I spent most of yesterday milling around with the many thousands of other people who turned up en masse for the Cape Town leg of My Coke Fest.
How was it?
In a word, fantastic. Here’s why:
I’ve been to many a music festival and although I love them, they’re usually a tad exhausting because of the necessary roughing they involve. Not so with this fest! Plenty of toilets, super-fast service at the bar, enough food offerings (including a healthy option, believe it or not!), and shaded areas to sit down and chill. That was impressive. But not nearly as impressive as the people walking around offering suntan lotion and (this is the real winner for me) water and soap to wash your hands. Wow.
The turnaround time between bands was quick. Really quick. And the MCs, who are (in my opinion) usually totally obnoxious and wanting to steal the stage, were informative but not overbearing.
The bands. All in all, a great line-up. I’m not a big fan of Good Charlotte, but they did a lovely cover of The Cure’s Lovesong that won me over. 30 Seconds to Mars have a beautiful lead singer. That’s all I can say about that. Kaiser Chiefs were great fun. Chris Cornell was so, so great… He’s the epitome of rock-star style, as far as I’m concerned. He owned the stage. And he sang Black Hole Sun, which I thought was a very generous move, considering how many millions of times he must have sung it! Very cool.
And then … then there were Muse. Before this concert I liked their music, but it was a bit crazy for me (they start off sweet and lyrical and then they rock out). Now I think they might be one of the best bands in the world. No exaggeration. I have never seen a band so tight, so musically skilled and so awe-inspiring (and I lived in the States for three years, so I’ve seen quite a few bands). They were unbelievable. What a show! Lights, images, sound — and that voice! I was quite sure they wouldn’t sound as good live as they do on CD, but they were way, way better. Every song was an anthem. They blew me away. Bordering on life-changing. Uh huh. That’s what I said.
(The only complaints I have about the festival were the dust and Korn. The dust! Lordy Lord, was it filthy. I came home covered in dirt, including teeth, nostrils and inside my ears. And Korn were … well, a let-down after Muse, to say the least. I can only imagine they had to get a hard-rock act in because it was a rock festival. Not my cup of tea, thank you very much!)
What about you?
I for one hope this monstrocity never occurs again. I live more than a kilometre form the venue and at times the noise was so horrific that normal conversation was not possible.. Did anyone leave the venue without damage to their hearing?
Louis
Hi,
I went to the Johannesburg version and enjoyed it thoroughly. Check my blog for a review of Friday (krakensrock.blogspot.com). I can only agree about Muse. I have been playing their CD’s in my car and in the house all weekend.
Cheers,
KraKen.
I was at the JHB leg of the concert and I totally agree. It was a superb event. I’ve now been at all three Coke (Colab, and both CokeFests) concerts and this one was by far the best. Everything was smooth, we just struggled to get drinks early but when the intl bands started you could get in and out of the bar quick and easy. I agree Korn was a let down after Muse, and all my friends have been converted to the Muse side.
Well done to Coke and 5fm for an amazing event. I just wish the media actually reported on the concert that was arguably the best ever on SA soil and forgot about a certain “socialite” that dominated the papers on the weekend. Luckily for your CPT folks she only made her appearance at JHB.
The Jhb leg of the festival was awesome! Most of the bands were great. But I’m sorry, if Korn was a let down, it’s because you’re not a heavy music fan, that’s all! I am a long-time Korn fan and they were the highlight for me.
It was interesting to read the impressions of someone who got to see the Cape Town leg of the Tour.
I travelled from Durban specifically to see Muse and Korn, and in my opinion both bands were incredible. I was a bit sceptical that Korn would come to the party with only 3 remaining band members form the original outfit. But thankfully They blew me away!!!!
I was also very impressed with Chris Cornell and appreciated songs from Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden and Audioslave. I agree he is a true rock star.
I was was however a bit dissapointed with the airport pricing system applied to all food. I think two bottles of water (1 litre) for R20 is a rip-off.
But the concert was incredible!!! Thanks to the organisers for getting big bands to tour RSA!!
Maybe the dust kept a certain socialite away?
(Sorry about the noise, Louis!)
I agree with Louise as also live not 1 km away – the noise was bad. However, I have to say that it did not bother me until the last band came on, whoever that was, by 11pm I had really had enough of his screaming and swearing. A little unfair on those families with kids who did not intend on hearing all that.
To say that Korn were a let down after Muse only tells me that you clearly didn’t go to see Korn.
Myself being a Korn fan and my wife having met them backstage are the happiset two people on the planet. To see the greatest rock band live was an experience that will live with us forever.
Muse were superb and just got on with it.
I know they will have sold a ton of cd’s because of their performance but Korn were the headline band for a reason.
Clearly Bridget, you prefer soft rock and that’s all good but to say that Korn were disappointing has driven a stake through my heart.
Korn, Muse and Chris Cornell (surprisingly) blew my socks off.
So I end off with a question to all of you.
How many Korn cd’s do you own?
The defense rests your honour.
I went to the JHB leg , and sorry, wasn’t as good as COLAB in Centurion. Maybe it was good for the people in the Golden Circle , but for us plebs , you had to wait an hour to get served at the bar, this while standing in mud , messing up your clothes. Toilet facilities ? Yes , but the taps to wash your hands ran dry so no water to wash up afterwards. And while Muse and Cornell were great , some of the other bands were nothing special. I hope they move the next one back to Centurion.
Everything you said is on point. I have to say Jared Leto is a brilliant performer! He had the entire crowd at his mercy (girls and guys!). For the SA bands, I liked the Shy Guevaras and Prime Circle, but Van Coke Cartels music was boring. Not because they’re an afrikaans band, but because their sound is so flat and not creative. Chris Cornell has the perfect rock voice, i have to get all his music now (solo and with AudioSlave). Muse was completely, utterley awesome! They were live but it sounded better than CD quality. And Korn was a bit better than Van Coke Cartel, but they’re not my kinda’ scene. Best Concert I’ve been to ever!(Im still coughing out dust though)
Well, I think I live about 2 k’s away from the venue. We kept our doors and windows open to enjoy an incredible concert. Have seventeen year old daughter. So know names of bands!
Muse were outstanding.
Agree with every word. I’ve been a Muse fan for years and have been desperate to see them, but only got the chance yesterday. Having been thoroughly disappointed by live performances from bands I love before (Red Hot Chili Peppers the most obvious offender) I was hoping to be blown away but expecting to be let down.
Blown away I was. Muse are the best live act in the world today. I’ve seen Pink Floyd, Metallica, Aerosmith, and the boys from Teignmouth owned them. I’ve yet to come down from that performance.
Even Louis would have enjoyed it had he been there.
I completely agree about MUSE. They’ve always been one of my top fave bands, and it was a dream come to true to see them perform live. And what a performance! That was world-class. I heard people who didn’t know who they were when they started playing exclaim how brilliant and incredible they were afterwards. Now that’s professional and super-talented. Can’t say much for some of the other bands… especially Kaiser Chiefs with their front-man downing 3 pints during the performance on stage. Wonder how many he had before? Went to the Joburg show, can’t say I was treated to the soap and water
but for everything it was worth seeing MUSE. Like you say, life-changing experience… I wrote about them on my blog too – mynewsblogs.24.com – Lonely District
MUSE is AWESOME!!!
That was the worst experience I’ve ever had in my life….what a waste of money…big thumbs down to the organisers…firstly we had to park a hour away from the venue…to follow a mindless mass of angst eager black ‘rocker’ teenagers to the venue…on arrival only to be greeted by a mass of dust and dry grass. When we were thirsty the bars full…when we actually wanted to watch a band…I know SA is reknown for creating the ridiculous “Golden Circle” – (believe me I have lived in the UK and been to many concerts overseas inlcuding Austrlia and Wales)…they do not have a split of the Golden Circle when listening to a live band and/or DJ…ok never mind that…then we were hungry the pizzatook about an hour to arrive…then when we actually wanted to listen to a band the sound kept cutting out on and off…the music quality was atrocious..I could barely make out any of the vocals muffled by a vague background noise…sifting through more naive teenagers…
We decide to leave annoyed…only to find that the car was parked in by a mass of cars…what a waste of money…never again will I do a myCoke Fest again…Sadly.
I went to the JHB show.The bands were exeptional, especially Muse & Korn (even with only 2 original members playing). The sound/lighting/visuals was very good, the best I’ve ever seen. The rest was POOR. Waiting more than an hour to get a drink is not acceptable (they ran out of beer again!) The toilets oveflowed with urine, gross man. The mud in the golden circle was ankle deep in places. Where was the golden circle bar/toilets? The organisers should get their act together.
YOU ARE SO RIGHT ABOUT MUSE! BRILLIANT BRILLIANT BRILLIANT!!! THE BEST LIVE ACT YOU CAN EVER SEE AND I AM SO LUCKY TO HAVE SEEN THEM TWICE IN MY LIFETIME!!!
I am still floating on Cloud9 hearing Matthew’s amazing voice.. and the sound they get from an instrument….! oh my god….
“Bury it
I won’t let you bury it
I won’t let you smother it
I won’t let you murder it….”
Bring it ON!!! YEAHHHH!!!!!
I went to the Cape Town Coke Fest yesterday. I had a great time. Word of advice, get dropped off and picked up in a shuttle. 8 of us from the northern suburbs to get to Kenilworth and back = total of R50 each. Great bargain and you are dropped off right at the entrance.
The water, etc was overpriced but what can you do – you’re a captive audience.
Chris Cornell is a super legend and I felt privileged to have been able to sing along to Blackhole Sun, Spoonman and the other classics. Wow! Really great. The crowd were generally teeny boppers and I heard many asking who Chris Cornell was. And judging by the way the crowd went on for Jared Leto on stage, as well as by the signing booth, I think that says a lot in itself.
For the Korn fans, sorry…I feel they were a little flat and strange to be honest. Maybe following Muse, the best live act in the world right now, was a tall order. For the record, I have Korn albums and shirts. I have no Muse albums or shirts…but this will change. Muse were the best show by far and Chris Cornell, I feel, had the best quality of songs there.
I also felt that 30 Seconds To Mars were too stop-start and lacked a good flow to their display. They also talked too much, like Good Charlotte. However, both bands played well when they were playing and clearly pleased the masses.
As for the local boys, they all did well. But I think Van Coke Kartel were the weak link in the show.
I’ve been to the other Coke Fests and believe this was the best. This view was shared by all my mates. We queued for a total of 10 minutes for 3 trips to the beer tents. The food queues were shockingly long though for the well known brands. So we decided to have subs and I was one of 3 people there.
I had a great time. Coming home caked in dirt was part of the experience. As for the locals who moan about the noise, try living next to the airport and see what constant noise is all about. Once a year we have a loud rock festival and people moan about the noise. The logic escapes me. I’m actually jealous you didn’t have to pay for the apparently perfectly audible evening’s worth of music.
Gripes: high ticket prices and extremely large and outdated golden circle.
That was the best experience I’ve ever had in my life…worth every penny,and more…big thumbs up to the organisers – Sorry “annoyed”, but the proof is all here-3 complaints and 12 praises! Muse gave the most unbelievably awsome performance!! My girlfriend loved Good Charlotte and I happen to like Korn so they were fantastic as well(not so good as Muse though-could anyone best them?) And apart from Van Coke(sorry guys), the other bands were great too! Sure the dust was bad, and the ques were long – but everything was pretty smooth considering the enormous mass of people. All in all one of the most amazing rock festivals ever!
Well done to the organisers and of course the bands!!
MUSE! MUSE! MUSE!
I hope that this is the last time that the residents of the Southern Suburbs are subjected to this ghastly racket. Music….ha!!!
I LOVED this fest… Ok, no… I loved KORN! The bands started to wear me out, since the only band I actually went to see was korn. So I wasn’t too enthused about 30 seconds to mars, good charlotte or any of the other bands… I was pleasantly surprised by a few though, especially good charlotte, whose music I hate… Their live act wasn’t too bad. All the acts knew how to keep the crowd entertained. Except for Chris Cornell, who mostly let his guitar riffs do the entertaining.
The dust was gross, the people were excessively drunk, don’t get me wrong, I can drink as much as any pub crawler (probably more), but the people getting drunk, and/ or stoned (I could smell the Swaz), were just a bit over-bearing at times. Also my legs hurt from standing all day. I stayed near the front so I could have a good spot to see Korn from (wasn’t in the golden circle), so I couldn’t move or my spot would be taken.
But I powered through it all, and it was SOOO worth it! I ended up right against the fence when Korn got up (since all the Muse fans left when they had finished) and I started singing along like a FREAK!! They started with my ALL TIME Favourite song: Right Now! I loved it! It only got better! I became oblivious to the cold, the dust, the aching limbs… Everything melted away as I screamed at the top of my lungs along to their anthem laden set!
I loved Korn the MOST! The other bands definitely had good sets, but KORN crowned the evening for me, to an otherwise tedious and tiring event.
And please, don’t moan about international rock GODS being in your otherwise dingy and lame suburb, you were in the presence of gods, you should be thankful… What if it was a band/ singer (cough… Celine Dion) you enjoyed and I moaned about it?
At the very outset, my Coke fest experience was not all that delightfull and honestly its something I want to erase from my memory ASAP, except the performance of Muse. The venue was shit(horse shit), it was difficult to find a place to sit and rest for a while. I have to mention about the bar facility, I understand its about the music and not about drinking, but still to just have couple of beers one had to wait for hours standing in the mud messing the shoes and also be harrassed by some dipsomaniacs. I hate to be a complaint box, but I had to pen my disappointment of something I thought would be in my book of memories for a long time to come, only to be let down by the organisers. I hope the next one would be in a better venue where we don’t have to drown in a pile of shit.
The bands were great, definitely the best line up they have had for years. But the organisiation leaves much to be desired. Seriously when are they going to get it right? An hour and half wait to get a drink? And the food queues? Even though we love to hate them, we South Africans need to take a look at how the Ozzies organise events. You go to the MCG with a capacity of 100,000 and you don’t wait for a thing. Now that is service.
Anyone got the MUSE set-list for the show in Cape Town?
Moan moan moan moan moan.
what the hell? it was a great day out! i didn’t wait more than 10 minutes for anything! that includes drinks, food, toilet, entry, exit, the shuttle or getting out the parking area.
Muse was out of this world (as i expected them to be) and to see chris conrell perform was an honour, i mean i was listening to this guy in high school.
it’s a rock concert, expect to rough it. plain and simple, maybe next year all you moan-gatte can stay at home, save your money and your shoes, and let the rest of us grateful enough to see such great acts (by and large all the acts were good) rock on!!!
I went to the Joburg show. I thought it was amazing. I’ve actually only been in SA for two months (I am an American) so I thought it would be a pretty awesome time to go and see a bunch of SA and American bands together with 46,000 of my closest friends here in SA.
The only major critiques I have of the show were some things you thought were great. The mens toilet was like a sewage area after about 2 hours. The bars were packed out within an hour to where it was nearly impossible to get a beer. The food lines were also atrocious. Luckily they were bringing large baskets of food strategically to the crowd. The band turnaround was OK, but I’ve seen much better at shows that size.
Here is the reality, though. For the size and stature of the event, I still say well played! The bands were all great. Even some people I was less than excited about seeing wowed me. I’m also not a big Korn (well, I was about 10 years ago) fan and Muse was a VERY hard act to follow, but I still think they did a great job. You can see why they still have such a large fan base after all these years.
I give this festival a huge thumbs up, in spite of some minor flaws. I’m glad you thought the same!
!!!MUSE!!!
no critique of the LOCAL (as in South African) bands in your review Bridget? Yes, there were local (as in South African/ Capetonian) bands on the bill at My Coke Fest 2008.
Or perhaps you just missed them or maybe they simply did not feature in your overall memory of the event? (the fillers that many people still take the local support slots to be at events like these. 25 postings here and only three of which even noticed the local bands? Kudos to Sergei, Bryan and Stuart for noticing.)
As long as the perception that local bands are just time-fillers until the big name internationals arrive persists, the local supports will continue to get side-lined and treated like, well, time-fillers really.
Local bands on these bills do it for the love of it and obviously because they might never get another chance to play to more than 1 000 people in any one place in SA, even though they might be as good as, as motivated as and as passionate about their art as any of the internationals are or might claim to be. But, for their sins, the South African bands that played at My Coke Fest 2008 remain “local” and therefore don’t really exist in the bigger scheme of things, do they?
Clearly not.
My burning question is – would any of you shell out a week’s wages to go and watch six LOCAL (as in South African) bands play in a day at Kenilworth? probably not. why would you? – you can see them anyday and it’s not like you’d know half of them on the bill anyway ‘cos radio in this country is SO good at promoting their own!
Would any of you who LOVE Muse so dearly know of a local Capetonian band called Taxi Violence (who played Coke Fest 2007)and whose music will appeal to any Muse fan because it is sonically as well made and interesting? Maybe not.
Or a band called Spindle Sect or a band called the Narrow (jhb) that could compete blow for blow ably alongside the likes of Korn?
again, probably not.
Why? becos well, becos they’re “local” (as in South African) and that makes them somehow a lttle bit less exciting than a band that doesn’t care about you or I (so long as we’re not downloading their music for free) or how we feel or if we’re being ripped off at the gate and getting less than we expect (if not demand!) from concert funders who know a whole lot about carbonated beverages and not a whole lot about music..
remember: there’s a big difference kneeling down and bending over.
support your local musicians.
I was at the JHB leg of the Fest. I don’t know why everyone is praising Muse and their revolting performance, I’ve never been a fan of theirs and that performance reminded me why… THEY SUCK! No crowd interaction and the way the guitarist abuses his poor instrument is shameful, but I didn’t go to see them so who cares, KORN on the other hand rocked! The set was a little too short, but they blew me away, the best hard rock performers in the world today, without a doubt!
Personally I don’t think any of the bands – local or international – even deserved to play on the same stage as KORN.
30 seconds put on a mediocre performance, but a little too bubblegum for me.
30 Seconds – MEDIOCRE
Good Charlotte – SUCK
Kaiser Chiefs – SUCK
Chris who? – SUCK
Muse – REALLY SUCK
KORN – ROCKED THE HOUSE!!
(trust me, all the TRUE rock fans will agree with me on this)
Otherwise service was flippin’ terrible and the venue was disgusting, shame on the organisers.
Coca Cola and 5fm really better pull their acts together next year.
The only reason I went was for KORN, and in my opinion they were the only ones who delivered.
If dust is a problem, then maybe you are not cut out for this sort of thing. Also I am so sorry that KORN disappointed you. Korn rocked Joburg so hard the earth moved. Everything before that is a blur left in the dust that KOrn made.
I had a golden circle ticket & it was worth every cent. What a magical day. The weather was perfect. Muse rocked! Our local bands also stood their ground. The dust was hectic. I was suprised to find my arms are black & blue, a day later, from people pushing & shoving. At the time I never noticed a thing. I had a ball. Well done to the organisers.
I’m actually a big fan of local music, but – as you so correctly pointed out – it’s part of my everyday life because I go to see bands on weekends in Cape Town.
The only reason I didn’t review them is because I only arrived late to Coke Fest – halfway through the 30 Seconds to Mars set – for personal reasons. And I didn’t want to give an uninformed opinion of them. I think one of the main reasons SA bands have such a hard time is because of lack of exposure.. I’ve heard of Taxi Violence, but never in comparison to Muse, and as I’m a recent Muse fan I’ll definitely check them out.
Good points!
I would like to see local bands playing at professional venues with good sound, big stages and generally good facilities. I don’t know of any such place in Cape Town (maybe Joburg has some). I saw the Shy Guevaras at Mercury once and I thought they sounded amateur and their act was mediocre. Seeing them at My Coke Fest however on a big stage with great sound was a different experience altogether – they were in my top three bands of the night (after Muse and Chris Cornell).
As for the organisation – much better than previous years. At the Cape Town gig I didn’t once queue for a drink or a toilet (which were as clean as one can hope porta loos to be). The food queues were long but at least there were guys walking around selling biltong and chips to snack on. My only gripe was that the coffee stands closed before the concert ended because it got COLD near the end!
Andre: they started with Knights of Cydonia, and after that I don’t remember the exact order but they played Starlight, Take a bow, Feelin’ good, Hysteria, Map of the problematique, Supermassive black hole, Stockholm syndrome, Time is running out and Plug in, baby.
Sorry, that’s not MUCH help, but hey *grin*
Muse Muse Muse Muse Muse Muse. Better live than recorded; flawless performers, not wasting their time with chit-chat or “We love you motherf**kers!” (thanks, Jared Leto…you freak), just playing incredible mind-blowing music.
Missed the SA bands totally by accident, was bored by 30 seconds to Mars, thought Kaiser Chiefs should have played later because they had awesome energy and a great set, Good Charlotte was OK, tight and polished but boring, and Chris Cornell was all right…pity the sound was mysteriously lousy for his set! Watched Muse and left, Korn not my scene.
Well-organised, transport ran smoothly, food and drinks pricey, pity about the teenagers sucking face in front of me while I tried to watch the bands…see you all next year!
Anyone likes Joe Cocker ????
There is no coke fest, only the Doors.
@Andre – found this setlist on the web and it sounds about right.
01. Knights of Cydonia
02. Hysteria
03. Map of the Problematique
04. Supermassive Black Hole
05. New Born
06. Feeling Good
07. Butterflies and Hurricanes
08. Starlight
09. Time Is Running Out
10. Plug In Baby
11. Stockholm Syndrome
12. Take a Bow
wordy rock guy – There are a lot of extremely capable local rock bands, and agree with you about Taxi Violence, though they’re more like the Killers or Franz Ferdinand than Muse, I’d say. But I missed the Shy Guevaras who I believe were pretty good, caught Van Coke Kartel who were, frankly, pathetic – like a drunk student got up on stage and thought he could sing.
Prime Circle on the other hand impressed me – I find their music a little on the predictable side but I thought they were good on stage.
I was one of the photographers for the event for a local music magazine. I was awed by the bands and took some awesome pictures. The pics are priceless! Loved Good Charlotte, Kaiser, MUSE, Wonderboom. Korn were insane!! All round – excellent lineup!!
Tarryne Rautenbach
I really enjoyed the joburg concert. Sure the lines were long at times, but you can’t expect to avoid queues at a 46000 strong event. Much better than 2 years ago, anyway.
I really liked the line-up this year as there were no has-beens, while not being an overpopulation of commercial teen pleasers like last year (which is why I didn’t go). I think most people who are passionate about their music appreciated koRn, while the more casual listeners found them too heavy for their 5fm dulled ears.. I thought Muse had the best show though.
Jozi kids must set standards way way low. I’ve been to many events since I moved up here and I can’t remember one being well organised. This year was no different. Ok we didn’t run out of water ad have to break open sprinklers (yes that was Tshwane not Jozi, but whatever), but everything else took forever (the two most NB being booze and bogs). And a weird smelly swamp emerged for about 100m in every direction of the bog area. No that wasn’t rain folk.
And what’s WITH South Africa and 50m long ‘golden circle’ areas? The one in Joburg was half full. Us R400 bums had to slum it behind the fence, behind the ginormous production tower, and watch everything on the screen – with about 20m of open ground in front of us that we weren’t allowed to touch!! I swear we are such a docile, accepting bunch of wallies (me included).
But Chris Cornell made everything just dandy. Muddy smelly shoes, un-treatable thirst, burnt face, whatever man. Hearing the soundtrack to your early high school train-rides and endless walking everywhere cannot be BEAT!
MUSE WAS A ONE PEACE BAND. The lead singer makes muse sadly the rest of them are expendable. Disappointed in Muse after seeing them over seas.
hey guys – check out the video clip of leto swearing like a maniac.
This happened this week at the My Cokefest music festival in Cape Town which featured Leto’s band, as well as Good Charlotte, Korn and others.
Thought you might enjoy this article about Jared Leto as he calls his fans “mother fuckers” and orders them to form a mosh pit at the same festival. Hilarious!
http://www.2oceansvibe.com/jared-leto-my-coke-fest-cape-town.htm
Thanks for the awesome site. Big fan.
John
Only came across this now, but have this to say.
I live approx. 2kms away from Kenilworth Racecourse and, while it seemed like a noise yes, the concert itself was excellent, from what I could hear.
Also, the organisers did everything possible to prevent excessive noise by facing the stage in the direction of the M5; also, later, it seemed that they turned down the volume because the later it got, the softer the music. Big ups to the organisers for this. Next time, I’ll go to the event myself.
I already posted my comment on the day after the fest, and I’m still in awe from that day!!
However earlier today my bubble was burst. On the front page of ‘The Peoples Post’ was a very sad article…it would seem that a once a year rock concert is unnacceptable to the residents of Kenilworth. Apperently 120 people complained and now the greatest rock festival in S.A. might loose it’s venue!!! I have to say I’m distgusted by this turn of events. Oh, and there were +/- 20 000 people at the concert but the voice of a mere 120 complainers(less than 1% of the amount of spectators) will be heard instead? That concert, seeing all those bands was a dream come true for me and many others. It’s all a bit sad and unfair. I hope we will still get our Coke Fest next year in Cape Town.
I have also written about Cokefest on my blog (wrote it early and forgot to post it.. silly me).
With regards to the local acts..
In Jo’burg we got Prime Circle, Lonehill Estate and Wonderboom. Prime Circle and Wonderboom are (in my opinion) two of the blandest acts in the country, and seemed badly chosen. I realise that the local industry needs more support to grow, and to provide more fertile ground to support more innovative and interesting acts, but at the same time I really don’t see the point of supporting bands just because they’re local. Its a catch 22.
Best concert on SA yet. I was in the golden circle so it was even better. Muse were fantastic, had me in awe. However, seeing that I love Korn and the heavier type, I was even more impressed when standing right in front, I saw the Muse band members standing against the side of the stage and head banging to Korn. That just sealed the lid for me. The unusually heavy bass that concert produced really made Korn and Muse stand out. Bottom line, heavy metal is liked by more people than what most anti-rockers like to admit/believe, so I hope the next mudfest will feature something with substance again. And by the way, all those of you displaying the “metal fist” (TM) whilst Average Charlotte or 30 secs to Mars were playing, you’re not allowed to! It’s user-righted for rock/metal only! Get some class will you! \m/