The Parlotones rock the Barnyard
The audience was thoroughly entertained with some old favourites as well as brand new songs
With my heart beating like a drum, sweating palms and trembling knees, I followed the man in front of me, hoping I would not faint when I met my all-time favourite rock band – The Parlotones.
Yes, you guessed it, I was on my way to interview the best South African band ever (in my opinion) and had a serious case of nerves as I followed Gregg Forbes, their agent, to the backstage area.
When the door opened to reveal a small backstage area, crammed with the band members, my brain went into overdrive and my throat went dry instantly – I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real. Luckily I had prepared some questions beforehand, ensuring I could actually converse like a normal person!
The atmosphere backstage was relaxed and the band members made me feel right at home while they were talking to each other and making jokes, with some of them enjoying dinner and others warming up their voices before going on stage to wow their fans. Glen Hodgson, the bass guitarist, said with a smile, “We requested the biggest room for this interview.” This statement had everyone in stitches, and the ice was broken, ensuring a smooth, no-frills interview.
The Parlotones have been rocking for the past 20 years, and in that time, have produced eight albums, countless number one songs and been nominated for – and won – countless wards, including the South African Music Awards (Samas), YOU Magazine Awards, Caxton’s Best of Joburg, People’s Choice Awards (South Africa), The Loeries, MTV Africa Awards and MK Awards, to name just a few.
Since returning from the United States of America five years ago, the band has been quite busy, although Glen jokingly said, “Since we’ve been back we’ve taken a bit of a break, and, besides Kahn (Morbee) and Neil (Pauw) having a lot of children, some of the members also started solo projects. Mine is called ‘Lost and Found’ and Kahn’s is called, well, ‘Kahn’”. The band has also grown from four members to five, with Rob Davidson joining them.
“We are in the process of recording a new album, and, besides experiencing a few hiccups, everything is going according to plan.
The album is set to be released in May,” front man Kahn said. He added that fans could expect a double album with 26 songs, made up of 24 new songs and two covers, which will be classic Parlotones.
They excitedly told me about their 20th anniversary show which is going to take place at the Teatro, Montecasino on 20 and 21 July, where they will also launch the new album officially.
Just before we ended our interview, the band confirmed that it was always special to be able to perform at home, and Kahn said, “Firstly, we just want to give a shout out to our West Rand White Sox fans, and then we want to thank all our fans for always supporting us, because, without them, we would not be able to make a noise on stage. Thanks for giving us the best job in the world, much love.”
When the time came for the show to start, their performance was inspired, and not one of the fans who came out to listen to them was disappointed, especially not me, sitting right in front of the stage, rocking to both the old classics and some of their new songs.
The audience also had an opportunity to wish the band’s drummer, Neil, a happy birthday, spontaneously bursting into an a cappella version of the birthday song.
When asked to describe the experience, I could not come up with a word to describe it adequately, and had to settle for saying, “Awesome!”
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