Golden Oldies – Get ready for the Rave reunion

Issued by John Carnegie

IT WAS A golden age of popular music that kicked off in the 1960s, an age that will perhaps never be repeated for its musical creativity and energy.

It made popular music a lifestyle, not just an entertainment. And it spawned in towns and cities and villages around the world, bands to spread the words and music of the popular bands, from the Beatles in England to the Beach Boys at the USA’s west coast, via the Bee Gees in Australia and the Bats in South Africa.

Vryheid had its 1960s band, a group called Rave. The group had a number of members but then settled down to the now late Carl Foti (guitar), Gordon Knox (drums), Paul Greeff (guitar), and Clive Young (vocals). They started rehearsing in Carl’s bedroom, got to having a repertoire or playlist of 30 songs and then got ready to do their first session. The old Railway Hall was among their venues.

The surviving members of Rave and the people from Vryheid and district who used to dance and sing along at their gigs, are now, mostly, in their 60s and 70s – greying oldies who remember the Golden Oldies.

On March 11, there will be a reunion for the band and its fans at Cecil Emmett Hall, from 7pm to midnight. Tickets are R100 for adults, R50 for youngsters, 8 to 16-years-old, and under 8 kids are free, and it is “self catering” – bring your own food and drink.

Proceeds from this event will go to a charity in Vryheid.

The purpose of this event is to get as many old Vryheid people (and others) as possible together to see old friends again or just have a fun-filled night of 60’s music – the Beatles, Bee Gees, Creedence, Elvis, Cliff Richard, Little Richard, the Shadows and others. This will be the band’s third reunion in Vryheid… It may be the last.

For more information find Rave Reunion 2017 on facebook.

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