There is a lot sitting inside a night like this. For some bands, it is a chance to test a new set in a room that is paying close attention. For others, it is a chance to put their city, their sound and the work behind the band in front of people who may not know them yet. In Gqeberha, the bill itself already says enough. Undead Generation comes in with years behind it and a sound built from several corners. Twiza brings its own world with it. Redmatic arrives after time on the road and with new music in sight.
“We have never had the opportunity to play outside of the country or to showcase our sound internationally.”
For Undead Generation, Rafael Sapere frames the night around the possibility of taking a local band beyond the country: “As a band we have played extensive tours all around South Africa and discovered all the different musical styles and sounds within the country. We have never had the opportunity to play outside of the country or to showcase our sound internationally. The opportunity to be taken to an international stage provides our band with an extremely unique opportunity that we are super excited to try and work towards. It will be a unique feeling to step onto our home stage knowing that this might be the gig that opens international doors.”
Steven “FloridaMan” Henderson answers from Twiza’s side in a very different voice, but the scale of the slot is clear there too. “The whole band is beyond excited. To be a part of an event of such a massive scale with potentially life-changing outcomes is exhilarating. The possibility of spreading the gospel of the carbonation to an international audience would be nothing short of a miraculous leap ahead for all of Twizzaria.”
For Redmatic, Cayden Chesling keeps it simple. “We’re all pretty excited to be playing in the event. Even if it’s not to go and play internationally, just to be playing. We all enjoy having fun and being on stage. It’s just who we are.”
Once bands start talking about the set itself, the differences between them become clearer. Undead Generation has reworked the shape of the performance to suit the format. Jess Barnes explains it this way: “For starters, we focused a lot of our energy on trying to arrange a setlist that will hopefully convey our unique brand of chaos in a much more burst-fire fashion than usual. We would normally plan shows that include a variety of emotional themes, intentionally arranged with the goal of taking the audience on a journey. Our aim is that everyone sharing that space with us would find something they identify with, regardless of their background or circumstances. We always want to have a good time, but we try our best never to neglect the intimacy that comes with sharing little bits of our souls with people who are genuinely engaging with us. From a gear perspective, we’ve focused a lot of our energy on filling out our low end. The drum fills are a little busier, leaning more towards the toms, we’ve added a five-string bass into the mix and, overall, we’ve welcomed a lot more bass drum action.”
“we’ve all been practising like madmen.”
Twiza’s answer stays in character, but the practical side is there too. “Individually, of course, we’ve all been practising like madmen, spending a fair amount of time honing our gear, tone and attitude. Together we have been focused on the challenges associated with having to play quite a short set, making sure our performance is punchy and energetic throughout while still being able to keep focus on our mission, spreading the word of holy hydration.”
Redmatic is making fewer changes to the live side itself. The shift is more in the material. Cayden says, “After touring recently, we’ve become much tighter on stage. So in terms of stage presence and tuning the performance, we only have increased confidence gained on tour. The only real change we’ve made for the upcoming show is the material. It’s songs we haven’t played in quite some time, but they fit the heavier feel of the event.”
The band histories also move in different directions. Undead Generation goes back to 2012 and started as something much more straightforward. Roscoe Nefdt writes, “Undead Generation was started by myself and a few old friends back in 2012, just for fun, to perform at a Halloween-themed birthday party for a friend. We were originally called The Tsotsis and played straightforward hardcore punk in the style of FEAR, early Exploited, Minor Threat and so on. As the years passed, the members and the style changed and became more of a fusion genre, including influence from punk rock, hardcore, hip hop, metal, ska/reggae and jazz. We eventually found our sound and energy, accompanied by a solid lineup that’s been together for almost four years. Starting a band, whether it’s metal, punk, hardcore or any alternative genre, can be quite rough and difficult as it is, especially in a smaller city such as Gqeberha. You really have to have a passion and love for it, and create your own scene from the ground up with those alongside you. Eventually, you will notice that well-paying gigs and really cool opportunities naturally come to you as a result of hard work, consistency, passion and dedication. We are looking forward to taking part in our first Wacken battle, even if we may stand out like a sore thumb.”
Twiza answers that question in its own way, tying the whole thing back to place and identity. “Well, it all comes from Queenstown. Not the band perhaps, but the essence that drives us. It’s the motherland of Twizzaria, hallowed ground so to speak. So it really does make sense for us to be close to the epicentre of everything. And the faithful will follow. What we lack in numbers here in the Eastern Cape, we certainly make up for in ferocity and devotion. For that, we are eternally grateful.”
“I personally think this is the best state the band has ever been in.”
Redmatic’s history is much more personal and specific. Cayden lays it out clearly. “I originally started this band after the previous band I was in disbanded. Eventually I convinced another guitarist, Nathan, to join me and before we knew it we had an underground show booked in a warehouse. From there, my dad joined and our substitute bassist for the first show joined full-time. Eventually, Liaan became our drummer when my father became too ill due to cancer to continue playing. Nathan then left, and we coasted as a three-piece for a while. Once Tiaan also left due to moving cities, we took on some people we’d seen playing before, Frank and Eli. This is the band in its current state. Although there was a lot of shifting of members, I think it was quite necessary. The band at first was okay and we enjoyed playing together. But there is a certain cohesion and understanding that all of the current members have, and I personally think this is the best state the band has ever been in, which is fully why we recently toured and are taking part in this event. I would also like to clarify that we are not a metal project. We lie somewhere in the alt-rock space with some grunge influence, which is the category we registered in for Wacken. At the moment, we are all occupied with our lives, trying to break out when we can in order to play music. We are recording and planning on releasing music in the next few months, so we are phasing out any plans for upcoming shows to direct our energy toward releasing our songs at the best quality we can.”
The live question brings out three different answers again. For Undead Generation, Onesimo Ngodwane points back to the mix inside the band itself. “Our collective consists of individuals from different musical backgrounds, with a drummer from a jazz upbringing, a punk rocker guitarist, an indie/pop punk bassist, and a saxophonist with a passion for metal. These characteristics are clearly represented in our sets under different genres. Now that we’re heading to a metal setup, our approach still has the undeniable Undead Generation taste, but with more technical movements and heavier execution.”
Twiza keeps the language playful, but the point is plain enough. “When we gather, it is a celebration. We celebrate life, beauty, joy, and of course, the Holy Juice. I think to truly understand, one must come and be baptised in flavour, now with added vitamin C. Praise be the carbonation.”
Redmatic puts the emphasis on the band as people and on what comes across when they are on stage together. “We try to be as raw and authentic as we can on stage, and this sentiment is why we have so much fun. You get the sense that these four people on stage are doing what they love. I think we showcase this authenticity live because we love the songs we’ve written together, and I have no doubt of that changing for the upcoming heat.”
AFRICA.ROCKS also reached out to Betty’s Nuklear for this feature, but did not get their answers in time for publication.
