Music in the Bosch

Aan De Braak Teater

Arriving at our destination, it wasn't long before we found the green door with the paint peeling off and a small, welcoming sign saying Aan De Braak Teater. Walking up the spiralling stairs into a fairy-lit room stuffed with animated people, a small bar and theatre-wear all over the walls, it was like walking into the rabbit hole of Alice in Wonderland.

It definitely wasn't the kind of night I had imagined in my head, but with all good movie's and events, the best nights are the one's where you don't know what you're walking into.

After purchasing our drinks, we made our way to the back of a chandelier lit lounge, which reeked of the 1920's. Round tables were engulfed in dark table clothes and scattered evenly across the room, partnered up with chairs all facing towards the stage which held a single mic and guitar stand.
We picked a table at the back next to the sound guys (not well thought out as I was unable to take pictures from that distance) and began the wait for the show to begin. 

We were at an event that Stellenbrau had sponsored and were waiting to be swept off our feet with the sounds of Blues by the very talented Gerlad Clark.

The lights dimmed and out popped the opening act, Lucy Kruger. 

It took 30 seconds into her first song to realize that I absolutely loved her! Her voice was a unique mix of Lana del Rey and Amanda Palmer but what made her unique was her strong South African accent which you can hear in every second word and the way she held back some of the notes which muffled her words. How can that be appealing you may ask? I say, buy her album and see for yourself. 
Lucy really captured the audience with her gentle, polite manner on stage and I, personally, got lost in her songs to the point where the crowd around me completely vanished.

I couldn't resist; as soon as Lucy was off the stage, I ran to her and demanded a copy of her first album. 

Lucy from the view of the back table

Lucy with my album

We had a short interval in which I learnt that Gerald Clark had, had an operation 8 weeks prior to this event which included him having a part of his vocal chords removed. He was not able to talk for two weeks straight and there was a harsh rumour going around, saying that he may lose his voice completely. 
I was blown away with this story because 8 weeks isn't really enough time to recover and I was waiting to see if Gerald lost his voice on stage, croaked through mid-sentence or if he would be heard all the way from my back table.

Gerald Clark setting up

Well. Where do I begin with this man?

He absolutely blew me away and it wasn't just his powerful voice, it was literally everything. I haven't seen an artist so in love with his music, that you can see the music notes coursing through his veins and shaking his body and ginger afro hair into a buzz of static happiness. He had everyone in the audience clapping their hands, stomping their feet and whoo-ing to the beat. Gerald literally swept us back into the 1930's and when he closed off, everyone was left on a high ready to take the late night and rename it young.

I am grateful for events where I am privileged enough to find new talent and that open my eyes to the knowledge that South Africa is not completely doomed. How can it be, when our youth are painting walkways with their dreams?

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