Home-grown band 15oh5 rocks St Patrick’s Day commemoration

When they jokingly undertook to make music together and party like back in the 15th century, the members of upcoming band 15oh5 had not quite imagined instant stardom.
Their coming together to live out a passion for making music other than playing in a gospel band, alone in their rooms or going for classical piano lessons gave rise to the establishment of 150h5 (as in “Oh okay, now I get it!”), which is fast becoming a contender on the indie folk-pop scene.
During an interview on Saturday, it was evident that band members Juanie Willemse, Emile Vermeulen and Quinton Boucher share a comfortable liaison characterised by friendship and humoristic interaction borne from a working relationship formed the past two or so years since they have joined forces to start the band. The fourth band member, bassist Ben Schempers had prior commitments, it was learnt.
Having matriculated at Pietersburg Hoërskool in 2015, the three were merely all acquaintances while still at school. But it all changed thereafter when Boucher considered forming a band, entered Vermeulen’s “nice band room” at home and identified Willemse’s talent after seeing her play on a You Tube post – a dare from friends while she believed she couldn’t sing. According to Vermeulen they are still rehearsing at his house every second weekend due to limited venues in Pretoria, where he and Willemse respectively reside in a commune and an apartment while studying for their music and publishing degrees. Boucher is a self-employed musician based in Polokwane.
Although they speak of humble beginnings after having embarked on a joint musical journey into the pop, folk and jazz genres in the beginning of 2016, Willemse explains that they have never expected to be in such demand within such a short space of time.
They laughingly concede that they are the most awkward band of individuals put together. “Innocently awkward,” Boucher puts it. They agree that their personae don’t change when ascending a stage and that they are still stressed before a gig. They favour gigs at music festivals that present good interactive sound and where they can let go on stage, Willemse remarks. Their next performance is expected to take them to the Cape around mid-May and to an international music festival in the Okavango in Botswana in August this year.
They continue playing the song titled Temporary Tattoo that they attempted together that first evening, Vermeulen points out. It forms part of a compilation album, that includes five of their own songs, recorded live at a venue in Polokwa­ne in the past. According to Boucher they still prefer their own music, of which the lyrics are penned down by Willemse, and love witnessing people enjoying it.
This was the case at Baxter’s Barn Venue outside Polokwane on Saturday where a small crowd of young and old spectators showed appreciation for the vibey sounds they brought forth. Despite tricky weather conditions the celebration of St Patrick’s Day coincided with a market that spilled out into the garden of the wedding and function venue along the R101 route to Mokopane.
With home-grown crafts, produce and gin on offer, there was no reason for visitors not to want to curl up on any of the scattered recliners or mismatched upholstered chairs and savour the sounds of a trio of music-makers that carry the Limpopo stamp of approval.
Kierin Bristow and Kerry Kleynhans, the driving force behind the wedding and function venue, are attempting to bring a bit of Cape Town to Limpopo with events aimed at uniting surrounding communities. Kleynhans envisages the venue to become the epicentre of the local farming community. With St Patrick’s day not being celebrated anywhere else in Limpopo as far as they could establish, they decided to commemorate the worldwide celebration and would want to make it an annual event, says Bristow.
Since having moved in three weeks ago, Saturday’s market has been their first and had thus far held a Taste of Durban lunch and a community lunch. In September or October this year they intend a peach-picking festival in conjunction with a farming operation in the area, Bristow mentions and other than that plan farmers’ markets for the first Sunday of each quarter to begin with.

Story and photos: YOLANDE NEL
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