Mexican Shebeen!

Weeks of searching and I believe that I’ve discovered where the real, riotous, palpable World Cup fever is AT!!! Cape Town’s football-crazed chaos has largely been a pub and fan park affair. With other great places to perch onesself for a viewing, including the actual stadium, and Mzoli’s.

But in search of something more – something different – last night we wandered down toward the muffled crowd sounds of the Shebeen (which is at the Strand Tower Hotel on the corner or Strand and Loop Streets) and found our way up into, what looked like, an entrance parkade… and low and behold, discovered the Me-heee-carn shebeen!

Think hot dog stands, big screens, foosball tables, a mechanical bull, a live DJ blaring the Bump 205’s biggest hits, hilariously out-of-time cheerleaders remixing Shakira‘s “Waka-waka” and last but not least, the sweet mother’s milk that is Coronas!!! It’s wonderfully, successfully, comfortably trashy.

And manic as it was, what amused me further was the DJ’s public apology for their “quiet Sunday night”, in a room so full that beer acquisition required covert navigation.

Mexican Shebeen is a real, rowdy, ass-out World Cup experience and I’d recommend it a thousand times over.

For those of you that are rolling stones to our Cape Town rowdiness, reach on over for the phone and call 17 on Loader bed and breakfast (021 418 3417)  to ensure a safe landing strip post-party.

Neighbourgoods Night Market

Winter’s swept in and our couches have become adorned with bum-shaped wear and tear,  while the soup bowls pile up in the sink and our energy levels seem to lag a little along with the weather. In the spirit of getting up and out, The Old Biscuit Mill opens up for warm Winter’s night market, this Tuesday the 15th of June from 18h30 ’til 23h30.

For us that know the Saturday Morning Market, The Old Biscuit Mill is a foodie’s dappled-light haven of smoked olives, charcuterie and the smell of roasting, imported coffee. This Tuesday eve, the Biscuit Mill’s boasting Cape Malay curries, Von Geusau gourmet hot chocolate and creative “sarmies” courtesy of the Kitchen Cowboys. And while we warm our bellies, local micro-breweries and boutique wine merchants have us succumb to a little late-night merriment. 

Cape Town Pub-crawl

They call it the pub-crawl for two reasons. 1. There are pubs. 2. The involvement of such pubs occasionally results in the action of crawling.

This fact leads us to conclude, that it is our own best interest to rouse bedlam in pubs conducive to crawling. What characteristics determine crawl-worthiness?

1. CLEANLINESS. To pub-crawl is one thing, but to be in a pub already crawling with bugs and Dickensian dodge-cats is a deal breaker. Moreover, hoping optimistically that visible symptoms of Hepatitis F don’t materialize, as a result of braving bar snacks, can somewhat suck the fun.
2. Hence requirement two: GOOD BAR SNACKS. In a less then solid state, culinary surprises (and I’m talking about the Halloween trick rather than treat variety) leave something to be desired – usually the contents of our stomachs… back in our stomachs…
3. The final, crucial component of the good pub-crawl – AMBIENCE.  Disapproving throat-clearing and look-down-the-nose looks responses to Black Label requests, hardly encourage jollity.

In light of these crucial components, a list of Cape Town’s preferred pubs:

Forrester’s Arms, affectionately referred to as “Forries”. Superb gourmet pizza (try the springbok capraccio pizza), bustling atmosphere, and a houseful of red-faced, referee-resenting beer-boep “ballies” (on match days), is what to expect. With a five star pub menu; a variety of draughts, cocktails and wines; a fireplace for cold days and an outdoor area for warm days, Forries really is a best-of-everything pub.

Try Barrister’s, just around the corner. A little less raucous and a touch more mature, Barrister’s is perfect for what starts off as “a quick drink after work”.

The intimate Elephant and Barrel, Franschhoek, has a selection of the most ludicrous cover singers I have ever heard (and I come from a long line of tone-deaf-denialism). From teenagers to twenty-somethings, to farm-workers and farm-owners, everyone is up and semi-jokingly gyrating by the end of evening – proof of just how hard the Elephant and Barrel throws down. A clean venue, cheery staff, and communal bonding (through ridicule of musical acts) catalyses merriment, and puts this pub up in the five-star range.

The Dubliner is always brimming with people and bursting with song. Curtained poker rooms, overly-enthused cover bands and the spirit of the Irish, keep this pub abuzz. For a slightly quieter, Irish pub vibe, stop by Catu Bar, near Greenmarket Square.

Quay Four, with seating right up to the water’s edge, has a striking view of the harbour. A great selection of draughts, really good ol’ pub food (fish and chips, burgers, and the like) and fresh, ocean air keep it classy.

Also situated at the V&A waterfront is Mitchell’s. Be warned, as the unofficial Chelsea fan-house of Cape Town, Mitchell’s is pretty riotous on match days. A great venue and a must-do for the pub-crawl – nothing but good fun.

For something different, in the way of pubs, stop by Ganesh and Tagore’s in obs. Ganesh keeps the charm of the township tavern kitchen – serving traditional meals and unbelievably cheap quarts. In the meantime, Tagore’s is a hidden away Moroccan-feel bar that attracts the bohemian and the hippean and offers up a frantic line up of live Friday night jazz.

Deep Purple in Cape Town

For those of you who tingle, when someone hums Smoke On The Water, Christmas comes early this year. The Guinness’ Book of World Records‘ loudest band, English hard-rockers, Deep Purple, are coming to Cape Town. 

For those lesser-informed in the ways of these heavy metal pioneers, Deep Purple are listed 22nd on VH1’s list of Greatest Hard Rock artists, and it’s time to get an education. On June 1st, Deep Purple will be headlining the Masters of Rock concert at the GrandWest Arena. Other acts include Uriah Heep and Wishbone Ash, and
tickets can be bought through Computicket, in the reasonable range of R297 – R476p/p.

Time to get old school rock ‘n roll!

And for those venturing out like the good groupies, rock ‘n roll-over at 17 on Loader - Cape Town’s bed and breakfast, set in the bustling beauty of De Waterkant.

DJ Rene the Frenchman

While us over at 17onLoader (De Waterkant’s premium bed and breakfast) often review back alleys and bustling venues, we don’t usually take a look at the lingerers in the limelight. But recently we found ourselves beers-ing with the Frenchman that keeps HQ frantic on Fridays…

DJ Rene (the Frenchman – as he is referred to) is the towering, infectiously jovial energy of a man pleased with the way his life’s turned out. His bombastically beautiful grey hair bounces as he animatedly gesticulates with a wide, trusty smile. Despite having lived in South Africa for seventeen years, Rene still has the two unmistakable traits of a Frenchman – the accent, and the kind of effortless charm that could hypnotize a girl right into a dark corner without even trying.

DJ-Rene-at-HQ

DJ Rene is the regular at HQ on Fridays, but has an unofficial appreciation society that has him booked all over the country, at least six months in advance, to play, what he calls, “world music“. The genre is as alternating as the atmosphere’s dynamic – DJ Rene shakes up cuban salsa, trance, electro, some hip hop and Brazilian jazz and serves it dirty dirty to the. already-coupling-up, cocktail bar crowd.

From about 9PM on in, in the low-lit golden glow of HQ, the live DJ act comes to include a variety of live performers – sometimes saxophonists, big band brass, or percussion – who never rehearse together, but rock up, read the room, and follow the French pied piper.

Describing the evening ahead of us, DJ Rene got this glint in his eye (not completely unlike that recognized in dictators of small countries) “and we build, we build, we build… and it’s like a wave you know… and zen we are holding zem in our ‘andz like zat!“.

And with a harmlessly power-dizzied gaze he concludes, “at ze peak we are like, Ba!BA!” And overcome by the scene he’s imagining, begins to beat out percussion on the table, mimicking the musical climax of an HQ Friday – when, he claims, he could play anything from Irish ditties to the can-can, and can-can still have the crowd throw down like the circle’s getting bigger.

The Waterfront Wine Affair

Cape Town’s been very quiet this week – we’ve been nursing our once-flourishing social calendars and wishing for sunburn. But what we have fast forgotten is that winter brings wine, fireplaces and excuses for shared body-heat… 

Until Friday, The V&A spends the week swaying with the inebriated influence of dozens of boutique and reserve wines. With curling leaves and early evenings comes the annual V&A Wine Affair. The backdrop of a Table Mountain-marked cityscape makes The Waterfront’s look out a perfect rooftop for some indulgent-out-of-doorsness. 

This well-loved tasting/sipping soiree is a palate party.  Think sushi, oysters, imported cheeses and charcuterie… the menu boasts the best elements of The V & A’s award-winning restaurants. And for the refined gourmand masticating on the fantastic, a selection of wildly well-reputed wine farms wets the appetite and injects some jollity to the “affair”.

The Waterfront Wine Affair runs from 17h00 – 21h00 everyday until Friday 7th May. Tickets are between R90 and R110 thereafter, inclusive of wine / deli tastings and a brochure guide. 

All in all, merriment in low harbour lighting is a wonderfully warm, cosy way to snuggle into the week’s wintry weather.

Die Antwoord

With no pretenses about the conviction of their message, self-named group, Die Antwoord, is an Afrikaans translation of “the answer”. As of February, this fresh South African act has been “taking over the interweb”. Their Enter The Ninja music video went web and kicked up more bandwith fuss than anything our sweet sovereign SA has seen before – making Die Antwoord a viral phenomenon so seductive that it temporarily disabled South African host Hetzner, before being taken on by the big boys at Google. 

Yolandi Vi$$er and Ninja

With fan followings based on twitter, myspace or facebook, and Youtube as their broadcast medium, Die Antwoord has harnessed all the heat of online campaigning to become one of South Africa’s most distinct popular culture icons. If Yolandi’s haunting voice chanting “I, I, I, I’m your butterfly” sounds familiar at all, then you’re probably aware of this mass musical movement being called “Zef-rap”. They’ve become so big that another South African superpower, director of District9, Neill Blomkamp, has agreed to direct their next music video.

Die Antwoord’s three stage personas include Ninja, classically trained Yolandi Vi$$er and DJ Hi-Tek. While Ninja and Yolandi are a husband and wife team, Yolandi is fairly new to the scene, while Ninja (AKA Watkin Tudor Jones) is infamous around these parts. 

A snapshot from the Enter The Ninja music video

Watkin first tasted fame as part of Max Normal and later Max Normal.tv and The Constructus Corporation. He’s known for constructing entire stage personas around his current musical projects, and this time around he’s gone with what’s being described as “prison-hardened, foul-mouthed white trash”.  

Die Antwoord’s become epic and, while they may they may rub the conservative up the wrong way (ie. like a tractor in the bedroom), it’s ostrich-living not to know them. Having just toured Los Angeles to gain some world-wise-eyes and business savvy, their welcome home gig happens at Stellenbosch’s humble Klein Libertas Teater, this 30th of April. Be there to witness the controversy that slammed South African bandwith, and seduced online-lovers worldwide.

Balkanology

Fortune tellers and flying carpets are the fan fare of Balkanology, 26th April 2010. Again the magic of Gypsy/Balkan music is made manifest in the carnivale festivities of a massive, manic party – A one night only affair. Here today, gone tomorrow – as the caravan children do. 

Balkanology – the deliciously devilish circus spectacular – will lay love loose on the new Cape Town venue of spectaculars – whispered as a replacement to the infamous Madame Zingara’s –  the wonderhouse that is Vaudeville. Think magicians, balkan bass and bare-bellied beauties, with the wonderment of dream and hallucination. The insatiable line-up lists tempos from Toby2shoes, Maoriginal, Hopa Banda and the Nomadic Orchestra.

Tickets are R120 pre-sale and R150 at the door. I’m told there’s no party like it.

Time to shine.

Afrika Burns

22nd-27th of April, Afrika Burns is up next on the South African social calendar. And for those of you thinking trance, dance and liquored prance, you should know what sets Afrika Burns apart:

Founded on the principles of the United States Burning Man Festival, Afrika Burns is all about the gift economy and the freely expressed community. To quote their mission statement:

“This “gift economy” means that there is no commercial exchange at the event – no vending, no cash bars and no branded promotion of services or products – the aim being real social interaction. It is an exercise in total self-reliance: participants camp for four days and provide entirely for themselves, including all their water, shelter and food needs”.

In addition, every camper is asked to gift something to the community – be it a drum solo to the full moon, freshly squeezed juice to those braving the scorching sun or a sculptural artwork to be sacrificed in flames. In a nutshell, Afrika Burns is community-orientated cultural communism. What you need you bring, or source from the community. Money is no good on the long stretch of road marked by an absence of anything.

All in all, Afrika Burns is not for those that snigger at tambourines or recoil at the idea of dirt up their skirts, but it is said to be a life-changing experience and one worth the wash-less nights

Cape Town Jazz Festival

The Mother City is set to be buzzing this weekend with visitors pouring in for the Two Oceans Marathon and the Cape Town Jazz Festival. If you prefer to work up a sweat to some soulful sax, then the CT Jazz Festival is where you’ll want to be.

Taking place on 3rd and 4th April across five different stages throughout the city, the renowned festival boasts a line-up that would make the Montreux Jazz Festival blush! To the more savvy Jazz-lovers out there, artists to tempt you include Jonathan Butler, George Benson, Judith Sephuma and Brooklyn Funk Essentials (to name a few).

For those who are a little green on their Jazz greats, but are keen to party, Lira and TKZee are sure to get you jammin’.  Just so you’re sure this is no foolish business, get to Greenmarket Square at 5pm on 1 April for the free community concert that will give you a taste of what’s to come. 

For more information on the festival programme click here. 

There’s no better way to bid adieu to the southern Summer than with the Cape Town Jazz Festival, tickets range from R330 for a day pass to R485 for the weekend pass and cheaper prices for single performances; Available from Computicket www.computicket.com, Shoprite Checkers and www.capetownjazzfest.com

And for those jazz-listeners who aim to maintain levels of luxury high this weekend – treat your open ears to the  Cape Town Jazz Festival and your lovingly lazy bums to a bed in 17onLoader - Cape Town’s best bed and breakfast. 

Wishing you all a wonderfully indulgent and uproductive long weekend