AT THE DRIVE IN: TWO AFROS AND A JIM WARD

“You're a robot. Your'e a sheep. Maa! Maa! Maa!” – Cedric Bixler-Zavala.

Photo by "Roel" - ATDI's last show, at Vera Groningen, Netherlands, 2001.
This morning I stumbled across the fact that At the Drive In's "One Armed Scissor" was the first song announced for Guitar Hero IV (due out in October). Co-incidentally, last night, driving through the city, I heard the band's magnum opus, Relationship of Command again.

What an amazing fucking album! As urgent now as the day it was written. But, apparently, that was all just “kiddy shit,” according to guitarist Omar Rodríguez-Lopez at least - “it's like seeing an old high school picture, where you have a mullet. And you're like, what was I thinking?” They can criticise it all they like. But to me, listening to it again now, Jim Ward's post At the Drive In band Sparta, and Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-Lopez's medicated looney tunes, The Mars Volta, don't even come close. They sound like two incomplete parts of a greater whole, crying out to be re-united. Ward and Cedric's voices were meant for each other - Ward the anchor, Cedric the entertainer, the madman, the raving lunatic.

It all started in El Paso, Texas, in 1993, with teenagers Jim Ward and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (then both members of punk band El Paso Pussycats). At the Drive In played their first show on October 15, 1994. Guitarist Omar Rodríguez-Lopez joined in 1996, and in 1997, the band settled on the core lineup of Omar (guitar), Cedric (vocals), Jim Ward (vocals, keyboard and guitar), Paul Hinojos (bass), and Tony Hajjar (drums). And, on the back of a reputation for mad, intense, and aggressively-energetic live shows, hard work, and a rabid-tooth for touring, they soon built up a loyal following of supporters. The band's first nationally-televised performance was minor radio hit, "One Armed Scissor", on the short-lived American music show FarmClub, in 2000.


Click here to watch the montage music video for "One Armed Scissor"

And here to watch ATDI's first nationally-televised performance - "One Armed Scissor", on FarmClub, in 2000.
But already, an in-group out-group dynamic was developing within the band. At the Drive In were becoming well-known as the band with the crazy afros. But Jim Ward didn't have an afro. He wasn't involved in the early incarnation of The Mars Volta, Cedric and Omar's experimental dub/reggae project De Facto with Jim's cousin Jeremy (who would later play a major role in The Mars Volta, with both his music and his fatal overdose). It almost seems like Ward, and At the Drive In, just weren't "weird" enough for the drug-taking, increasingly-eccentric pair of afros.


Click here to watch a funny home video featuring Omar and Cedric
In January 2001, At the Drive In traveled to Australia, to play the Big Day Out festival. 15 minutes into their Sydney show, Cedric started asking the crowd to calm down and observe the safety rules, "I think it's a very, very sad day when the only way you can express yourself is through slam dancing". The crowd refused. "You learnt that from your TV. You didn't learn that from your best friend. You're a robot. You're a sheep. Maa! Maa! Maa! I have a microphone and you don't. You watch TV way too much," shouted Cedric, and the band walked off stage. Later that day, 16-year old Jessica Michalik was taken to hospital, after she was crushed during Limp Bizkit's set (she died five days later).


Click here to watch Cedric's full sheep rant
Soon afterwards, after completing a successful world tour, and at the height of At the Drive In's fame and popularity, the band broke up. They played their last show at Vera, in Groningen, Netherlands. The split was initially called an "indefinite hiatus." But Cedric soon went public, taking the blame for the breakup, and explaining that he felt At the Drive In was holding him back, that the post hardcore, hardcore, and punk labels thrown at the band were restricting his creativity and limiting the music. He wanted to make more experimental, more against the grain, more progressive music. Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez said, in interviews, that they wanted their next album to sound more like Pink Floyd's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.


Click here to watch an interview with Cedric about selling out, radio, and "letting your freak flag fly".
Jim Ward has stated in interviews that he was happy with the breakup. That he started the band when he was 17, and, in ATDI, always felt 17. Back in 1994, Ward used the money from his college savings to fund Western Breed Records, just to release At the Drive In's Hell Paso EP.

After the breakup, At the Drive In drummer Tony Hajjar and bassist Paul Hinojos formed the band Sparta. Hinojos got in contact with ex-ATDI bandmate Ward, and convinced him to become the band's frontman. In 2005, Ward walked out on the band mid tour, stating, "I needed to get away from everything and everyone. I wasn't enjoying myself at all, and I didn't feel my life or the band was where I wanted it to be... I needed to step back and reassess everything." During the hiatus Hinojos switched sides, and joined The Mars Volta. In 2006, Sparta reformed, and released the album Threes. Ward has also released several solo albums, most recently, 2007's Quiet EP. He also has a new album out called West Texas, with his new project, Sleepercar.


Click here to watch the amazing music video for At the Drive In's "Invalid Letter Dept."
I'll never understand it. Maybe we're just not supposed to. But just watch the video above. It's amazing. Breathtaking. One of those great songs to be remembered forever. With no evidence of the "limitations" that drove the band apart. The Mars Volta's De-loused in the Comatorium (2003) is a great album. Parts of it almost sound like the natural progression of Relationship of Command. But (because I've heard Relationship of Command) I just can't shake the feeling that without Omar and Cedric, Jim Ward's just too dry and sane. And without Ward, Omar and Cedric are just plain nuts.


Click here to watch The Mars Volta debuting their 2008 album The Bedlam in Goliath on The Tonight Show.

Click here to watch the video for "A Broken Promise" by Jim Ward's Sleepercar

Click here to watch Sparta's "Erase It Again". Listen to Ward's shouting 1:05s in, and imagine Cedric was backing him up. Oh well...
At the Drive In's Discography:

EPs:


Hell Paso - 1994


Alfaro Vive, Carajo! - 1995


El Gran Orgo - 1997


Vaya - 1999

Albums:


Acrobatic Tenement - 1996


In/Casino/Out - 1998


Relationship of Command - 2000

MAX NORMAL.TV: GOOD MORNING DURBAN, ONS IS HIER!

FRIDAY THE 13TH: BURN NIGHTCLUB
PHOTOS: Kevin Goss Ross
The Durban leg of Max Normal.TV's Good Morning South Africa, MTV RAPS, Puma-affiliated album launch tour was a pretty Loki affair; several confused and intrigued-looking Burn regulars, the members of Durban's early-'90s-neon-tracksuit-top, sideways-cap,indoor-sunglasses electro mafia that weren't heading off to Westville for The Social Workers, and me. As usual, “The man with the plan,” Max Normal, was his magically off-centre and intense, multi-personality-channeling, hip-hop misfit self. It's just a sad fact that these days, all art, it seems, needs advertising to survive. Everything needs to be "monetised" and made "viable" – as the "Neon Don Likes Puma", and "Yo-Landi's hair by Scar" additions to the new and revamped "visuals for the Max Normal.TV, high-energy hip hop, Powerpoint presentation" testify.

To quote photographer Kevin Goss Ross, Max Normal.TV's set was “A verbal massacre. A word tornado. No no, an insanity hurricane of kiff.” Backed by The Neon Don, Justin De Nobrega, and Yo-Landi Visser, Max spat and mumbled his way through a passionate tribute to oddball South Africa. According to the website, “Max Normal raps about real things that happen around him during his normal, every day life. Max Normal's world is a dark, dangerous and exotic place, full of all kinds of unexpected twists and turns” – from Tik, Eugene Terror, gay sex, and remixes of DJ Fuck, to little bits of Mickey Avalon, New Order, and even Marilyn Manson (“I don't like the drugs, but the drugs like me,” from “Tik, Tik, Tik”).


The bodymovin' vibe that Max Normal.TV managed to cultivate in that mixed bag of people is a tribute to both the band's commitment to their characters and their energy as performers (this time, Max/Waddy's role-playing even included momentarily-disappearing wardrobe changes).

Max Normal is a natural frontman. A born entertainer. And onstage, he's an uncontrollable force, with a dangerous-looking nervous twitch, and a tendency to ignite, and float uncomfortably over your head.

Watch the new music video for “Total Fuck Up” by clicking the link below. The video was written, directed and produced by Max Normal and Yo-Landi Visser.


In closing, here are some inspirational words from the main man himself, from the song “Love Is”:

“Choose the quickest way between two points.
Don't waste your energy on bullshit interaction.
Don't be scared of anything except letting yourself down.
Out do yourself. Work harder than anyone else.
Now, make very clear distinctions between parasites and creators.
Be a creator instead of a second hand, artificial flavour.
Do not concern yourself with anyone's opinion of your method, save your own.
Be three steps ahead of everyone, and I promise you'll make it home.
Don't sleep too much.”

Checkout www.maxnormal.tv for more info.

“If your days are dark, and your friends are few. Remember, Max Normal.TV is there for you.”

Björk's Got "Wanderlust" - And Her New Music Video's As Nuts As She Is

Click here, or on the two pics below, to watch the video for "Wanderlust".


Released digitally, "Wanderlust" is the fourth single from Björk's 2007 album, Volta. Rendered in 3D, there are no words to describe it. It's weird, eccentric, and typically Björk. Just watch it. And if you think it looks impressive now, the single is also being released as a DVD, with 3D glasses! How cool is that?

The video was put together by Ghost Robot and duo Encyclopedia Pictura (click the link. If you've got your own 3D glasses, you can watch "Wanderlust" in 3D).

And if you're interested, checkout the weird video Encyclopedia Pictura made for Brooklyn-based, American indie rockers Grizzly Bear - truly bizarre:

Click the picture below to watch the video for "Knife" by Grizzly Bear


THE MAKING OF:

Click Here To Watch An Interview With Bjork.


Click Here To Watch the making of "Wanderlust".

LOOK HOW FAR WE'VE COME - THE NEW FACE OF SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC VIDEOS

Hog Hoggidy Hog's "John And Phillip Song" was the first local music video I ever saw. Back then, I was blown away. I couldn't believe that a local band, a punk band, actually had their own video. Fast forward about 10 years, and now, everyone's got one. And they just keep getting better and better – just another sign that, despite our disbelief, the South African music scene is progressing at an alarming rate.

Here's our pick of some of the best new ones, as well as a few classic oldies:

CLICK THE SCREENGRABS TO WATCH THE VIDEOS!

FRESH OFF THE PRESSES:

aKING (ft. INGE BECKMAN)
"Safe As Houses"
Dutch Courage (2008)


Bellville brooders aKING's new video is more about the concept than the execution. It's about building castles and being forced to watch them fall, as you fight desperately, and futilely, to hold everything together in the storm. Beautiful in its simplicity. Inge Beckman is suspicious (and foolish) in her absence.

Directed by Flyonthewall.co.za

aKING.co.za

MAX NORMAL.TV (ft. DUPPIE)
"Total Fuck Up"
Good Morning South Africa (2008)


There's nothing normal about Max. Over the years he's just got weirder and weirder. Crazier and more outspoken. At first, I was skeptical of the new dot TV band – surely nothing could be as good as the old Max Normal, full band sound? But you just have to check him out. Listen to the music. See him live. Read his book. Order the toys. Or watch a video. And you'll soon realise the complexity, the all-encompassing nature, and the humour of what he's up to these days. Classic video.

Written, produced and directed by Max Normal and Yo-landi Visser (Love or Dork Films).

Max Normal.TV

DESMOND AND THE TUTUS
"Pictures"
Single (2008)


Silly, light-hearted and fun. Desmond and the Tutus are the little Pretoria punk kwela band that could – judging by their recent nationwide car advert. This latest video is another prozac dose of their trademark mixture of indie rock, African kwela rhythms, and the delicious way that they never take themselves too seriously.

Directed by Greg Rom (who directed Lark's "Moonlight").

Desmond and the Tutus Kids

STRAATLIGKINDERS
"Avontuur van 'n Hartbreek"
Bloeisels (2007)


Potchefstroom-based emo kids Straatligkinders (Streetlightchildren) have really gone all out on this one. Half shot on a X-ray machine, it's one of the most impressive local videos I've ever seen. Sure, it's a little generic. And they're only chasing safety. But they've found it. And X-rayed flesh tunnels look fucking cool!

Directed by Morgan Dingle.

Straatligkinders on MySpace

OLD CLASSICS:
CLICK THE SCREENGRABS TO WATCH THE VIDEOS!

LARK
"Moonlight"
Mouth of Me (re-issued 2007)


When I first saw it, this video reminded me of Bjork's "Army of Me". Seriously ahead of its time, the video is still impressive by today's raised standards. Lark disbanded in 2007.

Directed by Greg Rom.

Lark on MySpace

FOKOFPOLISIEKAR
"Ek Skyn (Heilig)"
Swanesang (2006)


This is still one of my favourite local music videos. Fokofpolisiekar really raised the bar for local bands when they exploded all over the local music scene, complete with world class music videos and an unfamiliar attitude that you've actually got to spend money to make money. Basically, it's a collection of moving photos, shot by photographer and honourable sixth band member Liam Lynch, on the band's tour to the UK. Last year, the video won an MK Award for Best Music Video.

Directed by Liam Lynch.

Fokofpolisiekar.co.za

TONIGHT WE DIE
UNKNOWN


This one, by Cape Town's Tonight We Die, really blew me away when it first came out. Come on. There's an animated robot in it! It does look and sound a little-dated today. But back then, wow.

Directed by Ben

TonightWeDie on MySpace

AND THE ONE THAT STARTED IT ALL (for me anyway):
CLICK THE SCREENGRABS TO WATCH THE VIDEOS!

Hog Hoggidy Hog
"John and Phillip Song"
Driving Over Miss Davie (2001)


"Oh, oh-oh-oh-ohh, oh-oh-oh-ohh, ohhhh-oh-oh." There's something pretty special in this video's simple honesty, even today. It's fresh, funny, and a little piece of modern South African punk rock history (if you're into that kind of thing).

I don't know if the director is still alive, or sane. If you're out there. Let us know?

Hog Hoggidy Hog on MySpace

YEAH, I SAID IT: CHRIS ROCK MAKES NO APOLOGIES IN DURBAN

Across the street from the Hilton Hotel, the ICC is a formidable place. From the outside, it looks like a massive wall of lights – the reason for load-shedding, moth Mecca, the City of Light. Inside, the massive gilded hall looked more like an air-hangar scattered with 1000s of fancy plastic chairs, custom-designed for heavy laughter – like rubberised, earthquake-friendly buildings in Taiwan. And that little rubber joint, between the base and backrest, was for a reason. In May, Chris Rock broke the Guinness World Record for the highest attendance at a UK comedy show when he played to 15,000 fans at London's O2 Arena. Time Magazine calls him, “The funniest man in America.” And, when he finally walked, no, strutted out in Durban, you knew you were in the presence of standup comedy royalty.

First up though was Mario Joyner, Rock's comedy fluffer, or as he put it to the streamloads of people pouring in through the side and rear entrances for most of his warmup show, “Don't worry. That's why they send me out here. So people can find their seats before the real show starts.”

Joyner is a longtime Chris Rock friend and collaborator, most famous for his cameos on Everybody Hates Chris and Seinfeld. At first, I thought he was going to be just some dude they sent out to make Rock sound even funnier. But, flick-flacking across trivial, mundane, irritates-the-shit-out-of-everybody gags – like a blacker, more sober version of Mitch Hedberg – Joyner was hysterical;

“These days you can get laser eye surgery. LASER, IN YOUR EYE! But prostate exam – finger in the ass. A finger isn't even an instrument. It's what you use when you don't have an instrument. Is nobody working on any advancements in this area?”

“I hate having to run around to try and trap a weak signal. And the phone companies try and make you feel like it's your fault. 'Hang on, I'm getting a bad signal.' No you're not, they're sending you a bad signal. What the hell is a bad area? If I'm in an area, and I have a phone, that's a good area to make a call in.”

“What's up with the mute button on phones? That must have been a great day for the mutes, when they all got together, marched down to the phone company, and told them their demands. I know mute people are handicapped and stuff. And you're not supposed to make fun of them. But I told that joke to a bunch of mute people, and they didn't say anything.”

Joyner's bit was short, fresh, and to the point. And, with jokes like, “I'm 46-years old. And I'm dating a woman half my age. You've got to try dating a person half your age. But wait till you're older. Or it's kind of illegal,” “It's only a mid-life crisis if you can't pull it off,” and “I live by myself, living alone sounds bad,” you know that he's living one of those enviable Henry Rollins, Russell Peters, eternally single, travel-the-world lives that society frowns upon; “People always ask me, why aren't you married? BECAUSE I WANNA STAY HAPPY! Married people are so devious. They just wanna try and trick you into joining their miserable little club.”

His act only lasted fifteen minutes, but he's a comic I'm definitely going to be researching; “Gotta watch the time. Chris don't like it when you go over. He'll dock yah.”


Click here to watch Mario ripping Steven Segal a new one

“PUSSY COSTS MONEY. BUT DICK'S FOR FREE”

Click here to watch Rock's classic "Niggas VS Black People" bit!

The lights went out. A giant green money backdrop appeared, with a crest-looking CR logo. Rap music started blaring around the hall. And suddenly, pint-sized comedy legend Chris Rock was onstage. Buck toothed, nasal, and OH-ffensive as hell.

Rock started out joking about meeting Nelson Mandela, “It was an honour being around Mr. Mandela, but we don't really have a lot in common. He's 79 (89), I'm 41. He spent 27 years in prison, I worked at a Red Lobster for four months. I didn't know what the fuck to say to him. 'So, have you got that new iPhone?'”

One of his funniest bits was the American elections; “Barack Obama! That's about the blackest name I ever heard. Second only to Dikembe Mutombo (Congolese-born American basketball player). When you hear Barack Obama, you picture a brother holding a spear, standing over a dead lion and shit.”

Dipping into the black versus white jokes he's most famous for, Rock added, “Barack has one handicap to overcome that none of the other candidates have. He's got a black wife. Now I think a black woman could be president all she wants, but she can't be no first lady. A black woman cannot be in the background of any relationship – 'You won? Don't you mean we won'. If Barack wants to win. He's gonna have to get himself a white girl. Look what it did for Tiger Woods.” At that point, the black woman next to me shouted, “Look what it did for Tokyo (Sexwale).”

Rock continued to discuss the intricacies of the black-man-wanting-a-white-woman, black-women- hating-black-men-that-prefer-white-women debate; “A black man likes a big white girl. Any black man will dropkick Keira Knightley to the curb to get to Rosie O'Donnel.”

Another classic downtrodden-black people joke he told was about his own neighbourhood; “My house costs millions of dollars – don't hate the player, hate the game – but in my whole neighbourhood, there are only four black people; Me, Denzel Washington, Mary J. Blige, and Jay-Z. Do you know what my white neighbour does? He's a dentist. And he aint even the world's best dentist. He's just a regular, yank-your-tooth-out dentist. Another example of how the black man has to fly, to get to where the white man has to walk to.”

Rock continued to offend as many people as he could for an hour and a half, finally ending with these “pearls” of wisdom; “I remember the first time a woman sucked the cum out of my dick and swallowed it. It was amazing. Now, half the people in here are disgusted. The other half are in loving relationships. Spitters are quitters. Remember that, SPITTERS ARE QUITTERS. I'm outta here.”

Rock's show was a little shorter than I'd expected. And his South Africa references were limited to talking about how many goals Shaun Pollock scored? (I was sure he was going to talk about Xenophobia). But Chris Rock is one funny little whiny bastard. The crown prince of stylish comedians. And, a great way to spend a Tuesday night. If you can, and you can afford it, make sure you see him in action.

Interestingly, in an interview with news website CTV.ca, Rock said that he didn't consider the Xenophobic attacks black on black violence. Instead, he calls them “broke on broke violence. It's poor people robbing each other.”

A FEW MORE CHRIS ROCK CLASSICS FROM DURBAN:


“I wanna do a good show. 'Cos I don't want the authorities to come and take my kids away. Did you see what they did to Britney Spears? They just took her kids. And gave them to her broke ass husband. And I realised, they take white kids away a lot quicker. Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, they kept the kids. Shit, even OJ Simpson kept the kids, and he MURDERED the mother! I saw OJ on TV talking about how hard it is to be a single parent. But OJ, you killed the mother!”

“Is America ready for a black president? Is America ready for a woman president? We should be, we just had a retarded one.”

When discussing 71-year-old American presidential candidate John McCain, “He's so old he used to own Sidney Poitier”.

“Hillary Clinton is so forgiving, even Jesus is like, 'Shit, you're forgiving. I talk the talk, but you walk the walk.”

“Do you know how big your ego has to be to run for president? Do you know how much Puff Daddy juice you have to drink. Do you know how many Kanye injections you need to take? Imagine you're walking out of a KFC, and your friend turns to you and says 'You know who should run everything? Me!'”

“Part of me even hates my own kids. The rich brats. I grew up dirt poor”.

TRUST NO-ONE: THE NATURE OF THE PRODUCT PLACEMENT BEAST

When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is finally freed from the torture of his Afghani desert prison cell, in the recent Iron Man film, he turns around and, in his most patriotic voice, says, “Get me an American cheese burger!” In the next scene, on his way into a press conference, Stark is handed a Burger King bag, the logo carefully turned to face outwards, and friend-turned-villain Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) says, “You had to stop at Burger King” – just to make sure he drives the point home, and gets paid. Watching, I nearly puked up my trailer-eaten popcorn and the handful of (unnamed chocolate brand) I was busy shoveling.

Another recent, otherwise-quality film tainted by the sins of the greedy is J.J Abrams' epic new horror adventure Cloverfield. The handheld first person camera technique really sucks you in. You trust its immediacy. The film becomes a high budget, thrill-a-minute, emotional roller-coaster. That's why the scenes in the subway, with the Nokia poster backdrop, and the shots of one of the protagonists, post-invasion, propped up against a subway wall, Mountain Dew logo clearly visible to the top right, seem even more offensive than your usual Will Smith product endorsement affair. Later on, the main character, Hud, drops the camera on the floor just long enough for a pair of swooshes to be clearly visible. “Those are cool shoes,” a friend of mine said.

Now I don't know about you, but I don't want to be this skeptical, integrity-questioning cynic that these movies have made me become. I just want to be able to watch a movie, switch off, and trust in the magic of entertainment. Why can't they just tell a story without selling every square inch of space to the highest bidder?

Imagine your mum or dad's reading you a bedtime story; “The prince, wearing his Nike Air Force 1s, climbed the Black & Decker ladder up the Dulux-painted, Coca Cola castle wall. He was on his way to save Princess Revlon from the Iron Fist of The McDonalds dragon. Tired, he paused and sipped the Red Bull Merlin had given him earlier. Then, he reached into his pocket, grabbed his Nokia N73, and checked his messages. Nothing. Time, according to his Tag Heuer Grand Carrera, to go...” It just wouldn't work, would it? 'Cos, how the hell are you supposed to escape reality during a commercial break? What's next, paid-for advertising in our dreams?


But product placement is nothing new. It's just becoming more blatant and common practice, as advertisers search for new and more inventive portholes into our brains. But for some reason, in the old Back to the Future, ET days, product placement just didn't carry the same kind of soul-crushing stigma. I guess back then, our brains were just wired differently, the world hadn't gone consumer mad, nobody had sales rabies. We could tolerate the fact that ET's favourite chocolate was Reese's Pieces, or that Marty McFly wore Nikes, got called Calvin Klein, and drove a De Lorean. Shit, De Lorean even went broke after the movie. Maybe we just hadn't been subjected to it enough to build up an immunity.

In the 1992 comedy Wayne's World, Wayne (Mike Meyers) and Garth (Dana Carvey) go all out making fun of product placement and sponsor obligations; “Contract or no, I will not bow to any sponsor,” says Wayne, holding up a slice of pizza and lifting the lid of a Pizza Hut box. “I'm sorry you feel that way, but basically, it's the nature of the beast,” replies TV executive Benjamin Kane (Rob Lowe). “Maybe I'm wrong on this one, but for me, the beast doesn't involve selling out,” says Wayne, this time holding up a bag of Doritos. “It's, like, people only do things because they get paid. And that's just really sad,” adds Garth, dressed head to toe in Reebok. Funny then, but depressing now, when you consider the product placement crimes committed by Mike Meyers' more modern comedy persona, Austin “Mini Cooper/AOL” Powers.


Click to watch the classic Wayne's World scene!

One of the most successful product placements of all time is the Z3 Roadster deal BMW struck with Golden Eye and James Bond, in 1995. Golden Eye was the first of a lucrative “three picture deal” BMW signed with the film franchise. Needless to say, a world of mid-life crisis Bond fans went out and bought Z3s. Even more sickeningly, Golden Eye was also the first Bond film where Bond wasn't wearing a Rolex – Omega had a better deal this time.

These days, if you see a logo in a movie, the company paid for it to be there. And as far as movies laced-with-advertising movies go, 2004's I, Robot is the pinnacle of excess. Nothing detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) does comes without a contract and a paycheck; he listens to music on a JVC CD player, drives an Audi, and gets his mail from FedEx. Remember that scene when he goes on and on about his pair of Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars? Disgustingly, Smith even holds them up and says, “Converse, vintage 2004,” like it's an actual Converse advert. Why the hell is this guy trying to sell me sneakers when he should be out there trying to catch bad robots? And, surprise surprise, you can order I, Robot edition, Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars online – what a sinister world we live in.



In the 2004 Wesley Snipes horror Blade: Trinity, there's a ridiculous scene near the beginning, where Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel), basically, gives us an iPod/iTunes/iStore presentation. Abigail talks about the thrills of killing vampires to a soundtrack, downloads music from the iStore, and puts together a killer playlist for her next sharp-toothed encounter. In 1993, Demolition Man was pretty much sponsored by Taco Bell (Pizza Hut if you live outside the US). In 2000, Tom Hanks hung out with nothing but FedEx bags and a Wilson volleyball when he was cast away on that island. And then there's Spider Man, shooting webs at Dr. Pepper cans and landing on logo-perfectly-visible Carlsberg trucks.

For me, thinly-veiled attempts like these to sell me something, while I'm trying to mellow out, unplug from reality, and enjoy a bit of light entertainment, ruin a movie and taint its authenticity. Actors like Will Smith and Tom Hanks become brand ambassadors first, and entertainers second. It's what we in the trade call advertorial. It's not advertising. It's not editorial. Instead, it's a satanic mismatch of both, fueled by innovative, 21st Century door-to-door salesmen, looking for new and more direct ways into your brain. And I haven't even mentioned product placement in video games. But gamers know it's a market that has been bitten, and it's just a matter of time before the rabies start showing symptoms. Trust no-one out there.


Iron Man, according to Burger King:





Burger King's new Indiana Jones range:

aKING Bring Cape Town to Durban: They Even Brought the Rain.

I didn't know The Pointer Sisters were in town. Do aKING have triangular shaped toes? Were they playing the roles of cultural ambassadors of Cape Town? Or do they just have a new shoe sponsorship? I'm going with triangle toes, that's way more impressive.

Society, in trendy Florida Road, is not the kind of place that'll turn a blind eye and a smile to a bit of puke and a few broken bottles. It's a high class establishment. Pink shirts, heeled shoes, and frequent "trips" to the bathroom. The Cape Town Embassy Building in Durban, if you will. And as such, it's the new venue of choice for out of town, “high brow” bands like Lark, The Dirty Skirts, Desmond and the Tutus, and now, aKING.

I can see why they like it. It must feel like home away from home for them. But by playing at Society, aKING completely bypassed the entire Durban music scene. The people that pay to watch bands, every weekend. To them, aKING aren't even on the map yet. Which is shame, because they're a great new band, that's well worth seeing.

I'd heard some negative feedback about aKING's Ramfest show. Then again, that was from people that weren't even there. But from the first few chords of “Decomposing Lullaby”, to the sombre mellowness of “Shine Your Light”, aKING were confident, tight, and elegantly rock 'n roll.

aKING are a much more controlled live act than the reckless abandon of a Fokofpolisiekar show. But if you look closely, beneath all the refined composure and structured thoughtfulness, they're giving it their all, hearts on their sleeves, even though the circulation in their toes must have been getting cut off.

The sound was great. Live, aKING sound as good, if not better, than their album. And it was a cool Tuesday night in Durban. The kind that makes you think it's the weekend, when the week's only just begun.


Click here to watch the video for "Safe As Houses"


Click here to watch the music video for "The Dance"


Click to visit aking.co.za