Alternative angle
Vodacom In The City has added Swedish rockers The Hives and iconic British band Skunk Anansie to this year's international line-up, cementing the festival's credibility as one of the edgiest events on the South African calendar.
These two musical forces now join Alt-J and Boys Noize for the one-day music festival, where 15 000 fans will rock Newtown’s Mary Fitzgerald Square on October 4.
The Hives will satisfy long-time fans with music ranging from their early albums Barely Legal (1997) to Tyrannosaurus Hives (2004) and their most recent Lex Hives (2012). Catapulting them to international rock status was hits like Hate To Say I Told You So, Main Offender and Supply And Demand, taken from the album Your New Favourite Band (a compilation of songs from Barely Legal, VVV and the A.K.A I-D-I-O-T EP).
The stage will also host the brooding beats, edgy lyrics and punk riffs of Skunk Anansie (pictured). Reunited after an eight-year hiatus, Skunk Anansie have “come home”, says lead singer Skin. Along with band members Ace (guitar), Cass Le-wis (bass) and Mark Richardson (drums), Skin has rekindled the feeling and soul of the band’s previous work to continue the distinctive and dynamic sound that has made them an award-winning music phenomenon.
Skunk Anansie are set to get crowds jumping with their versatile range of hits from multi-platinum albums Paranoid And Sunburnt (1995), Stoosh (1996) and Post Orgasmic Chill (1999). Fans will remember singles like Brazen (Weep), Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good), Weak and Secretly.
The band will also be releasing their first-ever live acoustic album. The as-yet-untitled collection will be released next month, just in time for Vodacom In The City.
