After a really lazy vacation me and Simon got up early for Coke Zero Fest this year. With a super psyched attitude we quickly loaded some petrol and off we went… or so we thought. After a quick whistle by the joggie we realized we had a puncture. Luckily they gave a speedy service and we switched the tyres and off we went. The venue was really easy to find, and oh my word was it an amazing venue. So beautiful: mountains and lush green scenery. However, to our sad realization when we arrived at 10:40 Die Heuwels Fantasties were already at it. They stated on their Facebook fan page they’d only start at 11h30. Slightly pissed we hastily found parking and ran to stage.

Me and Simon got general admission tickets, however the view was not that bad. Die Heuwels Fantasties played four songs (we saw only four) and were done. It was slightly disappointing. There were still nobody in the crowd and it felt like a rehearsal before the crowd got in. A quick one two and we’re off. However, I love their music: going to see them again this week. I feel like they need a much more sweaty, small, close and loud singing type of crowd to really get the effect. To my surprise, Fred, who played guitar in the now defunct, Die Helde, and is now currently jamming in Thieve, played drums for Die Heuwels Fantasties. The bassist from Bed on Bricks also lend a hand on the bass. Jack Parow also made an appearance. What a legend dude, but he forgot the second verse of “Die Vraagstuk” and repeated the first verse again.

Next was Foto na Dans. They are my favourite band from South Africa and again the meagre crowd did not do them justice. They need more people singing in unison. They sang to an empty golden circle, while I was yearning from the outside trying to get nearer to the stage and feel the vibe. Alas, it did not work out. They however did give away a free guitar from Marshall Music valued at R15000. That was awesome. Another awesome trick Le-Roi (lead singer) pulled was to go up to the railings and sing with the crowd on “Vergeet van My”. The front man of Flux in Motion was in the crowd and harmonized with Le-Roi. Was pretty cool.

Next was Cassette. Unfortunately, I went to get some beers and stood in line for the Guitar Hero competition (which I completely bummed at). However, they seemed to throw a very cool show. The front man has a really sneaky personality. It’s good.

Zebra and Giraffe took the stage after Cassette. They really were the highlight of the South African bands. I wish Foto na Dans had that crowd for such a stage. They totally ripped it. With such ease they cruised through their set and looked the part as well. These guys can really go far. Almost within a year they catapulted to this stage. I wish them luck. Greg is a genius. Their sound is meant for such a stage. I’ve seen them in smaller gigs, but this totally suit them better.

The Dirty Skirts were up next. Unfortunately, my stomach was grumbling like crazy and could not experience the whole set. However, they played classics such as, “Homewrecker” and “Feeling the Pressure”. The front man is really funny and they also went into an impromptu jam session. Gutsy move on such a big stage, but they pulled it off.

aKing was up next. I was expecting more from them. Their set was brilliant, but something was lacking. It needed more oomph. Safe as Houses, however, will always remain a sing-a-long classic. Eager to seem perform again this week. Like Die Heuwels Fantasties, the crowd makes this band.

Panic! At The Disco then arrived on stage as the first international act of the night. It was better than I expected, however, not really amazing either. Brendon Urie’s voice was suprisingly good, as I’ve seen horrendous live shows on Youtube and award shows. They mixed up their set from their first and second album.

Then Snow Patrol came on. Wow! I was totally blown away. I was not expecting this. First off I got to give frontman,  Gary Lightbody, the biggest kudos ever. I’ve not seen someone smile on stage as much as he did. It really rubs off on the crowd if the performer seems to absolutely enjoy what he is doing. They sang classics such as “Run”, “Chasing Cars”, “You’re all that I Have” and “Hands Open”. The crowd sang along to almost every song while the sun went down: spectacular stuff. Definitely my favourite at this year’s Coke Fest.

Oasis then came on at around 20h00… and with a resounding meh. I’m not a fan, however, it’s an injustice to leave them hanging. We just waited for Wonderwall and went. They just don’t have the same charisma that Snow Patrol had.

In conclusion, this was a great festival, however it’s not going to beat last year’s epic line-up, but it did have the best organization by far. I literally went to bar and slapped my cash on the counter and got a beer. There  were no queues at the toilet and minimal waiting time for the food. It was really a top-notch festival experience. Eager to see what they do for next year!

If you want to check some videos I took on my cellphone. Visit my Qik page at http://www.qik.com/nieldlr

Simon’s 2nd opinion:

My head hurts, because of the sun. I remembered sunscreen, but there’s only so much you can do. So my quick recap. It was awesome! The best local band line-up by far. Getting better and better!

Panic was better than I expected. The last song (can’t remember the name of it), had everyone boogying. ‘Twas fun.

As Niel mentioned, Snow Patrol kicked ass. Really great! Wow.

I’m not a fan of Oasis and while Liam is a tad arrogant, I have to give it to them. You don’t gig so long without knowing what works. It worked pretty well. :). Wonderwall was cool.

And finally. BEST VENUE ever. The scenic mountains with the impeccable service. Thinking back on the 1st Cokefest, it’s astounding how much they’ve approved. Great job! Looking forward to next year!

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Tags: aKing, Cape Town, Casette, Coke Zero Fest, Die Heuwels Fantasties, Foto na Dans, highlights, Music, Oasis, Panic at the Disco, Snow Patrol, The Dirty Skirts, Zebra and Giraffe
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