A few months ago, I joined over 100 others in backing Red Huxley on Kickstarter to help them record their debut album with Dave Catching of Eagles of Death Metal in the USA. Their crowdfunding effort proved successful and the band headed off for the states in July. Fast forward to November and they’re back with their completed album, Nothing More, which they launched last Friday at the Assembly supported by the Dollfins and Goodnight Wembley.

In typical Cape Town fashion, summer was interrupted by a freak storm that made landfall on Friday and was to wreak havoc for the next 24 hours, causing flash floods and water damage all over the peninsula. So unfortunately the rain on Friday night did affect the numbers in the crowd, but those who did show up were loud and rowdy, even forming a potent moshpit at the end of the night.

Every time I see the Dollfins I think about how much I love their band name – it just really is perfect for them and captures their essence beautifully. They’re always fun to watch.

Up next were Goodnight Wembley, who I hadn’t seen in a while, and who in that time have lost the exclamation mark in their name and gained a new bassist. They’re all seasoned performers and put on a slick show with lots of energy.

Headliners Red Huxley were the real standouts of the night – it was, after all their night. The poster promised they’d be joined by ‘special guests’, and these came in the form of Mysticcs guitarist Ebi Johnstone throughout the set and occasional guest vocals from Goodnight Wembley/Taxi Violence frontman George van der Spuy.

I thought about the first time I saw Red Huxley, at Mercury in 2011. I remember at the time they had ‘Red Huxley’ stickers they were putting everywhere, including the toilets at Mercury. It’s awesome to see that 2 years later their ambition and hard work has paid off. They’re a solid band with a great vibe and great rock tracks. I can’t wait till my copy of Nothing More arrives, I have a feeling it’s the album I’ll have on repeat on all summer.

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Read more about Red Huxley’s Road to Rancho on their website  |  RH on Facebook

Goodnight Wembley  |  The Dollfins