Broke AF Fest, A Richly Entertaining Experience!
Written by Ruby Sage
Photography by Turquoise Garage
Picture this: A sunny afternoon, leading into a warm summer evening and extending way into the late hours of Saturday night. The sound of lively chatter grows increasingly louder as more and more music enthusiasts gather in support of our local musicians. This is how Saturday 18 November 2023 looked!
The ambiance was jovial and excitement hung in the air as we sang along and danced to the live music brought by an array of brilliant Alternative musicians and bands alike. The aptly named event, Broke AF Music Fest, held at Rusty Hook in Honeydew, with a lineup of some of the best in local music was definitely one for the books!
The semi-open-air venue, with ample seating, and open areas where children could run around and play to their hearts’ content, and boasting a sizable stage for the musicians made for the perfect evening of magnificent entertainment, shenanigans, and pure enjoyment. Feasting on scrumptious pizza prepared at Rusty Hook’s restaurant and with the adjacent bar, our thirsts were quenched.
Setting the stage and kicking off the day was sessions musician, Kenneth Hugh, who can tear up a guitar playing riffs that will leave you thrilled, feeding off his own passion for, and I quote, “ my (his) music”!
Now that the stage had been set, next up was a hard rock band from Johannesburg- Drumfish “looking to melt brains and chew gum…”,( their phrase, not mine…)– And the party started as remaining seated became an impossible task. The bands that followed, all bringing their own, unique flavour and style kept us on our feet and dancing the night away.
Local band, TBA (The Blazed Association)- the name says it all! Wowed the crowd with their uniformed look and upbeat brilliance and had us singing along and getting lost in the moment!
Lazarus Johnston, based in the East Rand – working-the-crowd with their music that “flows from acid
rock, pirate shanties, and weird stories” (as described by the band) and bringing an element of fun as their charisma definitely flows through their music, these guys never disappoint!
Well-known and wildly loved by many, Maybe in the Sequel?, a Pop/Punk band based in Gauteng, formed in March 2021 “during the apocalypse” Played a riveting set, leaving the crowd wanting more.
And then I experienced a moment of confusion, thinking that I was either seeing double, was stuck in a time loop, or simply hadn’t been paying attention! …either that or somebody forgot which band he was singing in! Stepping onto the stage with local band, Six Feet Apart was the lead singer of TBA. Before rushing up to correct the, obviously confused man, and gently remind him that his band had already played, I took a moment to compose myself. Good thing I did too, because as the band started to play this double agent man started to sing. – Fun fact of the day: The lead vocalist of TBA Kyle Haskin is also the vocalist for Six Feet Apart, – who describes themselves as Three piece piece-something rock band, ‘made up of a guy, a chick, and an old dude at the back’, who are always up for a good time! –and true to form, ensured that a good
Ending off the night’s shenanigans was (in my opinion) the most unsuspecting, was a band, from Johannesburg, You, Me and the Harmony took the stage and proceeded to blow my (and the audience’s) mind, with their Alternative Pop Rock style.
Broke AF Fest ended on a high note, leaving me all partied out, yet not quite ready to call it a day but, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. But only until the next time…