Jack Valve wins the Klipdrift Battle of the Bands 2013
Friday night was the final round of the Klipdrift Battle of the Bands 2013 at the Big Top Arena at Carnival City.
Kinky Robot opened the evening with a bang, followed by the top five participating bands, namely Jack Valve, Jean Zenan, Liezel Marshall Band, Stadsboer and Vintage Kings. One of last year’s finalists, Van Smith, also gave a guest performance.
The venue was packed to the rafters as sponsors, fans, bands, judges and ticket winners enjoyed an evening of top quality live music produced by Reinhardt Massyn Productions.
The winning band, Jack Valve, walked away with a whopping R 40 000 cash, a two-album record deal with Big Boy Records, and a website worth R 30 000 with NetData.
Scores were audited by Moore Brothers and Associates on the evening to ensure that the final winning band got their dream prize on fair grounds.
The Jack Valve band members are Rudi Kleingeld (rhythm guitar), Stephen Kosterman (lead guitar), Joe Kruger (vocals), SL LeRoux Minnaar (bass) who all hail from Heidelberg, and drummer Gerhardt Diedericks who is from Pretoria.
Minnaar and Kosterman have been jamming together since high school, and in January 2011 the band was formed with Kleingeld and Kruger. Diedericks joined them in July 2012.
The Klipdrift Battle of the Bands 2013 isn’t their first rodeo, as Jack Valve won the Rockstars Band Competition early in 2012 and the Global Nissan Day Battle of the Bands.
They will use the experience and prize money they gathered from all of the competitions that they have won, including the Klipdrift Battle of the Bands 2013, to invest in themselves as a band and try go to the next level.
“We really want to get involved in, and play, as many shows as we possibly can to familiarise rock n roll lovers of South Africa with our music. So it would be safe to say that we won’t be taking part in many more competitions, but we are currently involved in the Paco Robanne Be The Rockstar competition; which is more of a video based competition than stage performance. We’ve been given so much, and now it is time to use what we’ve been given to break into the South African music industry” said lead guitarist Kosterman.
He also added that the finals of the Klipdrift Battle of the Bands 2013 was the best and biggest show that they have ever played. The turnout, other competing bands, organisation of the competition and the prize they won, was “amazing”.
The entire band is also grateful for their fans that supported them at Carnival City, and throughout all their previous gigs, as “without their fans, they won’t have any reason to play”.
Kosterman also added: “Bloodshot eyes and a bloody nose, an aching back and broken bones. If there’s one that you should fight for, you should fight for Rock n Roll”
The Klipdrfit Battle of the Bands 2013 was brought to you by Openchord Productions, Caxton and Looklocal, Tommy Rocket Design Studio, SuperCD, Carnival City, Laughing Lamp productions, Idayimani, Inhouse Venue Technical Management, Me Photo Services and Showboy Soundhire & Entertainment.
