With my enthusiasm for BRENT KOZAK’s wonderfully humourous, The Rice Paddy Tour CD, it’s entirely appropriate that i follow up the review with an interview. Not to mention that the Knysna CD launch happens this weekend! Partner-in-crime, Lorette Pagel, joins Brent here:

How do you hope people will react to your debut CD, The Rice Paddy Tour?
Brent: Enthusiastically and with a smile:) (more…)

WM: Why aren’t you world famous yet…
Jack Mantis: I am, you should get out more

WM: Your songs are deeply passionate. How do you balance love and work?
Jack Mantis: With great difficulty. Most people think we live a very, glamorous life, Which, in part, is true. But truth be told we spend a lot of time away from home. Holding down any kind of relationship is tricky. A career in entertainment isn’t without sacrifice and I’m am currently learning to love the group consciousness. I have pondered penning a book entitled, “How to Date a Rock Star”, or perhaps it should be, “Why You Shouldn’t Date a Rock Star”. (more…)

It’s great and refreshing for Durban to host a rock band that serves as a yell for justice and has contempt for corruption. Lucky for us, they kick good tunes as well. Introducing The AK MASSIVE:

Many of those who’ve witnessed The AK MASSIVE have labeled you guys a ‘political band’. How true is this?
We hate corrupt politicians – does that make us political? We call it as we see it. The AK Massive. They bring all their soap-boxes on the bus. And you can’t fuck with The AKM, you cannot fuck with this band!

Mark, you once said that the focal point for The AK MASSIVE is more the message than the actual music itself. How?
The style in which we play allows for the vocals to come to the fore. We write about issues that are relevant to ourselves and our lives, not arbitrary crap about flowers and love and fluffy bunnies, just because it sells.

Simply by raising issues in your songs, you’ve caused some people to wake-up and examine the state of our plunging nation and planet. But what have the band done, beyond singing, to address these issues?
We have played several gigs where the proceeds have been donated to charitable causes. We continue to encourage people to view alternative opinions on modern living via the links on our website. Check out www.complacent.org for a different viewpoint.

There have been parallels drawn between The AK MASSIVE and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Are they an influence and what others have given The AK drive?
If we sound anything like R.A.T.M. it’s only because we don’t sound like Britney Spears (Thanks Peter). Obviously Rage is an influence but music by artists ranging from Cypress Hill to the Deftones, A Perfect Circle, Tool and The Smashing Pumpkins has gone far to develop The AK Massive.

You’ve experienced a fair amount of touring by now. What have been your best gigs to date?
1. Some dodgy ass little club in Heidelberg. Can’t even remember the name, we got so upside down.
2. Burn, always!!!!!!
3. Nile Crocodile in Pretoria with Rhutz (bring on the noise).

What are the best and worst of our local music scene?
Worst: Drunken, deaf sound engineers, severe lack of back stage areas, radio that continually plays 15 year old South African love songs to justify their quota system and Bosberok Festival (where the fuck’s our money).
Best: Some really hot bands, improving sound systems/ monitors, the resurgence of large music festivals and, finally, international interest (big up, Saron Gas).

Your single ‘Hey’ (“Hey” reached 5Fm’ s SA Top Forty) got featured on the latest ‘Showcase’ CD and was glued to the 5FM play list. How did this happen and what are your future recording plans?
5Fm asked for bands to submit for the ‘Showcase’ CD, next thing you know we’re in Jo’burg recording at RP Studios with Neal Snyman. We’re currently in the studio recording tracks for our next E.P. which should appear in April ’02.

by Bubbles