by Ruth Cooper (courtesy of http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/432/41093.html)
It seems that this year’s Rocking the Daisies was not just more eco-friendly, but also more friendly in general. Reading a couple of post-event reviews, the general consensus seems to be on what a happy, fun and friendly fest it was and I, for one, would agree. Beautiful weather (excluding the vicious night winds), beautiful people, beautiful music – aaah I wish I was still there.
Saturday morning, the sun rose in a clear blue sky, the wind subsided and those not too tuckered out by a crazy Friday rose early to get the day started. As mentioned in Miss Sindy’s review, there was much to see and do, and enough entertainment options on offer to make one feel quite torn. “Shall we go check the Red Bull Radar Competition or get grooving in the electro tent, no wait, the Best of the Fest Comedy is about to get underway – maybe we’ll just stay here by the dam and work on soaking up some sun… good plan.”
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Saturday night brought more deliberation; dancing like a trancie in that very awesome electro tent with Marcus Wormstorm or hanging out with the prodigal Just Jinjer at the main stage? Just Jinger won out in my case and I think I made the right decision. They are like the poster band for Rocking the Daisies, hippy looking lead-tick, tight tight vocals and instruments-tick, happy positive and socially conscious lyrics-tick, proudly South African (even after a stint in the States)- tick. The RTD audience and I welcomed them back with open arms.
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Another proudly SA band, Prime Circle, was next on stage and rocked and worked the crowd like the true professionals they are. While waiting for Prime Circle to do their thing, a girl standing next to me proclaimed: “Sorry hun, I’m like going to mosh you when they start, their my all-time favourite band.” I replied that this should be no problem as long as I got to mosh her back. She didn’t seem to agree with this line of thinking so I disappeared to the photographers’ pit when they started and left her to mosh in peace. Personally, I find Prime Circle just a tad boring, just a little too mainstream for my taste, but on Saturday night I couldn’t help but get caught up in their tight rock tracks and, suddenly, discovered that I knew the lyrics to most of their songs.
The Black Hotels, EJ Von Lyric and Gazelle kept those there at the main stage “happy and clapping like they knew it” while Haezer, Graze Digger and Killer Robot kept the Red Bull Electro Tent thumping well on into the night.
Rocking the Daisies 09 was a huge success on many levels, learning from past years’ problems and fixing them, and then some. It’s no wonder that there were so many happy love and goodwill vibes in the air; we can’t wait for next year.
Darling Life 