Gig Review: An epic evening of hard rock and metal at Railways Café- Featuring Llewellyn the Great, Walk These Skies, Evert Snyman and the Aviary and Crash and the Void
Reviewed By Matthew Nijland
Ears were ringing and necks were most certainly stiff from headbanging after last Friday night’s psych rock/ hard rock/ metal line-up dominated the Railways Café stage.
Warming up the rows of occupied tables was Llewellyn the Great, fronted by singer and guitarist Llewellyn Van Eeden, who usually gigs in the UK under this alias with local musicians on that side of the pond. For this South African show, however, he recruited Johni Holiday and Brendon Bezuidenhout from legendary local stoner rock group Ruff Majik on bass and second guitar respectively, and his old friend Charles Smith on drums. Their set of riff-based guitar songs, driven by rock-solid drums and basslines, complemented their stripped-down stoner-desert rock vibe complete with hypnotic grooves and fuzzy octave guitar solos leading their extended jams. The simple melodies are irresistibly catchy, and I loved how relaxed the band were as friends just having fun jamming together on stage. Standout songs for me included “May Flowers” and “My Bones”, and I thoroughly enjoy streaming them on Spotify as I write this. Great start to the show!
The venue was now getting livelier as people started filing in front of the stage in anticipation for the hosts of the evening, Walk These Skies. As newcomers to the South African metal scene, these guys are proving they’re a force to be reckoned with each time they perform live. The band kicked off their set with a wall of guitar feedback leading straight into the face-melting blitz of their upcoming debut singles, “Walking Away” and “How It Should’ve Been”, which had the audience in a headbanging frenzy and the band’s loyal supporters singing every word back to them. The band pride themselves on being unapologetically loud with blisteringly heavy guitar riffs played by lead and rhythm guitarists, Marcelle van der Heever and Brandon Jansen van Rensburg, respectively. Marcelle had us all in awe as he stood up on the monitor platform and effortlessly shredded the neck off his guitar. This show also marked their first with new bassist Rinaldo Bekker, who is a perfect musical fit for the rhythm section alongside drummer Emilio Savioli. They ended their set with a surprise cover of “Given Up” by Linkin Park, in which singer, Trystan De Lange, held an impressive 18-second-long growl emulating Chester Bennington’s signature scream in the bridge! This band just gets better every time I see them, and I anticipate them doing big things in the future.
Up next was Evert Snyman and the Aviary. As one of the most versatile and eclectic musicians on the scene currently, I was rather excited to see the man himself live for the first time. Backed by a band of incredible musicians (each accomplished and well-known in their own rights from other projects they’re involved in), they delivered an explosive set oozing with musical synergy and Evert’s natural frontman charisma. I thoroughly enjoyed the band’s blend of heavy pysch rock and 2000s indie-alternative, and I’m a big fan of Evert’s songwriting style. His voice – clear and powerful as the bass drum reverberating in my chest – led the band with strong direction; a bird call leading the Aviary in song. The band’s full musical confidence in each other truly shone when the power went out for a few seconds during a song, but as soon as it returned, the band seamlessly launched back into the second verse in perfect unison as if nothing happened. The audience were dancing and headbanging right up against the rails, and were enjoying songs like “I Never Listen When You Speak” and “Enough of This Ride” so much that an impromptu moshpit broke out. Every song was performed with intense power, energy, grittiness and laden with effects to make the songs pop with life. Definitely a group I’m eager to see play again!
Crash and the Void closed out the night, delivering a thunderously loud set of their signature experimental heavy rock songs. The band have also been making a name for themselves on the scene with their debut single, “The Cosmic Horror!”, and constantly gigging in Pretoria and Joburg throughout the year. I really enjoy the dark riffage they conjure on stage that makes our rib cages shake, especially on songs like their upcoming second single, “Blame Me”, and “Villain”. Lead singer, Marius Schutte, poured out the intense emotions and feelings of each song into the microphone, with the rest of the band delivering a fierce performance from beginning to end on their respective instruments. The crowd were absorbing the band’s energy and letting it out by spontaneously thudding into each other at the front of the stage. The boys also played a fantastic cover of “Out of the Black” by Royal Blood – an interesting choice for a four-piece band to perform a song by a two-piece rhythm section, but making it sound just as heavy as the original!
The evening came to an end on a high note, and I felt really inspired after witnessing so many immensely talented musicians sharing the same stage. Looking forward to catching each band live again!
So Insane!! Wish I was there!