Oh, Cruel Fate, Joshua Grierson and The Sleepers played a great gig at ROAR last Sunday in celebration of their mutual friend Frank Moody‘s birthday. The vibe was relaxed and loads of fun, and felt kinda like an extended house party.

Oh, Cruel Fate is a new band but founding members Dani Diamond and Alessandro Busetto are no strangers to music – Alex currently plays bass with Tape Hiss and Sparkle and Dani’s voice is legendary but too rarely heard.

Sunday’s performance was the first time I’d seen them – now fleshed out by Drummer Mandisi Nkomo (also of Tape Hiss and Sparkle, among other bands) and guitarist Louw Visagie) – and I thought they were great, not only because I really like their sound, which is dark and inviting, but because I’ve known Dani for some years and watching her brought on that special feeling you get when you see someone doing what they’re meant to be doing – her joy onstage was palpable.

Their set included a bunch of their original songs as well as some covers especially for the night – a great gypsy-tinged rendition of Ring of Fire and a few soulful lines from Kiss from a Rose, both of which resulted in smiles all round.

I’d seen Josh Grierson just once before, at Biergarten (formally &Union) where I thought his vigorous footstomping would break the stage; his performance this time around was just as passionate and intense.

He’s a compelling performer and knows how to transcend the whole guy-with-an-acoustic-guitar thing that plagues many singer-songwriters – filling each song with variation and  emotional light and shade, sealed up with a give-all delivery packed with raw emotion.

The Sleepers  have been a bit quiet for a while, working on their forthcoming album; since the last time I saw them they’ve released a music video and new track (Mine) and acquired a new bassist (and a second lefty).

They closed the night off with a fun set which included some surprise covers like Apache, Go with the flow and Hand that Feeds. “For you Frank, we’re a cover band” they joked.

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The Sleepers  |  Joshua Grierson  |  Oh, Cruel Fate