts of technical hitches with the websites through no fault of our
making but here, once again, our departed (to Cape Town!) but eternal
BEDROCK brother, Kenny Ramage, has come to the rescue and, after
considerable effort, managed to get us back on line. Fanks, Kennuf! What
we really need is to find ourselves at least one better-than-average
guitarist and a good lead vocalist but, in this little desert haven of
ours – where snorting gemsbok and screeching jackals are more common
than musicians! - this is far easier said than done. So, we’re on the
look-out. Meanwhile, we’re taking a break from “live” gigging and
touring and are concentrating on composing demo songs for our next
album. We’ve also got a few other ideas “boiling under” in terms of
projects so please do not think that we’re sitting on our butts!! So,
please bear with us as we negotiate our way through the present “sticky
patch” due to our depleted ranks and stay up-to-date with our activities
and progress through this page or, more especially, our regular FREE
Newsletter. Our CD’s and merchandise are also still available so let us
know if you’d like to buy that “imperfect” gift for someone special – or
dispensable!!
Saturday 11 December 2004
The Stoep, Bunny Chow & Rock 'n Roll!
What a pleasure to be back at one of our old haunts,
"Op My Stoep". With the good folk of Oranjemund - well, those that
weren't away for the long weekend, trickling in we got into the swing of
things just about 3.00 pm. It was hit, muggy and windless but did
anyone care? No ways! The beer was ice cold, the vibe
wonderfully relaxing, the company excellent and, hey, we were all into
having a good time. With Fanie churning the Bunny Chows out from
that magical pot of his and Party Girl Louise entertaining her farewell
guests, together with the pool hustlers, there was a bit of something
for everyone. We were having such a great time that the sets just
flew by and, before we knew it, 7.00 pm had arrived and it was time to
pack up. What a cool afternoon! Thanks to all of you who
helped make it. We're now off on our seasonal break so do enjoy
the festive season which, we hope, will be one of peace and joy for you
all. For those of you who will be on the roads - druie safely and
get there in one piece!
Tuesday 07 December 2004
Rockin' The Little Theatre Once More!
This was a mid-week corporate gig to
mark a special occasion and we entered the spirit of the event totally,
right from our "Village Of Learning" posters displaying the BEDROCK
STORY (So Far!) to having ourselves a roadie and a lighting and sound
engineer for the night. This type of gig is always a bit different
to the usual pub-type party. These gigs require a lot harder work.
It was great, though, to be back performing in the local intimate
theatre venue, the Little Theatre, and with nearly 100 folk seated the
atmosphere was great. The audience was an intimidating one - all
high up hobnobs of the corporation with quite a few out-of-towners
present but it wasn't long before BEDROCK were winning them over.
This gig was a one setter and, although our preparation hadn't been as
good as it may have been (through no fault of our own), it was a happy
and solid gig. Net result - more BEDROCK "friends" had been found
by the end of the evening. Thanks for the support, folks...and
please come back! Friday 26 November
2004 A 10 Year
Celebration Of Note - The Waitin' Was Well Worth It!
Well, it's taken us quite a time to get up and running
again but the unanimous opinion was that the waitin' was worth it!
And what an occasion to make a come-back - a celebration of BEDROCK's
10th anniversary! For once all the factors played along - great
weather, our favourite venue, plenty of folk to support, a great reason
to party and, best of all, everyone had been paid so there was lots of
money to be parted with! Eagerly the crowd packed into The Don
wondering what the Band In The Sand would be laying on them with their
new band personnel line-up. Plenty of old faces were there with
more than a sprinkling of new ones, too. What, they wondered, was
in store for them after the past successes of RECOVERY and SO, WHERE'S
THE PARTY? Even the many ladies attending a nearby Ladies Dinner
had asked the band to defer their start to allow their arrival.
(Sorry, Ladies, we can do most things but not THAT!). By 20:30 the
braai fires were starting to warm up as Ou Andre got to taking care of
the wors rolls. Elsewhere old friends renewed acquaintances whilst
others claimed their seats under the open skies. But the one
quality that was everywhere was EXCITEMENT! And then the moment
arrived and the new look BEDROCK took centre stage. With Eddie
counting us in we got straight into it blasting off with a Jean Michelle
Jarre standard which really caught their attention. To say that
the keyboard-based sound - after all the years of rip rockin' guitar -
caught them by surprise would be an understatement. This was
BEDROCK like they'd never been heard before. Suddenly the presence
of BEDROCK SUPPORTER shirts blossomed as folk declared their loyalties
and, pretty soon, the "Party Animal" contenders started to make their
presence felt. Up front old BEDROCK pal Ivan You-Know-Who
came forward to do his rendition of "Blueberry Hill" whilst Happy
Birthday was sung on at least three different occasions! Next up
was the first wave of pumpelmussen and, from then onwards, the party
pysche had really taken hold! The band worked their way through 3
1/2 sets of their new material - plus a couple of old standards chucked
in for good measure. The tribute medley to South African music
caught the imagination as folks were transported back in time with songs
like Peanut Butter Conspiracy's "Understanding", the Outlet's "Working
On A Good Thing" and the Square Set's "Silence Is Golden". Throw
in a bit of Bryan Adams ("Back To You"), Bruce Hornsby ("Valley Road"),
REM ("Stand" & "Electrolyte"), the La's ("There She Goes"), Opus ("Live
Is Life") and BERROCK's own "Last Round" and you start to get the
picture! The competition for "Party Animal" was frenetic with two
awards eventually being made - female Party Animal was Ronel Fourie (as
chosen by the BEDROCK rock chicks) and male PA was Charl Coetzee.
Well done you guys - you certainly sweated for it - literally!
To the band's two brand new debutantes - Roxie and Solange...Well Done,
girls...you were both awesome!!
Sunday 07 November 2004 We're
Back - Just In Time To Celebrate Our 10th Anniversary!! It
seems hard to believe that six months to the day have slipped by since our
last diary entry - just goes to show how busy we've all been!
Actually, to relate the precise details for, and reasons behind, our
"quietness" would take an awful lot of space so let's just deal
with it in a nutshell... When axeman
Kenny left Oranjemund for Cape Town's greener pastures the likelihood
existed that he would be returning to our desert town quite
frequently. This prospect encouraged us to think that we could keep
the existing line-up of Bedrock going, being the hugely talented and
professional musicians that we are! Well, our enthusiasm was
short-lived as, after our May gig and a change of jobs for Kenny, it was
clear that any visits that would occur would be few and far between.
Once we'd reached this realization it was clear that we would have to
re-invent the band. It was a major stroke of misfortune, particularly
coming in Bedrock's 10th year of existence but it couldn't be helped.
And so, the search started... Our little
hamlet is awash with aspiring "musicians", however, many are
little more than beginners. Those that are competent are, either, in
bands of their own, prefer playing on their own or are not interested in
being in bands. But we persisted - and this persistence paid off when
a very special talent was unearthed in the charming shape of Rozane Fichardt.
Rozane has been around for a couple of years but had confined her music
skills, largely, to church activities. Having said this, she is a
highly competent pianist who, as luck would have it, was feeling like
"stretching her wings" and trying something new. And that
"something new" came in the shape of BEDROCK. Although
Rozane didn't have a "rock chick" background she is an amazingly
quick learner with a brilliant ear and she's slotted right in as though
she's been into it all her life. She comes with quite a few other
"plus" points, too. For a start, she's a helluva lot better
looking than Eddie and Pete, has a better sense of humour (at least her
quips are funny!) and definitely oozes class. The guys in the band
just can't keep up! All the while we kept
casting about for a guitarist and "proper" vocalist but due blanks
in both areas, despite the energy of our search. Eddie then came up
with another or his extremely rare bright ideas when he suggested in
bringing his Other Half, Solange, in on percussion. We tried it out
and, hey, guess what, it sounded pretty good. And, so, for the first
time in BEDROCK history the girls are not out-numbered!! Welcome
aboard Roxie and Solange - people just don't know what they've got to look
forward to (yet!). So there's the nutshell I promised... We've
been practicing hard and have generated a completely fresh repertoire.
Looking back the change, although disruptive, has probably done us the world
of good forcing us to be a bit more innovative than usual.
There're a number of new originals also on the brew, a few of which will be
foisted on our unsuspecting audiences in the near future. We
are now fully set to "go live" and will be doing so at Don Esteban
in Oranjemund on the night of Friday, 26 November, 2004. It should be
a great weekend in all as, both, Bedrock and Namdeb will be celebrating
their respective 10th anniversaries. We'll be playing from 20:30 -
01:00 that evening. In anticipation of a particularly big night, the
Don's restaurant will be closed to allow us to perform outside in our
favourite spot under the stars. Food will be on sale from the braai
fires and entry will be N$10.00 per head. The usual Bedrock nonsense
will be going on - "Party Animal" awards and suchlike. So,
if you can get there, don't miss it as we rock on towards the end of the
year. We have plenty of dates pencilled in
for next year so watch this space or subscribe to our Newsletter. Meanwhile,
keep Rockin' 'n boppin'!! Friday 07 May 2004 BEDROCK
- The Trio - Rock Rob Into His 50's As
we have previously said, never write a Bedrocker off! Yep, Kennuf is
back with the band for this major event on the Oranjemund social calendar -
the celebration of General Manager, colleague and friend, Rob Smart's
50th. And what a venue - the old diesel powered Power Station in the
centre of Oranjemund. Once hailed, at the height of its existence, as
the southern hemisphere's largest diesel fired power station, the
building had become run-down and dilapidated in recent years after its
decommissioning. Finally something had to be done and so it was, with
the premises being restored to something of a pleasant-to-the-eye edifice in
the heart of our settlement. The "Old Lady", as she is
affectionately known locally, had been chosen as the venue for this big
occasion. I don't think we could ever claim to have played in a larger
indoor venue, that's for sure. In fact, there's probably not a bigger
indoor venue in Namibia! Also brought in for the occasion was fellow
musician and master drummer, Glyn Berridge. Glyn is well known
throughout the region for the Corporate drummer sessions he
facilitates. The challenge he had been handled for this occasion was
to co-ordinate the biggest mass drumming session that had ever been convened
in Oranjemund, if not the country. Rob, too, was going to fulfill a
life-long desire to sing a song with a live band. Things started well
with a rehearsal the night before the big event when, duly lubricated by a
steady stream of ice cold Tafels, we integrated the band with Glyn and Rob's
routines. Duly practiced we steamed into the night itself. Glyn
got proceedings underway by facilitating an extended drumming session
featuring 250 first-time "drummers", each enthusiastically
pounding the skin covered oil drum between their respective legs with heavy
drumsticks. Have you ever heard a noise like that in a huge,
cavernous, extremely acoustically-unfriendly monolithic structure like the
"Old Lady"? I tell you, it was something to behold!
Quite how BEDROCK's "integration" with the drumming season worked,
threading a very rocking version of "Locomotive Breath" through it
all, is anyone's guess - I defy anyone who was involved in the exercise to
provide a balanced perspective on this!! But it was great fun -
and that's what's important. This period of aural insanity was
followed by proper musical order when Dave McMillan took the stage and
settled us all down with a set which sounded like music. Boy, did we
need it by then! Once Dave had done his thing, BEDROCK returned to
restore chaos. We quickly found our groove and the dance floor soon
started to show signs of life. The highlight of the evening was Rob's
participation as lead vocalist on "Have You Ever Seen The
Rain?". Suitably attired by the band in a psuedo Bruce
Springsteen look-a-like guise, Rob immediately took command of centre stage
and blew the audience away with his panache. Well done, Rob - your
performance will be eternally remembered by all who were there. The
beauty about this gig was that we only played two sets - the second set also
removed any lingering doubts about the ugly rumours that have persisted as
to whether the band's members know their words, chords and arrangements
off-by-heart. They don't! There was absolutely no doubt about
this after they'd been robbed of their music stand light for the second set,
being forced to produce a busking performance par excellence in getting
through the set. MESSAGE TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE - DON'T YOU EVER DARE
TO ACCUSE US OF KNOWING OUR MATERIAL OFF PAT AGAIN!!!
Anyway, with our two sets out of the way, we had able time to join the
festivities and party, party, party. In fact, we partied so well that
we were the last to leave the building at a time not that far off
sunrise. So, the show's right back on the road. Watch this space
for continuing developments - better still, subscribe to the BEDROCK
Newsletter to make sure that you don't miss out on a thing. 'Til next
time - BE GOOD! Tuesday 13
March 2004
"Farewell" To
Kennuf
Well, we must definitely plead
guilty to having been a little quiet so far this year - but do not be
deceived...things are not as uneventful as they seem. I guess the
biggest news is that, for work-related reasons, our long-standing lead
guitarist, composer, arranger and Party Animal, Kennuf has decided to take
his leave of our little hamlet. As luck would have it, Kennuf is on
his way to Cape Town to resume a new life in the shadows of Table
Mountain. This, of course, being a three piece, has major implications
for the band, however, we're not going to rush into anything to quickly and
will give things time to settle down after Kennuf's departure. First
things first! And at this time of our lives that "first"
thing needed to be a farewell to one of the band's favourite traditional
haunst, the "Place Of Happiness". As so often happens, we
have been left with no choice other than to play over a holiday weekend when
many local residents are absent. Still, the weather was magnificent
and the turnout for the lunchtime gig spirited. We had it all -
including a one gun salute on the lawn to mark this auspicious occasion -
provided by local entrepreneur and long-time Bedrock supporter, Fanie
Smit. After that we rocked and we rolled and we chilled out in a
fitting tribute to "Plonker" Ramage. Go well, Kenny, Heather
and family - signs are that this will definitely not be your last
association with the band. Let's see what the future
brings! |
