All the right notes send crowd into a frenzy
THE SWELTERING heat was no obstacle when thousands descended on Emmarentia Dam yesterday to see local and international bands play their favourite songs.
The annual Vodacom in the City concert moved this year from the Joburg CBD to the new venue.
This allowed attendees to be sprawled under umbrellas while lying on picnic blankets to duck the heat.
But the scorching sun didn’t stop people in shorts, dresses, swimwear and tank tops from dancing and jumping around to the sounds of Australian band The Cat Empire, German folk duo Milky Chance and British rock band The Kooks.
Before the international acts hit the stage, local acts like Grassy Spark, Al Bairre and rap crew PHFAT entertained the crowd.
The visiting bands had all just played at the Rocking the Daisies festival in Darling, an hour from Cape Town.
Cat Empire tweeted their surprise about how cold it was when they performed their first gig.
“Also weren’t expecting to see our breath in front of our faces on stage in South Africa! It was cold!”
They also managed to squeeze in a visit to a game farm and see lions before yesterday’s show.
When they performed, the crowd lapped up their jazz and ska mixed sound.
Although The Kooks were the closing act, the crowd went wild for the electronic-infused folk sounds of Milky Chance, which had traces of reggae.
The band faced an ongoing encore for their chart-topping song Stolen Dance, and they performed it last, sending the audience into a frenzy of dance.
When The Kooks followed 40 minutes later, the crowd was more subdued but still sang along to old favourites like Seaside, Ooh Laa and She Moves in her Own Way.
The show ended promptly at 4pm, with many clearly having drunk more then their fill of alcohol.