Venture Capital News South Africa

FPK goes (Kirsten)Bos(ch)

A Fokofpolisiekar gig at Kirstenbosch Gardens... Not only is it the perfect way to end off the Up The Creek weekend, it's also the perfect way for an 'older' fan like myself, to enjoy my favourite band without having to battle through a crowd of Millennials with questionable hygiene. And of course, Kirstenbosch was showing off again on Sunday, so arriving early allowed us to enjoy a bottle of wine (okay, maybe several) while appreciating the beautiful, tranquil setting.

And then came die bende...

Starting off their set in a relatively tame fashion with Hunter (Kennedy, rhythm guitar), Francois (van Coke, lead singer) and Johnny (de Ridder, lead guitar) - whose one year old attended his first Fokofpolisiekar gig - sitting down and calmly entertaining us with tracks like 'Wintersdag by die see' and 'Bel vir Middlevinger'. With the great acoustics of Kirstenbosch, this (relatively) quiet start gave the crowd the opportunity to really appreciate the lyrics. You can always depend on Francois to put everything behind his performance - always as if it's his very last one. But the most significant change over the years for me has been the improvement in his enunciation (and probably also his fans' listening skills) so the clarity of 'Vasebeslote Korporasie (deel 1)' and 'Tiny Town' definitely gave me goosebumps again.

FPK goes (Kirsten)Bos(ch)

Fokofpolisiekar is known for their energetic shows so eventually, during 'Illusie van Veiligheid' they ditched the chairs and then, as one of my friends remarked, "Fokofpolisiekar turned a Kirstenbosch Summer Concert into a full-on gig." At the same time their myriad of fans ran to the stage in the hopes of touching a band member or stage diving - which security did not find amusing.

Just before this gig, someone at Up The Creek remarked that with a frontman like Francois, the rest of Fokofpolisiekar probably just coasts through gigs. My vodka-fuelled self vehemently disagreed and I am happy to report that I am right, and Jan*, you were wrong. All the favourites like 'Tygerberg Vliegtuig', with Johnny's unforgettable guitar solo intro, Snake going wild on the drums during 'Brand Suid-Afrika', Hunter killing the back-up vocals on 'Antibiotika', and possibly the most important, Wynand's energy keeping everyone together proved it again: Fokofpolisiekar is a team of equal players that each bring their own magic to gigs.

FPK goes (Kirsten)Bos(ch)

Every Fokofpolisiekar show has a unique tension-build towards the final three songs: '(Skyn) Heilig', 'Hemel op die Platteland', and the musical self-portrait, 'Fokofpolisiekar'. This is testament not only to the relationship with their fans, but especially the band's respect and understanding of them. Consistent delivery and their ability to connect with their audience on a one-on-one level is what have made 10+ years of met vuur speel possible. Now let's see if they can keep that fire going for the next 10 years...

*Name changed to protect a friend from a FPK-mob maiming.

Photography by Jessica Kramer

View Gallery

About Natalie Jardine

I've been in media marketing for (what feels like) ages. I believe that the best-performing companies - in any industry - spend time and money on expert internal communication. I also like to drink Sauvignon Blanc, voice my opinion on the local music scene and cause havoc at the poker table.
Let's do Biz