Musician beats to his own drum

From performing for his parents with sosatie sticks on old coffee tins to performing at music festivals in front of thousands of people, local musician, Gareth Bunge paved his own path in the music industry.

This drum fanatic has had sticks in his hands for as long as he could remember, tapping away to whatever was in front of him.

“I’ve always been very intrigued by the drums. Whenever there was a music video on TV, a band performed at my school or even listening to a church band on a Sunday, I would find myself glued to the drummer, trying to mimic him,” he said.

Gareth was so passionate about the craft that when he landed his first gig in a school band, he didn’t even know how to play yet.

“I gave new meaning to the saying ‘fake it till you make it’. From then onwards I was obsessed with the drums and eventually my parents bought me my first drum kit as a birthday present … and the rest is history,” he said.

However, growing up in a very small town, he never really had the opportunity to attend professional lessons. But where there is a will, surely there is a way. Over the years Gareth taught himself to play drums by ear. Whenever he got his hands on a CD from an inspiring band, he would play to the drum beat from beginning to end.

During his school years he played in his first band, and has since played for various other bands. He is currently performing with The Black Bones which is his main project at the moment. He also plays for Southern Gypsey Queen and an acoustic folk band called Coelacanth.

Even though he enjoys experimenting with all genres, he admitted to having a big soft spot for rock and roll. However, it’s not all about performing for this versatile artist as he also loves writing music, especially with his band mates.

“Being in a band that tours and performs constantly I think it’s very important to keep yourself inspired by writing new material. We try to get together as often as possible for a writing session where we would bounce ideas off each other for a potential new song,” he said.

It comes as no surprise that Gareth has performed at almost every major music festival throughout South Africa and Mozambique in front of thousands of people. He has performed in both the smallest of towns to a handful of people, and at some of the bigger festivals such as Oppikoppi, Innibos, The STRAB (Subterranean Rhythm and Blues) Festival, and Splashy Fen to name just a few.

“I live for playing the drums, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. Being on stage making music with my brothers and playing to an audience – whether it’s 25 people in an intimate venue or 10 000 people at some of the biggest music festivals in the country – is the best feeling I’ve ever experienced. Watching people jump around to your band’s best party song or even watching someone tear up with emotion from a meaningful lyric, that’s what drives me and keeps me striving for more,” Gareth said.

It was only a matter of time before his hard work paid off and his band, The Black Cat Bones, won Best Live Act the MK Awards a few years ago. They have also been nominated for Best Rock Album at The Samas (South African Music Awards) on two occasions, most recently in 2019.

After about 19 years of performing he decided that his passion was worth sharing and became both a drum and guitar teacher for Swallow15 Music School two years ago.

“You never know when you’ll change a child’s life forever through music. I’ve built an amazing bond with each and every student –every child is different which is the most amazing thing,” he said.

Black Cat Bones fans can look forward to their fifth full-length album that they are busy recording in studio. Gareth is incredibly proud of this album and cannot wait for its launch so fans can hear what the band has been up to the last few months.

They even have a couple of tours lined up towards the end of the year to promote the album, should Covid-19 regulations allow them to. As with most artists, Covid-19 has forced Gareth and his band to re-evaluate the music scene.

“The past two years haven’t been great for the entertainment industry as a whole, and as musicians that thrive on performing live we have really struggled. We were forced to think outside the box and find other ways to perform in order to survive financially,” he said.

“We as a band then set up a couple of streaming concerts but from the comfort of our own homes. Although it wasn’t the same as performing to a live audience, we were at least able to keep the boat afloat. Fortunately I was already teaching with Swallow15 at that time, and although we couldn’t teach at schools for a while, we were able to put together a brilliant online structure so we were still able to teach our students.”

If you want to listen to Gareth and his main band, feel free to visit their YouTube channel, The Black Cat Bones.