Fine tunes at gin festival
The C Club’s annual gin festival returns on Saturday, with Johannesburg pop band Monark headlining. Running for its third year now, the festival sees gin lovers flocking into Chintsa for a night of live music.
Owner Mark Crawford said with events such as the gin festival and tequila festival, their goal was to attract more people to Chintsa.
“There are a lot of guesthouses and hotels in our area now, as well as other tourism establishments, so we are trying to promote our area as much as possible,” he said.
“Don’t be fooled, these events are stressful as there is no guarantee that people will come, but we’ve decided the long-term benefits and marketing and exposure we get are worth it.”
Monark will give the audience a sneak preview into what they can expect in their upcoming project. The band is made up of Eugene Coetzer, who is lead vocalist and plays percussion; Ewald Jansen van Rensburg on guitar and synthesiser; and Deon de Klerk on bass guitar.
Coetzer told the Daily Dispatch they were looking forward to returning to East London on Saturday.
“This will be our third time performing there and the vibe is always great.”
The band made its debut in 2013 and were signed under Universal Music, before deciding to be on their own. Coetzer said since becoming independent they had been able to do international tours and go to other parts of the country.
“Our sound has always had an international flavour and, as a result, people didn’t think we were a local band,” he said.
Coetzer said they would perform some of their top singles such as Smiling, Build It Up, You Lie, Soldier, Something and Show Me The Love.
“We are also going to be giving them a sneak preview into what’s coming. We are planning to release an extended play later in the year.”
Crawford said they’d teamed with Distill and Clarke & Sons, who would be supplying promotional stock.
“We’ve also teamed with local guesthouses to offer cheaper accommodation rates so people don’t drink and drive.
“My wife, Carey, has sourced the decor for the event from second-hand shops that give to charities like Breath of Life and the SPCA.”