WoodCrock 12 a blast from the past, and vision of things to come

Blue Moon Nelspruit's famous natural amphitheatre and good vibes has made it many an artists' and patrons' favourite venue.

September 2, 2017

Mireille de Villiers 1 minute read

MBOMBELA – Local music lovers rejoiced at the return of Blue Moon as a live music venue open to the public this weekend.

The three-day WoodCrock 12 festival drew young and old, as well as some of the biggest names in South African music, with a dash of old-time favourites thrown in.

Jack Parow had everyone talking about his Friday night performance. He was joined in the line-up by, among others, upcoming musos such as Jonathan Peyper and After Robot and established acts Soil7t7 and the beloved Tidal Waves.

On Saturday afternoon the beautiful Andra took to the stage with her guitar.

Klopjag brought their Afrikaans hits “24 uur” and “Vergeet en Vergewe”.

New local reggae band, Zionruts Family entertained with classics such as “Sweat” and “Everything’s Gonna be Alright”.

In a blast from the past, Cutting Jade performed. Megahit “Ten Seconds” got stuck in a number of heads.

The Saturday night had a Woodstock theme. The party coincided with the birthday of WoodCrock creative manager, Conrad Jamneck.

On Saturday night he was presented with a special birthday cake from the band Akkedis, the first band ever to play at Blue Moon Nelspruit when it opened as a music venue in 2000.

Crimson House, founded in Namibia, was a revelation. The band says their sound has gone “from blues to bluegrass western punk with a Tom Waits/Joe Cocker styled vocals soaked in gypsy undertones, and they jump between genres during their musical performances.”

The other highlight of the night was the high-octane performance by Black Cat Bones.

The likes of Hoot ‘n Anny, Kabaal Klankbaan and The Leftovers aptly closed the party on Sunday. For those who can remember much of the weekend, it was a truly unforgettable experience.