Durban: Music-Less?

I am a Durban girl; I have been since 1995 when I moved here at the age of 12 and for the most part I am proud to be a Durban girl, but for one rather LARGE disappointment.

Music! A few years ago began the Coke Fest; huge name bands with some relatively new SA bands rocking out on stage. What more could you ask for? Old time favourites, in a brilliant mix of yet to be discovered talents of South Africa.

So we rallied a group of 15 of us and bought our tickets, organised accommodation and set off for what was to be one of the greatest days of my life. I got to see, live and in action, bands such as Simple Plan, Seether, The Rasmus, Prime Circle, Parlotones, and Metallica - the rock legends. I was as excited as a kid on Christmas and I knew that it was going to take some huge earth stopping moment to top that day.

Sadly, many Durbanites never felt the same way we did and the ticket sales were low, the stadium sadly unpacked, so quiet, in fact, that we managed to move seats and had the prime viewing position of the Golden Circle at the cheaper priced tickets. Great for us, tragic for the Durban music scene.

That was the only year the Coke Fest came to Durban. We just didn’t have the numbers and it seems as if this has affected all the international concerts scheduled in SA.

Durban now has missed out on Roxette, U2, Coldplay, Kylie Minogue, Kings of Leon, Rammstein, and the list goes on. Every time I see an advert for the latest International sensation to hit South Africa’s shores my heart sinks because I know they will not be setting foot my home town and my finances do not permit me to travel to Johannesburg or Cape Town at every musical whim.

Recently I won tickets to the Big 5 concert at the Wave House in Gateway. The line up included Prime Circle, Just Jinger, AKing, Jax Panik, Flash Republic and the newly discovered December Streets. What an awesome night of mind blowing South African talent and yet, with tickets only costing R150.00, there was hardly what I would call a good crowd when you are watching talent of that calibre.

I just wish I could understand why? Not only are these some of the greatest artists of our time, the opportunity to discover and see live the new South African talent alone should make it worthwhile.

I wish someone would do a survey to see how we can fix the problem so I can stop getting depressed about all the phenomenal shows I am missing. Well, it’s that or I need to move to Johannesburg or Cape Town.