Dance, You’re on Fire: The next big thing

By Andrea Vermaak

I’ve seldom been wrong at predicting a great future for certain bands. Now I am telling you that the next big thing to watch out for is Dance, You’re on Fire. Currently on tour, promoting their debut album Secret Chiefs, the Joburg-based boys do not only have an album of top notch production quality, but they bring much needed, fresh energy and enthusiasm to the South African stage with their rock ‘n roll meets indie vibe.

Dance, You're on Fire being awfully sombre

Their relaxed, happy-go-lucky attitude, charm and sense of humour is present both on and off stage. They have a no pretense, no nonsense attitude. There is still a sense of humility and gratefulness that so many bands push aside and forget about too soon. It’s almost as if they don’t know how great they are and can be. My only hope is that they keep this attitude because then they will go even further than even I can predict.

Super enthused lead singer and guitarist, Tom Manners, has been likened to the voices of Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy. And rightly so. But the boys describe their music as far more creative, yet still accessible. Their rocking second single, Boxes of Tigers is currently number five on the Tuks FM Top 30 and number two on The Sondag Tuks FM Most Wanted Listener Top 20.

Dance, You’re on Fire opened for aKING at Tings 'n Times in Pretoria on Friday, 1 April 2011. They had an excitable crowd dancing and singing along to not only Boxes of Tigers, but to their first single Blockade and title song Secret Chiefs. Their debut performance of Michelle added something sweet to sway to in their set of power guitar songs. Speaking of which, guitarist Adrian Erasmus is a seriously great guitarist of whom any other SA band should be jealous!

Secret Chiefs is currently available online at www.danceyoureonfire.co.za and at their gigs, as well as at certain music outlets in Gauteng. Secret Chiefs is going to be launched in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in early June this year. Next stop, the world! 

Tour dates are also available online. If Dance, You’re on Fire is performing in your area, you simply have to check them out! When they go big, as I predict, you can say that I told you so!

U2 360˚ Tour – An experience beyond words

We love contributors! The awesome Andrea Vermaak had this to say about U2’s recent appearance. Personally blindblimp is against Bono's self-righteous interfering personality, but we can’t refute U2’s legendaryness. Over to Andrea…

 

The phrase “epic proportions” does not cut it when it comes to the surreal U2 360˚ Tour experience. On Sunday 13 February 2011 not only did the band put on a show that stops all shows in the electrifying atmosphere of FNB Stadium in Soweto, but the monstrous, futuristic, 360˚ stage which seemed to take up half the field could have performed a show on its own and people would have paid to watch it.

The show in its entirety gives “mind-blowing” new meaning. Everyone watch in complete awe and jaws dropped to knees as colourful light and crystal clear sound was dispersed from all corners of the stage. This world record holding concert stage includes a four-legged supporting rig – nicknamed The Claw – a cylindrical video screen which expands, contracts, and moves up and down; rotating bridges between the stage; and a circular ramp which surrounded the stage. Even the drum platform rotates! It truly is a spectacular work of design genius that no one has seen the likes of before.

But, enough about the special effects. Everyone knows that U2 are social activists, promoting equality and peace. Bono delivered strong messages about the state of our world without the cheese that one would expect from a celeb. His drive for universal unity is genuine and sincere, and there is no better tool, in my opinion, than to deliver a message of hope through the power of shared emotions that one experiences through music. Carefully chosen images, maps, flags and words littered the 360˚ screen to bring the message home, including an especially filmed video message from Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

If you were there, I am sure that you will agree that there really are no adjectives yet in existence to describe the experience. Unless you were there, you really have no idea of exactly how jealous you should be of those who were.

No doubt is left in my mind that all other shows that I watch in the future will pale in comparison. No other show will stimulate as many of my senses again and leave me with the feeling of complete, fuzzy happiness and wanting more – unless U2 performs again. You must admit that it would be right of me to wonder: “What will U2 pull out next?”

Copy and photography by Andrea Vermaak