Oppikoppi: Day 2

Getting to the farm was far quicker, presumably because most people are already there, as evidenced by the general lack of parking space.

The first act we saw was, Jeremy Loops. The main feature was the use of loops, distortions and replays to combine different musical pieces; sort of a DJ with live instruments. It was a very interesting effect, though can't say that I was absolutely awestruck.

Albert Frost brought his blues and rock combo, in front of a packed house. It was an interesting blend of styles, complemented by a number of guest artists. It is easy to understand his popularity and it was a great way to see in the sunset.

BLK JKS came into the fore a few years ago as the all black rock band. When I saw them previously in Cape Town, I was quite unimpressed. Their sound has definitely evolved, a lot more musical but a lot less lyrical. I love the change, though the anthemic lyrics is what draws the crowd to sing a long, and that was mostly missing. That said, their closing song, evoking memories of apartheid protest actions (and now Cosstu strike rallies) was brilliant in both the blend of music and performance.

I didn't stay too long at the very crowded Valiant Swart performance. Country Western doesn't interest me much when in English, and it didn't become more interesting in Afrikaans.

Josie Field's performance at the "Small Stage" was packed, with almost no space to move. She played a number of her folk rock numbers, and it was a pity that this was on such a small stage.

A fairly recent band, Aking has a sizable following in South Africa, as evidenced by the massive crowd. The anthemic numbers however really require the listener to know them; I found it mostly mumbled and unclear - but the crowd around me seemed to be having a ball!

For me, French ska band, Babylon Circus had the best performance of the day. Similar to The Rudimentals in some respects, Babylon Circus combined a number of musical styles and influences into a raucous party. Despite singing mostly in French, they had the whole crowd dancing and even singing along. They had magnificent stage presence, with interesting stage antics (though not as extreme as Knorkator) and wonderful interaction with the crowd.

The wonderfully named, Desmond and the Tutus, were the last band we saw last night. The music was great, as were the lyrics; but the slurry/stoned singing style (or perhaps actual effect) wasn't too endearing. Like Aking, it felt as if one needs to know the songs to actually enjoy their performance.