I’d heard good things about Holiday Murray and thought their video for Jirey was pretty cool, but I was still undecided about checking out their album launch. Then I heard Bateleur would be playing too – because I liked them so much the last time I saw them, I decided to go and am really glad I did.
I love it when the themes of the events take over the decor at the Assembly – there were umbrellas and weird dangly-fabricked light-fittings hanging from the ceiling, a giant photo of ‘Murray’ – the stick figure thing that features at the end of the Jirey video – and several rows of multi-coloured flags (and some beach chairs) decorating the stage; it was really cool (except maybe the beach chairs, they were a bit silly…). Plus the lights were really amazing the whole night through.
LA.VI were up first; I’d seen them just once before and wasn’t blown away. Watching them for the second time, they were pleasant enough but still didn’t really make an impression on me…
Bateleur were up next. They were less tight and more talkative than the last time we saw them, and their set felt a little more like a jam session but they were still really cool and a highlight of the night for me.
Holiday Murray certainly appear to have a large and devoted fanbase. As soon as they were on the stage, people (girls, mostly) were shouting their names, declaring their love and singing along, loudly, to all their songs. Their enthusiasm was contagious and the band was better than I was expecting, with some really nice tracks.
Sannie Fox from Machineri made a guest appearance to provide some harmonies on one of the songs which was really cool, though I was sorry to not have heard more of her awesome voice…
There were some more guest appearances towards the end, where it all got a bit mad; a guest banjoist (banjo player? banjoer?) was followed onstage by what resembled someone’s homeless grandmother, but what was in fact New Holland frontman (and Holiday Murray album producer) Teejay Terblanche, who proceeded to sing and dance around the crowded stage with undisguised joy. Photographer extraordinaire (and Jirey video director) Adriaan Louw also took a brief bow before returning to the shadows at the front of the stage.
Lots of fun all round and a really cool evening.
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Check out Holiday Murray on Facebook & Soundcloud, and watch their video for Jirey on Vimeo
Bateleur on Facebook & download their Mountain EP here
