Debut Nam rock concert a hit

Last weekend saw the crowds descending on the Wanderers Sports Ground in Windhoek, Namibia, for the first ever Loaded Music Productions rock spectacular, that saw a combination of three local bands take the stage alongside two South African headliners. Young-guns Multisonus had a great following on hand and didn’t disappoint with their heaving mixture of nu-wave metal and hip-hop, to kick the concert into gear.

It was a high energy start to what flowed into the melodious sounds of the ever popular Penilane. These boys are on their way to the Oppikopie Festival in South Africa at the end of the month, and will represent Namibian music at one of the biggest musical gatherings on the African continent. Next up on the draw was Trigger, who had everyone in awe with their original brand of alternative rock. One of the very few bands fronted by a girl, they proved the winning recipe on the night by combining hard-edge guitars and angelic vocals that soared though to the core of all that attended. Judging by the crowd they went down like a bratwurst at a beer-drinking convention and where the obvious surprise favorite at what was remarkably their first real gig.

The South African contingent came on after that with Cape Town “drunk punks” Half Price getting everyone jumping straight after the first chord was struck. Feel good, thumping punk-rock in the vein of the U.K staples that inspired them, Half Price added the “Oi” to the night and ensured that concert goers spent more time in the air than actually partying in the traditional sense of the word. The headlining announcement was met with a roar as The Narrow came on stage to round out what was, for the most part, an unbelievably successful event.

Known as one of the best rock acts in South Africa, The Narrow have established themselves as a regular staple on festival line-ups around the world. They’re off to Europe next and will perform alongside stars such as Marylin Manson, Korn and the Pixies. It seems as if a positive effect has started in the local music industry, with concerts like these laying the foundation for local bands to perform in front of home audiences, with popular international bands as a draw-card. Let’s hope that the audiences grow with it to supply Namibian bands with a much need home base of support.