No sheeple in this band

LIKE many other local bands, they have dreamt about rocking international crowds – and now they are about to rock international crowds in Texas and need fans to spread the word. THE RECORD interviewed Shutup! It’s Sunday, a local (partially Alberton-based) established rock band. They shared their thoughts and dreams and, if all goes well, they’ll be playing in America next year.

Shutup! Consists of six band members, but only three were available in Alberton to be interviewed – they included Nico du Plessis (bass guitar player and backing vocals), Réno Crouse (rhythm guitar player and social media maintenance) and Danica Bezuidenhout (lead vocals). The other bandies are Ben Greyling (drummer), Stefan Oosthuizen (lead guitar player and lawyer-related issues) and Stephan Grobler (keyboard player).

No nonsense rock

Of course, any true rock band stands for a cause. In Shutup!’s case, they stand for “a fun time with an afterthought”. All they want are good times and good vibes. To rise against “the man” is the message they try to convey through their music.

In contrast, they stand against “crappy” and “meaningless” music and they hate it when bands form cliques in the music industry. When it comes to selling out for money and fame, this band will have none of it. “Stay true to yourself, question everything and *** ‘sheeple’,” the bandies said in summary.

The most rewarding part for them is when they’re performing on stage and the crowd sings their songs back at them. They also love how they can communicate with each other simply through the harmony of the music.

Their biggest collective inspiration is Seether, a South African rock band that managed to reach global success. This can be sensed when listening to some of ShutUp’s songs, including Ben’s Song, Hope, Thrill Of The Chase and Get On Board. To be renowned around the world without selling out is their biggest dream.

Staying relevant in a world filled with endless music is somewhat of a challenge, but the biggest challenge for this band is, of course, funding. The band needs their fans’ help more than ever to play a show in Dallas, Texas next year April.

Let’s rock Texas

Since their formation in 2006, when they were all only 14 years old, ShutUp! It’s Sunday’s ultimate dream has been to play for an international crowd. Now, their dream has finally been realised after they got invited to play at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival in Dallas Texas next year April.

The band needs at least R110 000 to cover travel costs and has turned to crowd funding to gather this amount. So far, they only stand on approximately R14 000. They are reaching out to fans to please pledge their support towards this dream – each donor (who has pledged at least R100) will get a reward!

Rewards could include a pre-order of their debut album, Fingers Crossed, which is to be released March next year. They’ll also give away band merchandise to those kind enough to pledge and, whoever donates R5 000 or more will get a private show of the band for free, wherever and whenever they like!

Visit thundafund.com/projects/shutuptexas to pledge. Feel free to also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and visit their blog website (www.shutupitssunday.wordpress.com).

To all their supporters, their family and friends as well as Toms Music, they owe their sincerest gratitude. “Thank you for your support through the good times and the bad. We hope to represent and make you proud in Texas next year,” the bandies concluded.

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