White Mountain Folk Festival

24 to 28 September 2008

More than music at White Mountain

Start ticking off the days and get ready for White Mountain 2008 – KwaZulu-Natal’s only acoustic music festival that promises more than 40 live acts over five days, as well as a host of other activities for the whole family. Coinciding with Heritage Day and the start of the school holidays, the festival runs from 24-28 September and is held at White Mountain Lodge in the foothills of the Giant's Castle Nature Reserve, just 34km from Estcourt on tarred roads and 200km from Durban.

Included in the line-up are Prime Circle, John Ellis of Tree63, Syd Kitchen, Laurie Levine, Maisha, Black Cat Bone, Cabins in the Forest and many others, all of whom will perform acoustic sets either on the main marquee stage, in the lodge’s 150-year-old restaurant and pub (Tom’s Tavern) or around the pool. See below for the full programme.

Food, beer and craft markets
Aside from the live music, there’ll also be a variety of food stalls and a beer market featuring naturally brewed ales, lagers, draughts and fruit beers from Nottingham Road Brewing Company, Bavaria Breweries, Shongweni Brewery and the full selection of SAB brands.

Not to be missed is the craft market where you’ll find original handcrafted wares, ranging from aluminium flutes and other musical instruments to stained glass, pewter and copper décor items, artworks, colourful hammocks, clothing and jewellery, as well as massage therapy and organic healing creams. Supported by the Imbabazane Municipality, crafters from the local community will also showcase their intricate bead, wire and woven goods. And rest assured, Standard Bank’s Saswitch-enabled mobile ATM facilities will be available around the clock for when the shopping bug bites!

Outdoor activities
With even more outdoor activities on offer this year, festival-goers are going to be spoilt for choice and the dilemma is going to be in deciding how to fit it all in! Kids will be able to enjoy fun and games coordinated by White Mountain’s team of qualified instructors, while adventure-seekers can look forward to abseiling, paintball and a fuffi slide across a nearby 100m-wide gorge, with helicopter flips also available if the weather permits. Or there’s always swimming, hiking, boating or bass fishing in either of the lodge’s two dams. There’ll be great prizes up for grabs for catching the biggest fish, so don’t forget to bring your rods and tackle!

You’ll also have an opportunity to glide on the world’s only ‘self-balancing personal transport system’, called a Segway. These two-wheel battery operated machines work together with tilt sensors and gyroscopes to make for a totally unique experience. Give one a try on the specially designed track which will be operational throughout the festival.

With all of this on offer, how many more reasons do you need to pack up the family and head to White Mountain for a long weekend of fun and music in one of the most scenic spots in the central Drakensberg? Tickets are available at Game stores (R350), Computicket (R400) and at the festival gate (R450). Children under 12 pay R50 – tickets at the gate only. The price includes camping for the entire festival.

For more information, visit www.whitemountain.co.za or contact Pedro at 082 892 6176.


FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Wednesday, 24 September (Tom’s Tavern): 12:00 Rob & Garth Warren, 13:00 Off The Cuff, 14:00 Hruki, 15:00 Open Mic Session, 18:00 Dani Nieuwoudt, 19:00 Mitch Barné, 20:00 Manuvah to Land, 21:00 Sara Jackson, 22:00 Tresor Riziky, 23:00 Rob Warren & Steve Murray, 24:00 Open Mic Session.

Thursday, 25 September (Tom’s Tavern): 12:00 Bruce Warren, 13:00 Barry Thomson, 14:00 Sern Lagerwall, 15:00 Open Mic Session, 18:00 Shannon Connolly, 19:00 Cornel Meyer, 20:00 Catlike Thieves, 21:00 Candice Nel, 22:00 Jean Morrison, 23:00 Rob & Garth Warren, 24:00 Open Mic Session.

Friday, 26 September (Tom’s Tavern): 11:00 Dr Fly and the Nurses, 11:20 Brandon Hunt, 12:00 Zephyr, 24:00 Open Mic Session. Marquee Stage: 13:00 Cherise, 14:00 Elizabeth, 15:00 Fox Fyre, 16:00 Aden Hinds, 17:00 The Originals, 18:00 Cabins in the Forest, 19:15 Dave McMillan & Roly Struckmeyer, 20:30 Laurie Levine, 21:30 Habit To, 22:30 Black Cat Bone.

Saturday, 27 September (Tom’s Tavern): 11:00 Black Cat Bone, 12:00 Hairy Legged Lentil Eaters, 17:00 Xerox Lions v The Sharks, 24:00 Open Mic Session. Marquee Stage: 13:00 The Ryan Calder Band, 14:00 Angus Burns & Friends, 15:00 Shomon, 16:00 Syd Kitchen, 17:00 Zoe & Somebody’s Child, 18:00 Shannon Hope, 19:00 Van der Hoven feat. Henry Steel, 20:15 John Ellis, 21:30 Maisha, 22:30 Prime Circle.

Sunday, 28 September (Marquee Stage): 11:00 The Association of Weak Tea Drinkers, 12:00 The Bandits, 13:00 Ilan Lax & Friends, 14:00 Hairy Legged Lentil Eaters.

White Mountain Festival

Hey all.
So change is in the air but Zephyr will still blow on (and... on... -to the tune of my heart will go on:-) The Hillside Concert was an absolute success and the crowd loved Zephyr who heated things up in the afternoon sun, stirring souls and warming hearts. Check out the foto's with the general foto's on our Facebook page!
With everyone being super-busy, their manager-lady deserting them to go be the princess of the lemurs, and Colin gearing up for a big move, its been quite quiet. But as one last gig as the Zephyr we know and love they playin at the White Mountain Music Festival. Catch them at midday in the bar (Tom's Tavern) on the friday. Doing an acoustic set, it'll be an awesome atmosphere and not to be missed!
Peace out all. Take good care of the boys while I'm gone...
Caro:-)

Below’s a bit on White mountain, Click the link to go to the site.

White Mountain Folk Festival 2008 A must for acoustic music lovers, the annual White Mountain Folk Festival is held near Giant’s Castle in the beautiful Central Drakensberg region of KwaZulu-Natal – only 34km from Estcourt on tarred roads, 200km from Durban and roughly 430km from Johannesburg.Coinciding with Heritage Day and the start of the school holidays, the festival offers acoustic performances by well-known and up-and-coming South African artists, a choice of camping, caravanning and chalet accommodation, plus outdoor activities for the whole family.Attractions include hiking, boating and bass fishing, arts and crafts, a beer market, assorted food stalls and fun kids’ entertainment. For the more adventurous, there’s abseiling down a 45m cliff face or a fuffi slide across a nearby 100m-wide gorge, with helicopter flips also available if the weather permits. Alternatively you can simply relax outdoors and soak up the peaceful beauty of one of the most idyllic spots in the Berg.

What a venue, what a crowd, what music and what a day, Sunday’s Hillside concert was brilliant, I definitely think it’s up there with one of our favorite gigs to date. Due to time constraints and the amount of bands, The four local bands (us included) only had a half hour time slot which included our set up time.

We did manage to get through the 5 songs we’d chosen to do though, the onstage sound was great, I think it’s the first time in a while, the whole band had absolutely no complaints about something being to low or too loud. I must just let you know this isn’t the easiest thing to achieve, what the Audience is hearing in front of the stage isn’t always what we’re hearing on it, and that makes a big difference to our performance, because if we can’t really hear what we’re sounding like, we don’t know if we’re playing it right or not.

The bands of the day were great, the Ryan Calder band kicked the afternoon off to an awesome start with some great songs, and really set the tone for the afternoon, they were followed by us, then Ilan lux, The Hairy Legged lentil Eaters, Magna Carter and then Southern Gypsey Queen ended off the wonderful afternoon.

The Substantial crowd which turned out to support the concert were great, and by the looks and sound of it had a good time of it all, seated up the hill which acted as a Natural amphitheatre everyone could get a view of the stage and we could get a look at everyone.

It is a beautiful venue, and I think I speak for most the musicians and audience when I say I hope it becomes an annual event.

Peace and love to you all.

Liam

Zephyr Interview

Latest News and Gigs

 

It’s been a while – been pretty busy at work, and outside of work so not much chance to post anything. Well the bands got a busy couple weeks ahead of them with a gig this Saturday and then two next weekend to fit into our bustling lifestyle.

The sad news is that our long time friend and Drummer Colin Arbuckle will be leaving us for greener pastures in October, him and his family have decided to move to Spain, but fear not this is not the end of Zephyr, myself and my brother (Jeremy) have decided we will continue on, and even now are in the process of looking for a New Drummer. Though we’ll probably also be doing a lot of stuff with just the two of us.
What all of this does mean though is that you’ve got to catch as many as our gigs between now and September, so you can see the Lively mister Arbuckle doing his thing behind his drums, and sometimes infront (depends what mood he's in). Each performance is and will be special, and it’s not likely you going to be seeing the same show twice, we’re going to squeeze every last minute we have of playing with him.

Next weekend we’ll be playing a fundraising event for our lovely band manager who’s raising funds for a research trip she’s been accepted onto to Madagascar, where she’ll be doing research on our furry friends the Lemurs. The Following day we’ll be playing the big one at the Botanical Gardens with the Likes of Magna Carter and Southern Gypsy Queens, Hairy legged lentil eaters Ilan and Ryan Calder. More on those gigs Later.

That brings us to this Saturday, we don’t often get the chance to play in Durban, so we thought we’d rectify that. The People at the Dock Yard theatre have opened their doors to the likes of musicians like us to do a performance after their show. So it’s a late night dinner theatre type thing. From 11pm this Saturday (12th July) catch us at The Dockyard Theatre in Musgrave for a great evening of musical entertainment.

Hope to see you there.

Liam

AT the Royal Show

Just thought I'd Up load this short clip of us at the Royal Show - unfortunately the Sound qualities not that great. But it gives you a bit of an Idea.

Enjoy.

At the Red Door

A week later and finally I get round to posting about our last gig with Redeye at the Red Door – well it was great, and we had a lot of fun – the Audience was great, it was great to see so many people we know out to support us, it’s nice to be able to chat to people you know in the crowd before and after you’ve played. Redeye were great as usual and we’re really looking forward to playing with them again at the Royal Show on the 23 May, so look out for both of us there.

In other news my awesome coworker is doing some great work in designing our website, so that should be up and running in the near future… now we just need to get that CD out.

Peace and love all

Liam

Heating it up in May

We’re shifting gear as we head into the cooler part of the year – Yup Zephyr’s getting ready to warm your souls and heat up your hearts, there are four gigs in the pipeline for us in May, some yet to be finalized, but mostly definite.

The first would be at Swissland Cheese in the Midlands (2 May) for an afternoon of relaxing and enjoying great music in serene surroundings, there will be two other artist at this function yet to be confirmed, but we’ll keep you updated.

The next would be at the PMB Musicians Club (6 May) – hosted by the Red Door, in Quarry Ave. off Victoria St in PMB, the musicians club is always a great gig for us and we love the crowd there. A big bonus is we should be joined on the night by our very Good friends and fellow Musicians Red Eye, who will definitely have you grooving the night away.

During the month we should hopefully be playing the backing music to the visual feast at art in the park, myself and Colin really enjoyed ourselves last year, playing our music set in the Autumn trees surrounded by amazing artwork, and we’re really looking forward to enjoying it again with Jeremy there.

Then we’ll be rounding off the Month bye kick starting the Royal Show into action on Friday 23rd, where once again we’ll be accompanied by Redeye and another one or two bands, yet to be confirmed.

So hold onto your hats, ‘cause Zephyr’s going to be blowing strong through the month of May – We’ll be posting more details on each of the gigs closer to the time, but we thought we’d just let U in a little earlier so you can prepare yourself.

Love and Peace.

Liam

Our Splashy Gig

Nerves rung high backstage as Colin Jeremy and myself sat in our own private partition, tuning our instruments, running through harmonies and chord sequences and then making sure our instruments were in tune again. We tried forcing back the nerves by drinking numerous cups of coffee and tea that were supplied, only to find this made us need the portaloo outback more.

This was a gig, we’d done it before, what was with all the Nerves – Well to be fair we’d been out of gigging for a few months, but the probable answer was “this is Splashy Fen, Even the Big Name Bands have been telling me how nervous they were” as Sue the backstage manager put it. I’m sure the more renowned older hands delt with their nerves better than we were, but I bet they had them none the less.

The time came, the band before us played the last chord of their last song, and suddenly we were asking each other “do we go on now?”. We entered onto the stage, bearing our instruments and studiously avoiding looking at the Crowd, instead focusing on setting up. We ran through our sound checks, in what felt like a bit of a blur. Then before you knew it we were into the first song and the crowd cheering signaled its end. The Nerves barely left me as I played but I was held solid by the crowd’s applause and the Smiling encouragement from faces of friends and loved ones.

We were fortunate enough to have Kech Sanchez accompanying us on two of our songs “Watching Satellite” and “Maybe Angels” – he’s an accomplished musician, and Good friend and he definitely brings something to our songs, filling them out with his Haunting Pipes.

Jeremy and Colin were as Solid as ever on Bass and Drums respectively, though Jeremy said to me after he was Just as nervous as I. Colin seemed to be having an awesome time and rocked the whole way through - all in all it was a great gig, but passed by rather fast, if you were there, thanks for the support – the Audience was great.

God bless all

Liam

P.S see below for a video clip of us on stage, and below that Colin Interviewing me the morning before we played

Clip Of Ladybug at Splashy Fen

Colin Interviews Liam Before Splashy Gig

Anticipating Splashy Fen

Anticipation… right now it’s like sitting in a playhouse or large musical production, and you can hear the Orchestra warming up, all the stringed instruments warming up along with the wind section getting the reeds wet, with the occasional cough from the audience and you know at any second now it’s going to start.

03 Days Until Splashy fen 2008 gets underway – and the excitement is mounting, almost everyone I’ve spoken to is going, and yes it’s going to be great. Aside from really looking forward to playing there, I really can’t wait to pull up a splash of grass, get comfortable, and enjoy some quality SA music. Being a musician you get exposed to a load of local talent, either playing along side them or supporting your fellow musicians. The talent in South Africa is amazing, and the sounds so fresh, and it feels like an age since I’ve been able to sit back and enjoy the plethora of sounds I’ll be able to enjoy this weekend – I’ve been checking out the splashy Program and following links to the band/ musicians respective sights, and listening to some of their tracks and it’s really been getting me in the mood for sitting in front of the stage in three days time… as for being on the stage a couple days after… well I know the crowd and the beautiful scenery will have the band ready to share their musical souls.

Zephyr at Splashy Fen

It’s the big one once again! If you love music and the beautiful outdoors then this is the event of the year for you Splashy Fen kicks of in a few weeks time. And that’s the next time to see the band in action. Zephyr loves this festival and has been working hard in the practice room to come up with a brilliant play list and we’re really looking forward to this one. There’s going to be a great line up of Local and International Musicians this year (click through on the link to get to the Splashy Page and have a look at the program) so get there as early as you can and stay until the last musical note has been played. Call in sick – tell them your favorite goldfish “spot” died and you're holding a service, just make a plan and get there. Zephyr will be playing on the Sunday afternoon, and there’s a great line up of bands on the Sunday evening, so make sure your set up to stay until Monday (which is a Public Holiday).

Here’s part of the press release to get your musical taste buds salivating.

“Most diverse line-up in recent years

Proudly supported by East Coast Radio, Durban's No 1 Hit Music Radio Station, Splashy Fen 2008 is geared up to offer one of its most diverse line-ups in recent years. Expect a showcase of not only the best in folk, blues, rock, indie and electro dance, but also some of the most exciting new acts to come out of South Africa in a long time.

Included in the four-day, two marquee programme of over 80 artists are the likes of Tree63, Goldfish, The Rudimentals, Miriam Backhouse, Dan Patlansky, Plush, Gonzo Republic, Redflecks (USA), Kidofdoom, Southern Gypsey Queen, Syd Kitchen, Josie Field, Avatar, Crossingpoint, New Loud Rockets, Napalma, The Arrows and many more. Whatever your preference in music, Splashy’s got it covered!

Snuggling up under the Southern Berg stars

Just as this year’s line-up is better than ever, so are the choices of where to snuggle up under the Southern Berg stars at the end of each day. The long-standing tradition of staking out a site, setting up camp and settling in for a weekend of fun and fellowship means the general camping areas will no doubt continue to be the first choice for many festival-goers. As always, entrance to these campsites is included in the ticket price and campers can also look forward to improved ablution facilities.

Family campsite

With the festival fast approaching its 20th anniversary, it’s not too surprising that many Splashy ‘veterans’ now have spouses and children in tow, making the centrally-located, cordoned-off family campsite an option well worth considering. Although it carries a R100 per vehicle surcharge (payable on arrival), don’t forget that entry for children under 12 is free. Also situated in this area is the children’s marquee and entertainment zone, with a full programme of daytime amusements plus an evening child-minding service.

Other attractions

Aside from all the great music and fun outdoor activities on offer, festival-goers can also look forward to a bigger and more colourful Craft Market and an even more extensive selection of appetizing treats in the Food Court.

Whether buying or just browsing, Splashy Fen’s ‘new-look’ Craft Market offers the widest-ever choice of original handcrafted wares, ranging from aluminium flutes and other musical instruments to décor items, pottery, basketry and fine-art, funky local clothing lines, jewellery and accessories. There will also be marble mosaics for the home and garden, hammocks, solar-powered camping gear, goods crafted from pewter, silver, leather, crystals and recycled materials, plus authentic Native American arts, crafts and teepees, complementary health therapies and the opportunity to see one of SA’s top graffiti artists in action. And rest assured, Saswitch-enabled ATM facilities will be available around the clock for when the shopping bug bites!

With a line-up of over 80 of the country’s hottest acts, fun activities for the whole family, arts and crafts, an abundance of different food and drink outlets and various camping options, there’s no doubt that Splashy Fen is the place to be this Easter – make sure you’re a part of it!

Tickets are available at selected Game stores (R300), Computicket (R350) and at the festival gate (R400). The price includes camping for the entire long weekend and entrance for children under 12 is free. For more information and the latest festival news, visit www.splashyfen.co.za or contact Pedro at 082 892 6176.”


See you all there

Splashy Fen

It’s that time of year again, and I can’t wait. The organizers are holding a competition this year for musicians to write a song for Splashy, which I heard about while I was on that cold wet island – so bumbled around on my brothers guitar a bit and ended up finishing the song a week or so ago. Which we have recorded and will be sending in soon, and this is the cover I designed for it which I think is pretty cool. Whether our song gets chosen or not, we’ll see, but either way we’ll more than likely be playing anyway – and I’m definitely going. So who’s up for another splashy experience? Hope we’ll see you all there, follow the link to our myspace to have a listen to the song

http://www.myspace.com/zephyrsongs