I don't think it's necessary to explain just how much I love them because I think I've covered it enough before but to me, they are music. I left Durban at a time where it wasn't my favourite place. I'd just come off a week that was full of people trying to kill the music scene and then spent two days that brought the song 'Leave Before The Lights Come On' to life for me. It was safe to say that I needed time away from it all. I left late on thursday evening after so much red tape that I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever make it to Johannesburg. I saw a man get beaten up by bus drivers for questioning the safety of their operation and I was surrounded by the faces of many nervous people who didn't want to end up as another statistic, myself included. I was standing next to a guy and we got speaking about how little these people regarded us and we weren't quite sure whether to go through with this journey or to turn around now and live to see another day. Sa Roadlink, the cheap bastards, had sent in a bus from Joburg and were now attempting to send it straight out again with the same crew. That is how people end up getting killed. Fatigue is a killer.
After having my dad consult with the people and them finally changing the people around, we set off on our 8 hour journey. I had only one thing in mind and that was seeing Bloc Party perform the next evening and nothing was going to stop me. I'd chosen a night time journey hoping I'd get some sleep but I barely slept. The crackfoxes that were operating the whole thing kept up a bombardment of the loudest, most vile music that anyone could imagine. I had a man sitting behind me who I'm sure shot his own head off after listening to the same song on loop for an hour straight at 3 in the morning. I sent Roadlink a few tweets of complaint but I doubt the got them, the snives..
I got to Joburg at about 6 in the morning and waited for my dad's friend to come pick me up. I was falling asleep on my feet and so I decided to head off to Wimpy for some coffee. I was tempted to order a Vanilla Latte with a shot of espresso on the side - it's funny how the little things come back to mind. I ended up settling for a cappuccino, I wasnt about to relive that right now. I got a call from my dad's mate, him telling me he couldn't quite make it to come pick me up and if i could make my way down to his place.
See Im not really that against making a bit of a solo mission, I did just travel to Joburg on my own, but I was a little apprehensive to go through this city I knew little about. I'd lived in joburg a few years back but that was even before I started school. I had been up there a few times since, last year being the latest time but I'd never had to travel through on my own. He told me to take the train down to the station close to his house and he would come pick me up. I hate taking trains. I hate how slow they are. I hate how they follow the same unscenic route. I hate the scary look of the bridges and the stations and the areas around the train tracks. I have nightmares about those things. I dont take trains in Durban so how the hell was I gonna do it here? Park Station looks a lot better than the Durban equivalent I must say. I finally found the right platform and got onto the right train after ease dropping on the lady's conversation on how she was going to get on the same train heading in the way I was. I sat there trying to look as much like a local as I could, trying to blend in so not to draw any stares but it felt like everyone just knew that I was a fish out of water. After travelling for what seemed to be hours and coming across a man with a hairy growth on his face that showed me where to get off, i arrived. Unfortunately, it soon came to light that I didnt know what my dad's friend looked like and he didnt know what I looked like and we ended up walking in opposite directions for hours trying to find each other, phoning each other just relayed our frustrations.
I wont get into much about my stay except to say I have never felt such wonderful hospitality before. These were by far the nicest people I've ever dealt with. My dad's friend used to be a multi millionaire after inventing the speeding ticket system that ran in joburg and was doing really wel for himself till he was schnaaied out if it all by family members and basically lost everything. I had a nap and then I had to set off early because he was unable to take me due to another meeting he had to attend and I went off in a taxi to the city center. Ah I cannot begin to describe just how lost I felt. I was just sitting there going over travel instructions and hoping to get off at the right place and as soon as I got in, my mind went blank. Luckily I met a lady who happened to be going in a similar direction to me and she helped me out and pointed me off in the right direction. I came across some roads I remember from when I was last up there with Brandon and I finally found the place I was looking for.
I was an hour early and there were already a few people dotted around the gates. I was standing behind a group of university student who were talking about all the shows they'd been to and the music they liked and I was just so envious of them. I wish we got half the stuff they did out there. I got in after a while, made my way to buy the most
expensive beer ever in the world and then went off to the stage. I met some really cool people and I wont get into what we spoke about but for people i'd never met before, they really had some great words worth taking notice to. I watched Shadowclub really destroy and make us nice and wet and then I went off to hunt down Corinne and her posse. Haha ah now there was a mix of people.. I cannot begin to express just how thankful I was, having them there really made it and Corinne alone made my whole experience so I've decided Im gonna name something after her. I went home with sore stomach muscles from all the laughing all of them made me do. Die Antwoord weren't even thaaaaat bad but when the time came, I was ready for Bloc Party to mash me up.
Oh my tits. When they came on, I had my Origin eyes set on max to the point where they had to be renamed to Bloc Party eyes and saved as because the file was too big. I didnt stop smiling from ear to ear through out the whole set. When they played 3X3, I feasted on the delights of heaven. At one point I was standing beside Greg Carlin and Darren Leader, enjoying my all time favourite band with members of my favourite South African band. I then was next to an indian Luis Suarez who was totally in love with Banquet and so impressed by me knowing every song. He would ask me what the next song was as they played the intro and went crazy each time I got it.
I've barely touched on an experience that really was quite life changing. You get people claiming that all the time but I must say I feel completely different after it. I have felt absolute happiness and it's safe to say that nothing really will compare to that. Nothing bothers me in the slightest. I was sitting in the car on the way back to Durban thinking and come what may, I was not affected. I went to be last night finally having dealt with the inevitable and I felt the same way as about everything, "I've seen Bloc Party live, your argument is invalid."
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