Serious Munkys Go to Town
Serious Munkys Go to Town:
Spitmunky Pimps Durban
Three little munkys sat in a tree talking shit.
"I used to hate these guys with a passion. Especially Liam." Says Ewok.
"He wanted to beat me up when I was in first year." Says Liam.
"I was in third year? I still don't like Cobus." Admits Ewok.
When the banter is flowing and they're pretending to snort lines of coke for the dictaphone, you can be forgiven for thinking the whole thing is a put-on. After all, two thirds of Spitmunky consists of Cobus Van Heerden and Liam Magner, better known as Neon Anthems, the musical theatre duo that never says anything with a straight face, and the other third is outspoken rapper Iain 'Ewok' Robinson.
But that's kind of how South Africa views Durban, isn't it? Those funny little East Coasters are so cute, but they never take anything too seriously.
But while Joburg and Cape Town were busy congratulating each other for clean streets and working utilities, Durban bands stepped up and made it happen. Hip hop-slash-everything-else band Tree Houses On The Sea recently took the title at the nationwide Durex Battle of the Bands competition in Joburg, Durbanites dominated the competition in last year's Idols, and local bands like Fire Through the Window, Rise, Contrast the Water and others are moving up onto national and international stages.
Because it's only slogging through the hard work in a town that makes it as difficult as possible that you reach that all-important plateau where you're given. . . the opportunity to work even harder.
"I guess the key is to work hard," says Cobus, "and I think that we pride ourselves in not being stoners, who are like 'yeah man, this is so great and let's get stoned and naaaaaah'. I mean sure, we like to have a good time, but I think proportionately we spend quite a high time working and enjoying working, because we've gotten to a place where we like doing what we do, and we're not doing it because we don't want to be doing a 9 to 5."
"That's the thing, yeah. I like getting stoned, but I don't do it a lot. I like getting high but I don't do it a lot. Because I can't afford to." Says Ewok.
Cobus: "I know so many 'artists' who spend their weeks finding creative ways in which to get stoned, as opposed to finding creative ways in which to create art."
The trio falls into that uncertain genre of 'live electronic music' polarised between the goodtime Goldfish dance crowd and more experimental, less radio-friendly acts like Yesterday's Pupil. Promoters can't seem to decide where to put them?with the deejays or the bands? But the crowds love them so they put them everywhere.
"I think we play for the deejay crowd more than anything. People who go to live music these days, literally go to watch. They stand in the crowd. And they're literally watching a band, and you think 'when did people stop coming to hear live music?'" asks Ewok.
"With us, especially with the deejay crowd, where you're not going to come watch the deejay, especially with the drum and bass revival that's happening now, the dubstep thing? people don't come to watch the deejays, they come because they know they're going to play a certain kind of music. That's where our appeal is, they're coming for the sound of our music."
The band is proudly and fiercely Durban, though. Their tracks are titled things like E'Yo, Heynolukka, and Womchali. They know their town and they're not afraid to say so, even if it's not the trend.
"The fact is, we come from here. We all set it up here. We all broke ourselves in and put in some good work and sweated here in Durban." Says Ewok.
Liam adds, "I was in a relationship where I wasn't doing much. I just kept complaining, 'there's nothing happening in Durban, there's nothing happening!' Then I got out of it, and all of a sudden I got into this world where, 'Wow, people are doing stuff!' and kids are jumping up and down and it's so fun to see. . . I am so grateful. I actually wake up sometimes scared that it might just all go away. If this gets better and better, I might just fall over from happiness. And perish."
Spitmunky launches their self-titled debut album at the Willowvale on Friday at 9pm, which will also be the shoot for their new music video. Entry is R50, and the album will be available for R50 at the gig (R80 everywhere else).
What Others Said
Sarah P said
on 18 April 2010What an awesome gig! Spitmunky rocks:):):)