Parklane - International

Breaking stereotypes on mainstream ideals.

So let’s start here. as far as interviews go, one normally sets a date time place etc etc etc I guess I got lucky, staying in an industrial apartment with a good friend of mine, I heard a band in rehearsal mode, cool. We hear them coming down the stairs after what sounded like dam good rehearsal and ask a question "can you guys play the concertina?” jokingly they all say "nah" so the question arises "hey what is your bands name" huh no way "Parklane" was indeed the answer. So here’s me thinking ;I got lucky yes I did... so let me introduce myself, “hi I’m gen I was sent to this scary cape town place to interview you ‘Parklane", Darren puts forward his hand and we meet and greet, great pleased at this factor Darren says "come up anytime". Confirmation of interview done and dusted in a dark stairwell on one those infamous rainy Cape Town days.


The next day, I’m checking my emails just to scratch/catch up on what my editor sent me about the doings of Parklane, ok, these guys are sussed, world tour and all. Here you are; Parklane who? Parklane my friends are an international band based in the mother city, Cape Town. While I do my homework I hear them start up another band rehearsal, yeah baby this is my chance. Let’s get ‘the cat by the tail’ and start the invasion. Phone Kobus, "um where are you, let’s do this!".... the reply "yeah for sure". I get my stuff together, camera, note pad, two flights up, we are at the door and hear the intensity of the rehearsal... will they hear the knocking of the front door? Set in the moment I kinda get a song in my head "you keep on knocking but you can’t come in" but just then the door opens, with a friendly welcome and a ‘hey come up upstairs’, all welcoming in tone from Darren. I mean we did after all just walk in during band rehearsal. These guys are free going, we get told to take a seat relax and enjoy the show. What a way to be introduced. I start taking photos of their amazing captivating energy. Parklane were definitely comfortable with ‘us’ these ‘unknown people’ while at the core of the doings of what bands normally keep to themselves…. the "practice sessions". Not once did they let me feel like an intruder, not once, they let us feel like guests….their audience…

The session, the songs being introduced, the comeradie within the band lets one know that this is the real deal these guys are serious and they have passion not just for music they produce but care for each other. They have “it”. “It” being called “stick together" ... "never break the circle". Listening to the songs and watching them, I’m thinking that they are playing for a live audience but then it brings me to think, if they are playing to each other and if not listening to each other then who is the audience? A song comes up and it's powerful, the riffs leading up to the vocals and the drums being just subtle until they need to no longer be so gentle, vocals kick in yet again....."Loving you is suicide and I’m not gonna be the one who is going to die tonight". Nicely done "Parklane".....and people may I introduce to you Parklane...?

Sitting in a avant-garde apartment with massive windows and a view of misty table mountain, what was an interview became more of a discussion and an interesting one at that many good laughs and then some serious faces and a couple of skits well if one could call it that, compliments of the Damien {das drummer}. Finally we get to meet and who is who in the band so on vox is yes Mr. Ryan, on bass Darren, guitarist are "?"..."?" then on drums Damien. Five piece band deluxe. So what’s the first question prey do tell, I ask them to ask me question, "huh aren’t you "interviewing us?" .... this fellow readers was a task and half and so the interview becomes an abundance of gifts for other bands advice and privileges for the eager "to get the know how” of what it is all about and yes the question did arrive from my side "how did you get to where you are now?"

Yup that was the beginning of an elusive conversation just streamed with seven of us five muso's and two artists {well trained in a sense} just talking and contemplating. Nicely done. Quotes abound. Information overload. "So how did you get to where you are now?" all convo leads to Ryan {vox}, determination, hard work, and here's the jewel..... Networking and yes and a proactive attitude. Marketing was a key element of Ryan’s many triumphant "doings" to get Parklane out there and yes it payed off, big time, proactively in these days does work because we do have the world at our fingertips but one must always keep in mind as Damien mentioned "positive input leads to a positive outcome" that’s a clinker.

Many mindsets of the occasional “band sets” seem too often think that one has to produce quantity over quality this is meant in terms of demo’s and albums to be heard, now Ryan feels strongly about this topic as a band has to represent themselves via many media channels and the only way to do so is well to be “heard”. If one has to save to record excellence then be it so. Then one can actually be established as an artist/band. More than often fame doesn’t happen overnight nor does it stem from just gigs alone but from yes…PROACTIVTY….that would be Parklane's key essence with musical Endeavour’s; now exceeding our shores dually to Pride within themselves and what they do and how they do it! One entity about these guys who will always base themselves within South Africa is that “their reality is opposed to the possibility”…Make it happen…believe…

After spending a good hour or two with Parklane I walked out with some thoughts and realized that there is so much within the industry that can improve if only maybe the industry could “band together”. All in all Parklane is a band to watched, inland or outland, PARKLANE INTERNATIONAL well-done lovely meeting you and we wish you well on your journey.



Don’t say MAYBE … say PARKLANE baby…

written for www.undergroundpress.co.za

Interviewing Ataris

Ataris was brought to South Africa for tour by Authentic Ideas I had the Pleasure of Interviewing them :

So why the name Ataris?
Well Kris really enjoyed playing video games when he was younger so when he was trying to come up with a name “The Ataris” came up. It was going to be a temporary name but it looks like it stuck.

What do you think the hi-light will be in South Africa?
We are all just really excited to experience something new. Playing shows is always amazing so that will be great. Just coming to South Africa will be awesome not to mention seeing penguins, sharks, dolphins and hopefully some other wildlife. We also can’t wait to make new friends we love meeting our fans and talking with them.

How did the whole South African Tour come about?
We were talking about how we would really love to play somewhere in Africa. Finally one day we decided we could probably make it happen so we started doing some searching on the internet. We hooked up with CrashCarBurn.

Have you spoken or been in contact with any of the bands you are to play with on the South African part of your world tour? And whom?
I personally haven’t but I think that Chris has. We have been trying to update the people of South Africa with video blogs every so often. Chris and I also helped pick the bands for the support shows.

Have any of the band members been here in the sunny land before…. ?
None of us have been to the Continent of Africa at all. But we are very excited to get there.

It’s noted that your influences are “The Replacements”, “Samiam”, “Jawbreaker”, “Archers Of Loaf”, “Superchunk”, “Sludgeworth”, “Ned's Atomic Dustbin”, “Kent”, “ALL”, “Descendents”,” Swervedriver”, “MBV”; yet there is an element of if one could call it “folk” or even “story telling” elements in your music so are there other influences that you could mention?
Kris listens to a lot of different music. He lyrics definitely have a real “Singer/Songwriter” feel to them. He listens to a lot of Lucero, Wilco, Drag the River and stuff in that vein.

There are so many genre’s within the music industry at current how would describe “pop punk” and where you fit in?
I really like to categorize everything as rock instead of punk, pop punk, hardcore, screamo, etc…But if a had to I would say we are a pretty straight forward rock band with punk feel. I don’t really know if there are any bands in the mainstream that I could refer to as pop punk.

How do you as a band feel about accidental “hit singles” and having to record in between spaces or rather when there is time? {Variable question two within one}
I think that every band that wants to make music their career wants a single so whether be accidental or intentional it doesn’t really matter. Sure you want the song that you pick as the single to become a hit but that doesn’t always happen. I don’t think having a hit single will really ever be a bad thing. As far as recording goes it is really nice to be able to block out the time and do it all at once. Sometimes you just can’t do that so you have to do the best you can to make everything as cohesive as possible when doing it at different times.

Here’s a question that many bands often wonder about, how does one keep a band going for so long, any secret key ingredient?
A band can only last as long as they can hold their fans attention. Writing strong songs that people can generally relate to helps a ton.

When on the road and you have time off what do you as a band do?
We spend a lot of time on the internet and watching tv. We enjoy each other’s company so we will sit and talk too. We aren’t one of those bands that don’t talk to each other when riding in the van. Sometimes we never stop. We enjoy eating dinner as a band it is kind of like our family time.

What is your favourite song to perform; ooh let me guess all of them ?
Mine would probably be So, Long Astoria or Takeoffs and Landings…But I don’t know maybe Your Boyfriend Sucks? I do like playing them all! I can’t help it. We really just love to play!
Right last question

Who was the best band thus far in your career that you have performed with?
Wow, there have been so many I just don’t know.

Conducted For www.undergroundpress.co.za

Art Fusion @ Art Fusion S.I.X 2009

Art Jamming (Wembley Square) 21st January 2009 ART FUSION.

ART FUSION @ ARTJAMMING

Southern Ink Exposure 2009

The term artist will be used loosely within the context of this article as tattooing is still yet to be seen as a fine art by some {debatable in every sense and essence}.

Firstly arriving after a turbulent flight from jo’burg to Cape Town, I didn’t know what to expect of this “happening”. Being a tattoo enthusiast and long time supporter of the concept of “art fusion”, I arrived at art jamming only to find an audience of splendor and Flesh in its abundance. That was the welcome I needed and a much needed eye opener I have read about for such a long time. This was blending at the core of many traditions on the ambiguously spread wide open spaces; the world, our being, our culture the culture of the world as a portrait pasted onto many outward appearances.

Let’s divulge a bit about the birth of the “art fusion” conception and recollect the opulence of why it was a grand occurrence to have had this event in South Africa as a part of the “Southern Ink Exposure”. Yes laying the words on thick in all due respect we are talking about the great artists and no not just tattooists, artists. So it started when Paul Booth and Filip Leu who in 2000 “experimented” on Ryan Martinie of MUDVAYNE at the “tattoo the earth festival”. Now what these two phenomenal artists did was “tag team” tattoo on Martinie’s chest, no preconceived ideas, continuously swapping and adding onto each other work hence “fusion”….. The concept was born and grew into many varied platforms.

Luckily enough at the art Jamming studio we got to see Paul Booth infuse Paint on canvas on the “varied platforms” which is now known as the “art fusion camp” around the world. So there they were, No guns, No needles, No ink… No Flesh all being swapped for palettes, paintbrushes and the stretched calico membranes. Mastery of skill many hands all artists {contextual artists being all part of the southern ink exposure… tattoo artists yes.}, stroke for stroke, switching from canvas to canvas interpreting each other’s images as one’s own and rendering each other’s thoughts into one’s own perception. It was like the Images had their roles that normally would depict thousands of different types of meanings and understandings but in this instance the body was not the soft target for debates. It was the intrepid journey each artist had to take; as their “artwork” took a step of change in a circular direction as they played a dancing game of transformation; at this camp, each canvas had two artist working on an image then the next two would come in and “un-ego” the image until completed by Paul Booth and Joe Johns.

So one would usually expect the usual “Yo ho ho pirate and skull” type paintings but no, not here, there was an “air of grace” in the paintings. Each painting had its own panache and feel but what could one expect. Artist’s and audience alike watched in suspense to wait for the final outcomes. While the space “ArtJamming” was used as a perfect foundation for this lofty affair. The studio “Artjamming” was the perfect setting. Litres upon litres of paint in plastic dispensers hung upon the wall by means of shelves the paint dispensers reminding one of the ink containers used for tattooing. Artjamming … Perfect setting, wide open clear space. Open clear voyeuristic windows for the exhibitionists to be watched. The audience could take in every drop even the dabs of paint that didn’t make the canvas but joined the previous splotches of paint on the floor. It was the Ideal playground for the seriousness of what was to follow. The “southern Ink Exposure” .

The event was surreal and finally we got to see “art Fusion”, local talent got to partake, local enthusiasts got to watch and we all held our breathe for the event to unfold….. S.I.X.

Originally Written for www.undergroundpress.co.za