The BedRock Diary 1999
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09 December 1999
Hey, what a trip this was to beautiful, beautiful,
good ole Luderitz. We hit the road at ten on Thursday morning, the
gigmobile - fully laden - out front with Pete, Bren and Dan crammed into
the little remaining space that there was. They were followed by Eddie
in the doublecab, together with Jen, Kenny, Solange and Stewart, our
sound and lighting man - as well as rhodie - for this trip. The
gigmobile nearly rattled herself to a standstill on the 260 kilometres
of rough gravel road she was called upon to negotiate but, apart from
the radio popping out the dashboard, and large parts of rusted bodywork
falling at the wayside, she did not miss a beat mechanically. We reached
Luderitz early afternoon, set-up and sound-checked and then took to the
cool waters of the hotel's swimming pool on what was a very warm day.
Night time came and we mounted the stage at about nine after all the
formalities. The German Club has a very nice stage and the hall has
sprung wooden floors. There were about 109 attendees and we did our
usual thing, rocking on until about two in the morning. The gig never
really ever reached any great heights as I don't think too many people
that were there were into rock - but they had been warned!! The
unquestionable highlight of the evening was some outstandingly
innovative dance routines from a couple who truly resembled 'Torville
and Dean'. Anything I've seen 'T & D' do, these guys could emulate -
without blades or skates, mind you!! Man, were we mesmerised up on the
stage, such was the energy and dramatisation of their dancing. I'm
telling you two, you should seriously look at doing your own show - it
was highly entertaining. Oh ja, and by the way, do you need to drink or
smoke anything to cotton onto those fancy dance moves? Nevertheless, we
played pretty well, enjoyed the outstanding food - and, of course, the
cold beers and pumpelmussen! Packing up and getting back to the hotel at
about three in the morning, we quaffed a couple of "night
caps", headed for bed and rose to a hearty breakfast five hours
later. Well replenished we returned to the road and headed off back to
Oranjemund, stopping along the way for some photies in the sand dunes.
Back home there was one consolation - with a gig tomorrow we didn't have
to unpack the gigmobile!
11 December 1999
Well, well, well...they say that one good gig always
follows one not-so-good one and that's exactly how this panned out. Mind
you, with the greatest party combination in town in tandem - Bedrock
& Fanie - what could you expect? This was one of those occasions
where everything just clicked into place. The weather was stunning -
breathless, not a cloud in sight and temperatures well into the low
30's. From the time we started to rock 'n roll at one in the afternoon
the pace never slackened. The occasion was even more special by the fact
that our long lost rhythm guitarist, Ken Malherbe, made a welcome
one-off return for his absolutely last, farewell gig, together with
wife, Jenny, who was also performing with the band for the last time.
Our new material (Song 2 - Blur; Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chillie Peppers;
Long December - Counting Crows and Lucky Man - The Verve) went down
extremely well and the "showboating" reached a climax with a
Jimi Hendrix imitation of 'All Along The Watchtower' with "Jimi"
Ramage mounting the PA stack prior to playing over his back and with his
teeth. Bassman Pete decided to join the excitement atop the other PA
stack but nearly came to a messy end when, in dismounting, he nearly
decapitated himself when he slammed his head into a low hanging concrete
beam. No matter, slightly dazed and confused he kept the beat going and,
after a couple of medicinal pumpelmussens, was back up to speed. They
say time flies when you're having fun and how true this often proves to
be. Our original plans to stop playing at five in the evening
disintegrated as the hundred or so folk kept calling for more. The party
raged on well after sunset until half eight that evening when, after
seven hours of gigging, even the band's batteries started to run low.
And so it was we managed to pack the gigmobile with the last strains of
energy any of us had left before we adjourned to the clubhouse to
continue to party. What time did it all end - who knows...who cares?
What a day...and night! I mean, even the Bedrock 'T' shirt sales
rocketed. A totally fitting gig to bid farewell to the Malherbe duo -
good luck guys and, please, stay in touch with your music activities in
Pretoria. We look forward to having you "guest" with us any
time you choose in the future.
04 December 1999
Well, I've got to say one thing about this lunchtime
gig at the local World AIDs Day event...with only a dozen songs to
perform it was the shortest, and easiest, gig we've ever had to do.
Apart from practice, naturally. We played outdoors...well, maybe outside
marquee...taking advantage of the beautifully sunny and warm day. Our
drummer Eddie, being the resourceful type of guy that he is, made sure
that he and his kit were in the shade and that the rest of us were
blasted to smithereens by the notorious West Coast UV factor. Nice one,
Eddie. Thanks. Actually, I wouldn't have minded you being in the shade
if it helped you play better but it didn't!! Just you wait - the rest of
us will get our revenge soon enough! As Murphy's Law would have it, soon
after we started playing our set the bleedin' wind came up and pretty
soon the four of us out front were bobbing our heads up and down like
owls, trying desperately to read upside-down words and chords. Skinny
Space did an excellent job of darting out front to turn back, or hold
down, renegade pages although it was a bit difficult singing into the
back of the microphone! Eventually our bassman discovered that a
cellphone was very useful for pinning down the top left hand corners of
pages - although it was a bit difficult playing, having a cellphone
conversation and doing backing vocals all at the same time. Ah, what
price experience? And versatility? The other observation I should make
about this gig, I suppose, is that the crowds didn't exactly flock to
our feet. There again, when did they ever? We usually flock to theirs!
Just hang on now - we do have one or two groupies. Pity they weren't
there. I guess, really, that you could describe this set as luncheon
background music. It was pretty relaxed and informal as people strolled
by, moving from one refreshment stall to the next or just mulling over
the issues of the day. Before we knew it, it was over and we'd done our
bit for the local AIDS programme which, this year, focuses on children,
in particular. The gigmobile was quickly loaded and sped on to complete
planning for this week's "Big Two" - Luderitz German Club on
the night of Thursday 09 December, followed by the "Op My
Stoep" thrash at the local Riding Club at lunchtime on Saturday 11
December. Be there if you dare! 'Til next time - stay cool and keep
rockin'.
27 November 1999
Jeez, just when I didn't think anyone ACTUALLY read
this page I get a pointed early morning telephone call today on, this, a
public holiday and a day of well deserved rest, rebuking me for
"being slack". You see, I've let two days pass by since our
last gig without putting mouse to pad. Anyway, getting disturbed was
worth it - at least there's one person out there who so bored they've
got the time to read this drivel! And at least this time I didn't take
one for spelling mistakes. Better be careful what I write today. Nah,
only kidding. These finely crafted pages are prescribed reading for
anybody who wants to "broaden their perceptual horizons".
What? Yeah, right. Mmmmmmmmm...anyway, to avoid any more such reprimands
here comes the latest report back... Well, there we were, performing our
latest gig in, basically, a building under construction. Actually it
reminded me of Robbie Robertson's story about how The Band played one of
their earliest gigs in a place called the 'Skyline Lounge', so called
because it, too, was an incomplete structure and didn't have a roof!
Magic when the skies are clear and the stars are the canopy above - not
quite so enjoyable when it's bucketing it down with rain, though! Okay,
we were slightly better in that we did have a roof. That was about the
only difference. Nevertheless, we haven't let lack of power or anything
else stand in our way before and we sure as hell weren't going to let
minor issues like builder's rumble or wet cement do so on this occasion.
Seriously, though, the building's being renovated and is boasting a bit
of a rough "finish" but Sandy, his committee and their helpers
had done a great job in making the venue (the local Bowling Club)
presentable for the occasion. Besides, it was hardly their fault that
the builders couldn't stick to their proposed timetable. Anyhow, the
evening got off with the completion of the formalities - the
prize-giving and a splendid cold buffet which reminded me of those
sumptuous spreads one used to be able to enjoy "way back when"
in the 'Blue Room' atop - what was then - the Southern Sun Hotel in
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. With loads of "happiness and warmth" in
their tummies the attendees were a little bit slow in getting to their
feet. This phase, however, didn't last long and, by the second set, the
party was in swing. Despite the poor acoustics we managed to conquer the
feedback bugs and achieved an acceptable sound. Things were fairly
rocking along until mid-way through "Back On The Chain Gang"
when Skinny Spice was overcome by a bout of hysterical laughter. Unable
to get a word out sideways and with the tears lashing down her cheeks we
musos just kept bashing along - I tell you, it's the first time
"Chain Gang" has ever sounded like a piece of free jazz!! Oh
ja, the cause of Skinny Spice's seizure - the sight of old Brian Reid
and Sean Long rolling across the dance floor like two synchronised
vienna sausages. (Sorry viennas - that was probably a bit below the
skin.) Back and forth they went, deciding that rolling is easier, and
preferable, to staying on one's feet to dance. Eventually Skinny Spice
sort of regained her composure and "Chain Gang" came to a
merciless end. Things went okay then for a song or two until we reached
"Wet Dream". Here again the lads decided to introduce a bit of
dance innovation - and so it was that 'The Page' dance routine took a
hold of the audience. The anonymous creator of this cunning
"step" decided that press-ups were the appropriate
"step" for this saucy little number...bet you can get the
drift if you're not being blonde about it. Boy, did Skinny Spice nearly
dissolve again or what! Anyway, well done to all your dance innovators -
new standards have been set in Oranjemund and the gauntlet has been
thrown down. If any of you out there reckon you can do better than the
'Rolling Reid' or 'The Page' please come along and do your stuff at our
next gig. Rumour has it that Reid and Page are actually thinking of
combining their talents to start a dance school at the local Shellhole.
Still trying to confirm that myself. As I say, if anybody does any
better that the 'RR' or 'TP' they stand to win themselves the ultimate
prize in rock memorabilia - a Bedrock 'T' shitt! Drat - that's the
phonetic spelling - been in Africa too long. That, er, should read
shirt. Anyway, all you good people out there - enough nonsense from me
for now. We've got an outdoor gig this Saturday lunchtime at the
Oranjemund Rugby Club's field to mark the country's national AIDS
awareness day. We're only playing for an hour as a "curtainraiser"
to Ras Sheehama, Namibia's national king of reggae. So, if you want to
take advantage of some great, summery weather, join the crowd at the
Rugby Club. If you miss this gig, catch some of us socialising at the
Oranjemund Bowling Club's 'International Cabaret Evening' that night.
Yours truly will be doing the compere bit so get a ticket - if there're
any left - for what promises to be a tremendous party. Once we get over
the 4th we're up to Luderitz for the night of Thursday, 9 December.
We'll be "doing" a Christmas function at the German Club. So,
if you're a Buchter and you've had the good fortune to be invited to
this occasion, we look forward to seeing you there. If you can't get
further than Oranjemund then stick around - we'll be back here at the
Riding Club at lunchtime on Saturday, 11 December. This will be in
conjunction with Oranjemund's 'Party Champion', Fanie's, latest "Op
My Stoep" party so get down to the Riding Club and join us all for
what promises to be a roof-raising afternoon. 'Til then...see ya.
01 November 1999
Wow! What a weekend! Mind you, it didn't start too
well when the gig we had booked for Saturday - our 50th performance
since forming back in 1994 - was postponed at extremely short notice.
Man, was that inconvenient. It's the first time that's happened to us,
certainly at such short notice. The commemorative 'T' shirts had been
printed already with the date, venue and "I WAS THERE"
emblazoned across the back. Still, in typical Bedrock fashion - we're
resourceful if nothing else - we quickly had the shirts modified to read
"I WAS NOT THERE", and, thanks to Neil and Steve, we organised
an alternative gig at our local haunt, La Cantina, and moved forward.
Boy, did people see the humour in that (the 'T' shirt slogan), once the
background was explained to them. Needless to say, the shirts went like
hotcakes and we could have sold four times as many as we did. We'll have
to order some more. All you good supporters - past and present - waiting
with bated breaths for 'T' shirts,and hang in there. We'll look after
you - I promise! Anyway, back to the plot...the weekend's events started
on Friday evening when we scuttled along to the marquee at the hockey
club to set-up for the evening's entertainment. Once that was achieved
it was full steam ahead. The speech (yep, only one) was brief and to the
point and, with the formalities over, the party vibe descended. Once
again we had our favourite DJ - Warren - backing us up and it produced
his usual high standard of great dance numbers. After he'd softened them
all up a bit, the gal and guys from Beddies took the platform and ripped
forth. (We had Dan Shout back for the weekend too, so his golden
saxophone certainly added to our sound, as it always does). Oh, by the
way, this was a free gig as the event is an annual one which raises
money for children who need assistance within the community. A very
worthy cause, I'm sure you'll all agree. For us as the band, it's an
opportunity to repay some of the terrific support we've enjoyed over the
past five years. Besides, there may be a musician or two in the making
amongst those unfortunate kids. Let's hope so. Anyway, all 300 tickets
to the event were sold and a few extra late arrivals were squeezed into
the "big top". With a wet 'T' shirt competition (with a
difference) and some amazing prizes going to the raffle winners, the
evening fairly rocked along on its own momentum. There were a couple of
members of the fairer sex celebrating their birthdays - congrats to
Steph for hers before midnight and Rozanne for hers after midnight. Talk
about both sides of the coin, in this case the midnight hour. Anyway,
typically of Oranjemund, the folk stayed on their feet and bopped away
the night. The band chucked it in just after one in the morning but
Warren pressed on until four. Good on yer Warren, the stamina of youth
comes into play!! Come Saturday we set up at our old haunt, La Cantina,
to beat out a few sets ahead of the televised Australia versus South
Africa rugby World Cup semi final game. At the outset it looked like
we'd have to call "Rent-A-Crowd" but things picked up.
Methinks that the folk were probably suffering after Friday night's
excesses. Thankfully we don't drink (much) so we can take the pace, even
at our advanced years. Anyway, the rugby duly came and what a nailbiter
it proved to be with the Aussies scoring a narrow victory over the Bokke.
They were, probably, the better team on the day. One would have thought
that an air of despondency would have settled over our little town but,
no chance, not when Bedrock's around. A few more people pitched up after
the rugby and a good spirit prevailed. Actually, we (the band), thought
we might get an early night out of this one but no chance - the folk
were in for a party and, hey, what else could we do? Up they came for
the audience participation spots and we messed around with some totally
unrehearsed stuff...you know, things like "House Of The Rising
Sun". It didn't sound too good but it was great fun! There were the
odd moments of anxiety, as there always are at Bedrock gigs. Some guy
had arrived carting a wooden rocking horse around - this thing was
bedecked with all the paraphenalia one would expect of a South African
rugby supporting rocking horse. Anyway, its "owner" deposited
it alongside the band which was quite a distraction as it's much better
looking than any of the band members. Correction - except for Skinny
Spice. Anyway, our intrepid bass player decided to go for a ride midways
through a song and was going quite well until the horse's head decided
to depart the body. With a merciless thud the dismembered head landed
with a crunch on our bass player's sandalled big toe. Did he perform.
Mind you, it's the first time he's ever managed to sound like Bon Jovi,
too. Anyway, a couple of tots of pumpelmussen stilled the pain and he
hobbled through the next set without total collapse. Eventually, at 9.00
pm, the Bedrock mob had done their bit and packed up after another very
hectic couple of days. And so, it's on and into the future. 50 gigs
behind us and many more up ahead. With a bit of a break before our next
gig it's back into recording mode as we press on with our Christmas
release. 'Til we chat again - look after yourselves, stay out of trouble
and keep the spirit of the Master Rockers alive!
24 October 1999
So what do you do when you're having to host two
visiting sports teams and you're a little short on entertainment? Why,
you call your local music "Ghostbusters" in the shape of
Bedrock, of course. Once the call had been forthcoming - and answered -
the "games" began. And the venue? The local hockey club, of
course. Ever ready the three guys and the gal from Bedrock loaded up and
took control of the club premises. The visiting teams, from the
Wanderers Club in Windhoek by the way, were joyously celebrating their
winning the Namibian league by virtue of their results against the
Oranjemund sides. Naturally this called for unbridled celebration and
there was no shortage of enthusiasm in this regard! Well, the first
laugh of the evening came just before we were planning to strike our
opening chords at about 9.00 pm. This delectable young lady (a Windhoek
visitor) sidled up to our very puzzled looking drummer, opened her
closed hand and asked him to replace her contact lenses. I tell you, if
you've ever seen a "flattered" drummer it was our Eddie last
night. Anyway, being a modest, decent sort of fellow who would never
think of tinkling with another's eyes, he spurned the young lady's
approach and sent her off in another direction for assistance. Actually,
we figured that her sight must have been impaired because there's no
ways any chick would ever solicit Eddie! The point was proven later
when, after she had had her sight "corrected", she avoided him
like the plague. Maybe they're right - love's is blind! Back to the
point...as our opener we laid "Gimme Hope Joanna" on them,
just to set the mood. It had the desired effect. (Funny how some things
just never seem to fail, isn't it?) From then onwards it was hot, lively
and frenetic. It seemed that everyone there wanted the harder classic
rock numbers so we gave them the full burst with a major dose of volume
- "La Grange", "Born To Be Wild", "Locomotive
Breath" - and they devoured it all. Skinny Spice was turning it on
and decided to improvise by introducing some unrehearsed dance steps
into her routine. This nearly ended in disaster as, at one point, she
tripped over her own ankles and went flying head first into her
microphone. With a "klonk" on her old forehead she reeled
backwards, regaining equilibrium in a precarious sort of way. Still, I
don't think too many people noticed as most members of the audience were
"unsteady" by then anyway. There again, maybe we need to check
what personal insurance policies our band members carry. As per usual
members of the crowd were only to willing to come up and do their bit.
We had a horrendous version of "Hey Jude" by a pair of the
visiting (male) players - stick to hockey chaps. The gals also piled in
and we had about twenty of them singing "Mustang Sally". It's
the happiest I've ever seen Eddie (especially after the earlier
shove-off) as he sat behind twenty pairs of swinging "buns".
(Next time we do this routine the chicks can face Eddie so the
guitarists can do a bit of perving!) Well, having delivered our share of
the arrangement we "chilled strings" at about 1:00 a.m.,
loaded the "gigmobile" and headed off into the night, leaving
yet another good party in our wake. What it is to be a sucess story
(Yeah, yeah, yeah). Okay then, until this coming weekend's double-header
we'll leave you in peace. If you passing through the Namib Desert next
weekend pop in and join the "jol". It should be really good!
15 October 1999
Hey, what a pleasure - Bedrock lives! You know what
it's like when you've lost a key member of the band and you've got to
step forward and perform again...lots of concerns and trepidation and
anxiety. Anyway, move forward is precisely what we did and what an
occasion it turned out to be. Mind you, we were amongst friends - I mean
the Hockey Club crowd just don't come any more friendly - I don't think,
anyway. We'd revamped our material and Pete and Kenny handled the male
vocals with "Skinny Spice" up front in her usual charming
role. Flamingo's isn't the greatest venue around but, after the hassles
we had last time with the soundcheck, we were much wiser on this
occasion. We got our sound sorted out and, when the time came to party,
party we did! Warren was the night's DJ and played some
"killer" stuff during our band breaks and the vibe - which was
good from the outset - just got better and better. The speeches were
short and to the point and the chow was excellent. Put those two factors
together and, hey, a perfect evening was in store! Oh yes, and we had
two birthday celebrations - one for Friday and one for Saturday (duly
"called' at midnight. Denice - the way you downed that tequila
could have only meant it was your birthday!!) We had the birthday folk
up for a sing-song and everyone entered the spirit of the occasion. Even
Brain Cleak proved that he had a voice. Well, sort of... This was, of
course, Kenny Malherbe's last gig with the band so he was out for as
full go - and, I can tell you, he didn't let us down. Old "Reverend
Sambucca" (Ken Malherbe to his acquaintances) didn't stop smiling
from sundown to sunup. Well...nearly sunup. The band played on and on
until, at about two o'clock on Saturday morning, the bar closed and it
was time to slow the party down. Anyway, once Flamingo's closed it was
on to Brown's house for a few more "night caps" with most of
us being able to escape to our beds before the early morning birds
started chirping! Now it's two weeks to our next double gig - Friday and
Saturday nogal. Meanwhile, we have had a few applicants to join the band
so we'll be "auditoning" those good folk shortly - who will
step into Charlie and Ken and Jen's shoes? Your guess is as good as ours
- watch this space!! Oh yes, and the recording sessions are also going
well. One last thing - like the band, the "Gigmobile" also
lives!! What canny riddle is this? WATCH THIS SPACE!
11 October 1999
Hey, hey, hey, isn't it just amazing how time flies
when you're having fun? Just in case you thought we'd all left the
planet we're giving you a brief update to assure you that we haven't. I
mean, how could you even contemplate polluting space with the likes of
us! Well, they always say that trouble comes in threes and, with Charlie
having recently departed our ranks, we have now learnt that Skinny Space
and hubby, Ken, are also on their way to pastures greener. Okay,
okay...so maybe Johannesburg couldn't quite be referred - in the
metaphorical sense as "pastures greener" - but you know what I
mean. So, that's our lot of bad news for the year - 3 band members gone
in three months. Talk about a high attrition rate. Mind you, we've
always believed that good fortune favours those that have a close
affinity to pumpelmussen so I guess there's a message in there
somewhere. Anyway, inbetween all these folk coming and going, Bedrock
continues to thrive. Recent advertisements for replacement members have
drawn all of two responses so we'll be doing some auditions shortly.
Meanwhile, Eddie, Kenny and Pete have been working on new material as a
three piece. So quite good stuff, too. Lots of old classic rock
numbers...sort of "get down and get with it" stuff. Lots of
lead breaks and heavy riffs. Great stuff. Oh what it is to be young
again. Okay, okay, maybe not so young and, yeah, there's the odd bald
pate and pot bellied but, hey, who ever said rock musos would ever nmake
Chippendales? Our next gig is this Friday, followed by a host of them
over the next month or two. We won't bore you with all that right now -
you can read about them as they happen. For the meantime, stay cool, be
good and, hey, keep rockin'.
05 September 1999
Hi folks! Just a quick update as to what's happening
this end. Charlie, Kim and family have well and truly departed our
shores and, we understand, are getting quickly established in Germany.
Skinny Spice is on holiday in the United Kingdom giving that silky voice
of hers a good rest. (Or could she be moonlighting over there in search
of that elusive "big break" in her career? Forget it Jen -
you'd never be the same without an array of Bedrockians behind you!!).
And, well, the rest of us are actually doing some work...someone's gotta
resist the urge to globetrot! Ja, well, no, fine. Kenny, Eddie, Pete,
Ken and Dan (our part-time member when he's on 'varsity vacations) are
all busy in "the studio" preparing recordings for a cassette
release later in the year. The project is really to mark the end of an
era with Charles' departure. It'll feature seven tracks with Charles
doing the vocals. Skinny Spice will fill the gaps when she eventually
returns. Then it's into a load of original material for the project
which is planned to follow the present one. Meanwhile bookings for
'live' gigs are coming in steadily, our first one set for the 15
October. That's going to call for quite a bit of new material to
compensate for the loss of the our lead male vocalist. Oh well, how time
flies when one is having fun! 'Til we chat again - Cheers!
01 August 1999
Hey man, there we were a few hours later setting up
again at the "Place Of Happiness", the secluded venue out in
the desert where we have spent the last five years practicing, planning
and conceiving ideas. We had asked Charlie if he'd like a
"private" farewell gig, by invitation, to all those folks who
are friends of the band. Naturally he had jumped at it and, when we
asked him what venue he would choose, he looked no further than our
haven at the "POH". And so it was that the great day was
organised. With Kage (thanks KJ!) turning out some natty invitations
(all of about 80 of them!) the invitees were lured to the event. And
what an occason it turned out to be. Again, Kenny Malherbe was absent
due to the previous day's flying commitments but, what we lacked in
numbers, we made up for in enthusiasm. The weather, again, was a
disaster with a mighty strong northly blowing sandstorm forcing us
inside the rather modest building. Still, it was great for the
atmosphere and very cosy. All our loyalest supporters were there, old
and new. Man, did the "POH" rock that day! And the band played
on..and on...and on. Finally, at 6.00 pm, having played for about 11
hours out of the past 22 it was time to "cool strings". Even
Eddie's migraine had been blown apart by the Bedrock sound! And even
though they still cried for "More", the party was well and
truly over. Cheers Charlie, Kim and kids - thanks for the great
contribution you've made to the band over the past five years and we
hope everything'll be great for you in Germany. Keep in touch. Finally,
to the Security guys at the "POH" - dankie manne vir al jou
harde werk. Especially the guys behind the pub - Bertie, Karel and
Bumper. Mooi man. And now it's time for Bedrock to rejuvenate
themselves. Next mission - to record some original material. We're
working on it already. Don't go away - JUST WATCH THIS SPACE!!
31 July 1999
Well the day - or should I rather say, the night -
finally came for Charlie's last formal gig with the band before he and
his family leave for greener climes in Germany. The gig was held at the
local Bowling Club, one of our favourite venues, and tickets had been in
great demand - over subscribed, in fact. Once again we were depleted by
one member, this time Kenny Malherbe's aviational duties taking
precedence over Bedrock's calling. This absence was aggravated by the
fact that Skinny Spice, despite our wise counsel, had landed herself a
role in the local theatre production 'Oliver' which was also on the same
night. So, Skinny Spice couldn't make it until about 10.00 pm. I tell
you, aren't we rock bands just so flexible? Had it not been Charlie's
farewell we probably would have cancelled the event but time wasn't on
our side on this occasion. Anyway, despite the weather, which was far
from perfect, the vibe was right and all the attendees were in
"party mode". We got quickly into the groove and by the time
Skinny Spice swept in, the scene had been set for a thumping party.
Across the way at the local recreation club hall an imported
"langarm" band was going through its paces so the good folk of
Oranjemund were really bopping the night away. More and more people
piled into the clubhouse to join the gyrating throng on the floor
(swelling the numbers to 103) and the atmosphere started to get to the
musos. Pete Pampelmussen did well to stay on top of his speaker when it
started to "rock 'n roll" and the lighting effect unit was
blown over by the decibels, crashing unceremoniously to the floor. Boy,
did things heat up! Then it was time to call it a day - 01.00 am. Did we
get away with it? Not on your Nelly, "More, more" called the
crowd and they got "more". Then it was just after 2.00 am and
the weary band packed their gear and headed on for the next gig...9
hours later that morning! (Thanks to Tillie Matthee and the great
committee and club crowd at the Bowling Club for the excellent
organisation, advertising and administration behind this hugely
successful event).
03 July 1999
Man, did Bedrock rock this night or what! Let me just
tell you that the Oranjemund Recreation Club is no band's best friend.
It's big, cold, atmosphere-less, impersonal and the acoustics are
appalling. Apart from that, there is the added complication that we've
never had a good gig there. People don't like the place so they don't
pitch. In our case, maybe they don't the band either. Nah, perish the
thought. Who wouldn't give an wing or a leg (chicken, naturally) to
attend a Bedrock gig? Well , we kicked off with a new intro, a build up
to Grand Funk Railroad's "Some Kind Of Wonderful". Did it go
down a treat! The people were on their feet within minutes and it just
carried on from there. With Dan Shout home on 'varsity vacations we were
able to introduce some variety with his golden saxophone playing and
"Summertime" (as usual) got an encore. It was one of those
occasions when the band just clicked and did everything (well...nearly
everything) right. At half past the witching hour we stopped playing
(Ken Sambucca had to go fly in the morning so you know what these
"Blue Jobs" are like...must get their rest in) and DJ
"Storm" took over. What a gas. The party went on 'til six in
the morning. Anyway, Charlie's one gig away from leaving us so that will
be the second of the original four Bedrock members on his way. But,
where there's life there's hope and one thing's for sure...we'll keep on
rockin!!
27 June 1999
Last night we crossed international frontiers yet
again - this time down to Kleinzee, all of 1 1/2 hours from our home
base. Don't snigger at my use of the word "international"...we
had to cross the river AND go through Customs & Immigration to get
there so that makes it an international venture! This was one we had
been waiting for, not having been to Kleinzee since 14 February 1998. As
usual, their hospitality was outstanding and we were treated like
royalty. We got in late afternoon, unpacked, set-up, sound-checked and
then repaired to the Squash Club bar to watch the Wales versus South
Africa match. Okay folks, the less said about the result the better.
Anyway, it played into our hands because, after that result, we could
only do one thing - and that was to cheer people up. The hall had been
"dolled up" and the event had been billed as a BARN DANCE
which un-nerved us a bit. Bedrock at a BARN DANCE? Yeah right, I doubt
it. Anyway, we started calling each other BARNEY to get into the mood.
The kids were included - teenagers and sub-teenagers alike and there
were all sorts of spot prizes for this and that. There were things like
"Pass The Broom" (or was it Mother-in-Law"?), fancy dress
prizes and so on. Anyway, after scoffing down our prego rolls and pizzas
we warmed up as the evening progressed and we were fairly cookin' by
22:00. A bonus was that a number of Oranjemund "groupies"
followed us down there including "Stormin' Norman" and his
wife "I Hope It's a Draw" (referring to the Wales vs SA game),
Mustang "Wombat" Webster and "G". There were some
old friends there too, like Andy and Jacqui - how nice to see them all
after all this time. Our part-time member, Daniel Shout, provided some
nice variety with his smooth saxophone sounds and "Summertime"
got an encore. As a whole we were pretty tight on the night (in the
musical sense) and the evening wrapped up at just after 01:00. Having
packed all our kit in the gig mobile it was time for delicious cold
boiled eggs from the breakfast packs (okay, so we got hungry a little
bit earlier than planned), washed down with a couple of cold Windhoek
Lagers before bed. Next morning it was "rise and shine" and
back onto the road to Namibia. I tell you, the life of a rural rock star
is just so hectic...
06 June 1999
Last night's gig was definitely one to remember. Not
only did we play amidst a throng of knights, knaves, maidens, page boys,
hunchbacks and kings and queens, but it was the first time in virtually
five years that we were without lead vocalist, Charlie. And boy was it
daunting. Not that it was without notice, mind you. Charlie discovered
that he'd be out of town at short notice five days ago so, having this
commitment already, we strung together a couple of practices to ensure
that, like all good service providers, we'd deliver as promised. Skinny
Spice was given a few new songs at short notice and the three uglies -
Ken, Kenny and Pete - were given tacit permission to try to sing. Just
to ensure that Skinny Spice wouldn't let us down on the night by getting
herself injured, she even wore flat soled shoes. Now there's a thing.
Come the night, the occasion of the local hockey club's mediaeval
function, we were all set up and rarin' to go. And what a fun night it
turned out to be. The hunchback and assorted characters made their way
to the stage from time to time and we allocated songs (the ones we can't
do!) so that they could properly "murder" them. I can tell you
that they didn't let us down in that regard! There was another
revelation during the course of the evening in that we finally
discovered how to fool a lead guitarist. You see, what you do is
this...sabotage his mike when he's not looking and just before he's
about to take the lead vocal part. Begin the song with aplomb and then
wait for him to step up to the mike. Witness the look of panic on his
face as the vocal intro is passed and he enters the world of mime,
fingers frantically searching for the mike switch as he tries to
fault-find whilst gulping air like a fish out of water. By now the rest
of the band should be at the first chorus and the audience are wondering
why you've turned a perfectly good song into an instrumental or whether
someone's forgotten the words. At this point step forward and offer the
ailing vocalist another mike on another stand as far away as his guitar
lead will take him. Just watch the relief in the body language when
suddenly his voice booms forth mid-way through the second verse of the
song. The best bit's still to come. And that's when you reach the lead
break and he suddenly realises his effects pedals are metres away and
he's got no chance of reaching them! You've never seen unrestrained
panic on a scale such as this! Suddenly that van Halen-esque break
sounds like the bridge from "Sugar, Sugar". Finally the song
closes down and one chastened, exhausted, humiliated,
driven-close-to-pumpelmussen, lead guitarist stumbles dejectedly break
to the position of the broken mike. Oh, what a treat!
22 May 1999
Congrats to Kim & Charles on the arrival of Ewan,
the latest addition to their family. The bonnie young lad, weighing in
at 3.2 kg's, arrived in the wee hours of this morning. Well done, guys.
By the way Hunk, the boys were pretty impressed with the speed at which
you sank that "depth charge" at the Hockey Club yesterday
afternoon - you looked like you'd be practising for nine months or so!
01 May 1999
Public holiday. Workers' Day. Also Fanie's
Day...the last day, that was. What the heck was Fanie's Last Day?, I
hear you question. Well, it was Fanie's last day as owner of that
popular local gathering point, La Cantina, our monthly venue for the
past few months. We had all anticipated this day for weeks and with no
small amount of trepidation when the weather closed in two days before,
enveloping the town and its desert surrounds in a coat of thick, grey,
chilly fog. Still, the band kept faith because the sun always shines on
Bedrock gigs and so it proved, yet again, to be the case. As the hours
of daylight progressed the fog retreated and, by late afternoon, there
were clear blue, warm sunny skies above. The soundcheck went pretty well
and, although a lot of people were out of town as it was a long weekend,
the folk started to roll up. In dribs and drabs at first but then in a
steady stream. We played our first two sets and were delighted with
them. They were both almost technically faultless! After that we knew
the omens were there for an excellent afternoon's music. After the first
two sets we took a break so that everyone could crowd into the bar area
to watch the Super 12 rugby game of the weekend, the Stormers of South
Africa's Western Cape against New Zealand's Auckland Blues. Man, what a
game it turned out to be with the Stormers running out convincing
winners at the final whistle. If the people felt like a party
beforehand, you should have seen what they were like after that result!
From the opening chords of our third set people were on their feet,
bopping away frenetically. Special accolades must go in this regard to
Maggie B who proved, once and for all, that she is far fitter and more
youthful than he ageing hubbie, Norm. She was well supported by one of
the most loyal of our supporters, Colleen Parkins, who just never seems
to tire, never mind break into a sweat! Norm B, overwhelmed at his
wife's dynamism, could do no less than drag his golf-weary feet onto the
dance floor where he did a plausible immitation of continuous body
movement. Not sure that it was dancing exactly but it was definitely a
hybrid between dancing, aerobics and the hiccups...or does his head
always loll around like that? Nevertheless, Norm's efforts achieved the
point of getting "I do declare" Bob Rock Doctor up and Bob's
youthfulness (even at his chronological age) was in sharp contrast to
Norm's cumbersome, yet amusing, gyrations. By this stage all the folk
present were in joyous moods and we were flooded with calls to play on
and the requests came thick and fast. (The one disappointment of the day
was that our groupies continue to ignore our requirement that their
requests be sent up on the back of ten dollar notes. Oh well, we can
only but try.) Being the sensitive, obliging, "get your money's
worth" band that we are, we were only too pleased to keep the
entertainment going. Fanie gave a short farewell speech which he
mistakenly thought was moving us to tears. Our eyes were actually
watering because the pumpelmussen wasn't as cold as it should have been.
Funny, he never seemed to pick that up. Anyway, Fanie's closing words
were that we could all expect something bigger and better in the future
so we all look forward to that. We were hoping that he'd produce his
guitar and give us some of his infamous songs in Spanish, but he
obviously felt keeping the crowd there was more important. Anyway, we
eventually wound down (amid howls of protest, I hasten to add!) at about
6.30 pm and declared that this was one of the best gigs we'd ever
played, befitting the farewell occasion that it was. Why, Jen even
managed to stay on those Spice Girls platforms of hers, Eddie avoided
being struck by flying objects, Kenny never ran out of beer, Charlie's
voice held up, Ken didn't have to go flying and Pete..well, the Stormers
won didn't they? To the new owners of La Cantina, Neil & Steve -
"go for it" guys and keep the party going! Oh yes, by way of
an afterthought, this was also Bedrock's 40th appearance since inception
- funny how time flies when you're having fun, isn't it? Hopefully Peeee
had "one" for us. 'Til next time - chow!
25 April 1999
They say that what "comes around, goes
around" and nothing could be truer of last night's gig at the
town's most recently opened restaurant, Flamingo's. (Yep, the
apostrophe's in the right place and no, it isn't in the plural - trust
me!). As "loose" as we were last week we were
"tight" last night. Why? Who knows. Biorhythms I guess.
Anyway, our sound check was pretty long and tedious due to some faulty
cables and jacks that were causing feedback. I don't have to tell you
guys and gals out there who've been in bands just what grief these
simple things can cause. The evening itself got off fairly punctually
with the brisk formalities being followed by an extremely good meal.
Then, just to add to everyone's indigestion woes we took to the
"stage". I must say that the overall vibe was a warm one on
what was a fairly chilly evening. We were soon into our stride, light
effects spinning wildly and the smoke machine gushing forth
periodically. (Ramage thought he was funny shouting "Fire!
Fire!" everytime he was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. Our poor
Loss Control Manager was a bundle of nerves by the end of the night.)
The good thing about these gigs is that you often get exposure to people
who wouldn't usually attend a gig. And so it was last night...I think
those were the people who left straight after the meal clutching their
stomachs. No, seriously, there were some people unacquainted with our
sound. In view of the fact that they didn't exactly overwhelm us with
free drinks I'm not too sure what their assessment of us was. No matter,
we can take the odd knock or two. We took the opportunity to debut our
latest original piece of material, a song called "Freedom".
It's got a very catchy melody and embues a sort of 70's Lynyrd Skynrd
sound. The encouraging fact was that patrons didn't leave the dance
floor to arm themselves with projectiles to hurl at the band. To the
contrary, they all stayed where they were and even managed to keep
dancing. I guess you could say that it was pretty well received. We'll
see what our regular crowd of "groupies" think at this
weekend's gig. There was a particular highlight of the evening when a
certain local drumming fan, and a distinguished local cricketer, decided
to position himself, in a crouch, alongside our drummer to admire his
skills. (For the sake of anonymity let's protect his surname and refer
to him only as Terry). Now,I wouldn't like to suggest that Terry was
unsteady on his haunches but, suddenly, our drummer went AWOL. When we
collectively glanced around Terry had managed to demolish a trellis
which had come tumbling down on them both! As Eddie struggled to free
himself from the choas he mistook Terry's bald pate as a cymbal and beat
out half the song on his cranium. Talk about having a head for music.
Beneath it all peered a very sheepish looking member of the community
who'd never had so much concentrated attention from all and sundry ever
before. Oh well, we always said Eddie's drumming did strange things to
people. Finally, just when we thought we were all safe, our illustrious
female vocalist almost came to a sticky end when she missed her footing
as she was leaving the premises, resulting in an unplanned trip to the
deck. This just goes to show how treacherous those high-heeled Spice
Girls shoes can be. It's been suggested that she was distracted by her
bruised hand (from banging the tambourine all night) at the time, but
far be it for me to speculate on that one. Now it's a beautifully sunny,
windless, Namibian autumn morn so it's time I bid you farewell so that I
can go outdoors and enjoy the marvels of nature. 'Til next week then,
stay cool and KEEP ROCKIN'.
17 April 1999
Well, this was a day with a difference. To begin
with, it was the first time we had ever been booked for a gig at the
MOTHS Namib Shellhole and, secondly, it's the first time a member of the
band has come away with the "first prize". First prize? 'Fraid
so, the 4,5 litres of whiskey that a certain band member won in the
Shellhole's raffle that afternoon. Seriously, what a bargain - 4.5
litres of unadulterated Bell's finest to share with your male
companions! This is what we really enjoy most about trying to entertain
people. I mean, here were we expecting to be overwhelmed with adulation
once again and they go one better but engineering a bottle of hooch for
us. I mean, aren't the MOTHS a great bunch of guys? (Yeah, yeah,yeah).
Actually, this is where I have to stop talking about this fantastic win
as I don't recall too many of the subsequent events in detail. As far as
the gig went, we set up outside the premises in mild, sunny weather with
a light breeze every now and then. Pity it didn't last. By the time we'd
got going the wind had strengthened and the sunny skies had been
replaced by patchy cloud conditions. There was a chill in the wind which
made it a little worse. No matter - the rain which threatened from the
west held off. We pressed on with our sets and rolled out a couple of
our new songs. Some wit inside the premises decided that Mocca Tia would
be the ultimate solution and so it was that "shorts" were
entered into the fray. The occasion wasn't wildly supported by throngs
of people but those that were there seemed to be having a ball. Whether
that was as a result of the music or the "wine" is hard to
say. Having completed our spell we retired inside the Shellhole where
people were getting into party mode. The Main Man thanked us for our
participation and we, in turn, thanked him by donating our cheque for
the day to their worthy cause. Doesn't it always feel so good when you
do something for others, such as on occasions like these? You wouldn't
know? Oh okay...perhaps you couldn't hear me over the engine of your
Lear jet. Anyway, I think we all fell pretty chuffed about it. I
suppose, in retrospect, it probably would have been better to play
indoors but that's the wisdom of hindsight, as they say. For now it's
the wisdom of the present. Must dash off - got another gig this
weekend...will chat to you then.
Wednesday 24 March 1999
Hey, what do you know? Just when you thought this
page was "down and out", up we pop again like a bad joke.
Yeah, I know we've been kinda quiet for a kinda long time and I suppose
we should let you into the reason for that. You're not going to believe
this but we've spent all this time looking for Jenny. You remember we
reported her missing in our previous entry somewhere between here and
Cape Town? Well the mystery has just been resolved. You see, Jenny
decided that the combi was on its last legs and would not survive
another gig. Ken, naturally, was only too willing to blow a few bucks
replacing old faithful (the combi, not Jenny!). Being of cautious
disposition, it was only when the cheque was signed and delivered that
Jenny stepped forth from her place of hiding in that quaint little haven
of Cape culture, Darling. Apart from Jen's obvious delight in having
reliable transport again, we (the band) would publicly like to thank Ken
for his magnificent gesture in providing us with upgraded
"wheels" for our gear. It's going to be such a pleasure
reclining - after yet another hectic gig - in those well cushioned
leather seats, enjoying all the comforts air conditioning and CD quality
sound provide. Anyway, enough of life's joys - let's get back to the
business end of the band. We're about to launch our '99 activities with
a double gig this weekend on Friday night and Saturday afternoon (and on
into the night). We've got some exciting new material and have spent a
little bit on electronic accessories. We wouldn't exactly give Kiss a
run for their money yet with our pyrotechnics but we're ever mindful of
the fact that mighty oaks grow from little acorns. Eddie has been
practising big time on keeping a hold of his drumsticks and rumour has
it that he didn't drop a stick for two successive songs. We'd like to
believe him of course, but, in the absence of video evidence, we can't.
Charlie's got his synth guitar back into functional order and
Kenny...well, he's still marvelling at the wonders of Viagra and wonders
if it'll do for his fingers what it's done for his....yes, well alright.
And our intrepid bass player? Well, he continues to extol the virtues of
pumpelmussen whilst simultaneously trying the clutches of the Viagra
Kid, Kenny R. who is passionate about that yellow liquid. Anyway, that's
enuff for now. Will give an update after what promises to be a memorable
weekend. Ta, ta.
11th January 1999
Hi there folks and welcome to 1999!
We trust you all had peaceful Christmas seasons and hope that 1999 will
bring you all that you desire. The Bedrock family have been doing
different things with some of us travelling around the RSA socialising,
and others staying put right here in Oranjemund. A few of us have
started to exercise in preparation for the stresses and strains of their
year's live performances! Charlie ("Hunk") tried his hand at
lawn bowls to ease his way into things whilst Pete, Eddie and Kenny
turned their feet to a game of football. Pete lumbered between the
uprights of the goal posts whilst Eddie creaked up and down the right
flank trying his utmost to avoid the ball! Kenny had the best job as
referee although with his eyesight he may have done better staying in
the pub. At least there he stood a better chance of reading the labels
on the bottles correctly than he had of getting the numbers on the
jerseys right! He' s the only referee I've ever seen who dishes out red
cards and then, overcome with remorse, calls the offending player back
before he's even reached the touchline. Anyway, enough of that at least,
like all great axemen, he tries. Kenny Malherbe - well he's a fitness
freak anyway and seems to keep running around the squash court or
"pushing pedals" on his bicycle. He probably thinks they both
reduce the size of his liver! Good news is that we'll shortly be
brushing the dust off our gear and will be getting back into practice
for the first of our '99 gigs, scheduled to take place in March. In the
immortal words of my high school maths teacher who sat gazing at the gap
between my ears one day, "Watch this space". And Jenny? Well
she's trying to strengthen her arms so she can start swinging the
microphone stand around, I believe. It's rumoured that she's achieving
this by driving up and down to Cape Town in some rickety old VW Combi.
Combi back Jenny - we'll buy you a lighter mike stand!!
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