In ‘n tyd waar alle groot musiekfeeste die knie vir die Covid-19 virus moes buig, het die Karoo Saloon daarin geslaag om die grootste gees in die Klein Karoo tydens die sesde weergawe van Under Karoovian Skies aan te wakker.
Die makietie het op 30 April afgeskop en vir diegene wat al ooit die voorreg gehad het om Oppi Koppi by te woon, het die eerste gekreun van klanktoestelle wat getoets word vir koue rillings gesorg.
Die opmars na Marcia Moon se vertoning vanuit die kampeer area na die Piet Botha stage buite Barrydale het herinneringe van die legendariese Piet Botha laan van Oppi Koppi tot gevolg gehad. En hoewel daar nie duisende mense teenwoordig was nie (slegs ‘n beperkte aantal kaartjies is verkoop), het Marcia haar uitgeleef asof dit wel die geval was.
Haar suiwer stem en kenmerklike ritmes op kitaar het oor die vlaktes gedreun en sodoende gesorg dat die koel laatmiddag winde nie in die pad van ‘n aand van plesier staan nie.
Marcia se oorspronklike musiek was uit die boonste rakke en al wat Albert Meintjies en sy orkes moes doen het, was om die fakkel by haar oor te neem.
Meintjies het natuurlik die nimlike Tanya Storm in sy orkes betrek en saam het hulle vir ‘n vertoning wat nog lank in die gehoor se geheue gaan bly, gesorg.
Die enigste kritiek wat van die feesganger na afloop van die eerste dag se verdigtinge gehad het was dat hulle vir nog ten minste drie ure na hierdie musikante sou wou luister.
Soos daar in die sterre voorspel is, het Uncle Righteous Saterdag se verrigtinge met ‘n kookwater set afgekop voor Albert Frost met ‘n volle orkes vir een van die hoogtepunte van die naweek gesorg het.
Frost op sy eie is natuurlik iets wat elke warmbloedige musiekliefhebber net eenvoudig moet beleef, maar Frost met Wouter Reyneke oop baskitaar en die legendariese Jorik Pienaar op dromme is net eenvoudig ‘n ander ervaring.
Die aand se verdigtinge is met Juandre Swanepoel se Kitaar Bazaar afgesluit en in ‘n spontane oomblik wat net mooi saamgevat het presies hoe baie talentvolle musikante by Under Karoovian Skies was, het Albert Frost op die verhoog geklim en saam met Karel Bester ‘n reeks klanke gemaak wat byna die feestent oopgeskeur het.
Ter slotte was die Hazy Blues Band op hul pos die Sondag middag en kon diegene wat nie teen die tyd weet dat die Karoo Saloon een van die top bestemmings in die Wes Kaap is vir rustige Sondag musiek en watertand kos nie, dit ook eerstehands beleef.
Dit raak metal mal in die Klein Karoo
Intussen het Marius Slabber, hoof organiseerder en bierkenner, bevestig dat die Karoo Saloon op 22 Mei ‘n paar groot ysters uit die vuur gaan ruk vir die koms van die heavy metal band Mind Assualt.
Marius het na bewering iets soos “bring maar vir jou ‘n ekstra stel onderklere saam vir die een,” kwyt geraak toe die News62 span hom gevra het wat mens tydens hierdie ongewone Karoo optrede kan verwag.
Karoo Saloon hosts a nostalgia-laden music festival
At a time when all major music festivals had to bow the knee to the Covid-19 virus, the Karoo Saloon managed to awaken the greatest spirit in the Little Karoo during the sixth edition of Under Karoovian Skies.
Festivities kicked-off on April 30 and for those who have ever had the privilege of attending Oppi Koppi, the first moan of the sound check being conducted provided an all to familiar sensation.
The walk from the camping area to Marcia Moon’s performance at the Piet Botha stage outside Barrydale resulted in memories of the legendary Piet Botha Lane of the now defunct Oppi Koppi.
And although there were not thousands of people in attendance (only a limited number of tickets were sold), Marcia played as if she was performing to a packed Loftus Versfeld, or Newlands if you will. Her crisp voice and soothing rhythms on guitar rumbled across the plains – ensuring that the cool late afternoon winds could not stand in the way of an evening of sheer pleasure.
Marcia’s original music was exquisite and all Albert Meintjies and his band had to do was pick up where she left off.
Meintjies was joined by the lovely Tanya Storm and together they put up a show that will stay in the audience’s memory for a long time to come.
The only criticism some of the festival-goers had after the first day was that they would have liked to listen to these musicians for at least another three hours.
As predicted in the stars, Uncle Righteous kicked off Saturday’s proceedings with a boiling water set before Albert Frost, with a full band, provided what turned out to be one of the highlights of the weekend.
When performing on his own a Frost performance is something that every warm-blooded music lover should experience in their lifetime, but with Wouter Reyneke on bass guitar and Jorik Pienaar on drums – the experience is out of this world.
The evening’s proceeding ended with Juandre Swanepoel’s Guitar Bazaar and in a spontaneous moment that summed up exactly how many talented musicians were at Under Karoovian Skies, Albert Frost took to the stage and performed a series of tunes with the talented Karel Bester.
Finally, the Hazy Blues Band was at their post on Sunday afternoon and those festival goers who did not know that the Karoo Saloon is one of the top destinations in the Western Cape for tranquil Sunday afternoon tunes and and mouth watering food experienced that first hand.
