Braai braai Nieu Bethesda

On Monday morning we flew from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth, and then drove 450 km northwards for the next gig at Jonathan Handley's wonderful Bat Barn venue in Nieu Bethesda. It turned out amazingly and apparently more than 75% of the village had turned out to see us. We were advised to play only a few songs, but the audience wouldn't let us go, so it became a fairly long set. Everybody ate grilled meat (braai) in the break while Lasse changed a broken A-string. Nieu Bethesda is an artist's commune and almost everybody living there paints, sculpts or takes pictures and lives on that. We were promised an article in Country Life magazine by someone who took a lot of photos - nice if it happens. The age-span in the audience was 3 to 70+ and Björn generously gave the kids drumsticks to keep and play with.

 

We spent a total of 18 hours in Nieu Bethesda and left the following morning after a quick look-see of the village and a wander around Helen Martins' Owl House (Google it!). Lasse drove the 450 km back to the coast and we stayed in a nice little hotel in Wildernis. Herbie gave a telephone interview for the Cape Argus and there seems to be quite a buzz about us coming as two other Cape Town newspapers have also planned articles. There were lots of nice-looking restaurants in Wildernis, but we chose the one with a chef who couldn't handle more than 15 guests at a time and had to wait 90 minutes for food. But we got free drinks in compensation and when they asked if we wanted to order anything else, we answered "yeah, breakfast".

 

Another 400 km to Cape Town.

On Monday morning we flew from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth, and then drove 450 km northwards for the next gig at Jonathan Handley's wonderful Bat Barn venue in Nieu Bethesda. It turned out amazingly and apparently more than 75% of the village had turned out to see us. We were advised to play only a few songs, but the audience wouldn't let us go, so it became a fairly long set. Everybody ate grilled meat (braai) in the break while Lasse changed a broken A-string. Nieu Bethesda is an artist's commune and almost everybody living there paints, sculpts or takes pictures and lives on that. We were promised an article in Country Life magazine by someone who took a lot of photos - nice if it happens. The age-span in the audience was 3 to 70+ and Björn generously gave the kids drumsticks to keep and play with.

 

We spent a total of 18 hours in Nieu Bethesda and left the following morning after a quick look-see of the village and a wander around Helen Martins' Owl House (Google it!). Lasse drove the 450 km back to the coast and we stayed in a nice little hotel in Wildernis. Herbie gave a telephone interview for the Cape Argus and there seems to be quite a buzz about us coming as two other Cape Town newspapers have also planned articles. There were lots of nice-looking restaurants in Wildernis, but we chose the one with a chef who couldn't handle more than 15 guests at a time and had to wait 90 minutes for food. But we got free drinks in compensation and when they asked if we wanted to order anything else, we answered "yeah, breakfast".

 

Another 400 km to Cape Town.

 

På måndag morgon flög vi från Johannesburg till Port Elizabeth, och sedan körde 450 km norrut till nästa gig på Jonathan Handley underbara Bat Barn plats i Nieu Bethesda. Det visade sig förvånansvärt och uppenbarligen mer än 75% av byn hade visat sig att se oss. Vi råddes att bara spela ett par låtar, men publiken ville inte låta oss gå, så det blev en ganska lång uppsättning. Alla åt grillat kött (braai) i pausen medan Lasse förändrats en bruten A-sträng. Nieu Bethesda är en konstnär kommun och nästan alla som bor där färger, skulpterar eller tar bilder och lever på det. Vi blev lovade en artikel i Land tidskriften Life av någon som tog en massa bilder - trevligt om det händer. Åldern-spännvidd i publiken var 3 till 70 + och Björn generöst gav barnen trumpinnar att hålla och leka med.

 

Vi tillbringade sammanlagt 18 timmar i Nieu Bethesda och lämnade följande morgon efter en snabb titt-ser av byn och strosa runt Helen Martins "Owl House (Google it!). Lasse körde de 450 km tillbaka till kusten och vi bodde på ett trevligt litet hotell i Wildernis. Herbie gav en telefonintervju för Cape Argus och det verkar vara en ganska buzz om oss kommer som två andra Kapstaden tidningar har också planerat artiklar. Det fanns massor av snygg restauranger i Wildernis, men vi valde en med en kock som inte kunde hantera mer än 15 gäster åt gången och fick vänta 90 minuter för mat. Men vi fick gratis drinkar i ersättning och när de frågade om vi ville beställa något annat, vi svarade "Ja, breakfast".

 

Ytterligare 400 km till Kapstaden.