Succumbing to Peer Pressure, with Dystopia and Bunk Events.

I've had this discussion more often than I can count. Whether it be with a fan, musician, event organizer or even a novice wanting to know more about local music. It's relentless, complicated and I've heard a million ideas on how to do something about it. For what it's worth, here's my take on at least one of the main aspects of improving the scope and marketability of the local music scene.

There are, at a fundamental level, four main components to a thriving musical community. Musicians, organizers, fans and venues. Without each of these together the contacts, finances, man hours, etc. we all put in fall apart along with everything.

So, what is the glue that is supposed to hold this all together?

Bonus Round.
Spot the Dystopian.

Well, here's where those discussions I mentioned often tend to reach a crossroad. You'll notice many of these crossroads as you travel through the local musical community. It's something I only started to notice once we had started Dystopia and made it our singular objective to cover as much local music as we could where we could potentially help make a difference to it.

I've mentioned before how genre has become a misnomer in describing music. That isn't to say that curating line ups by the artist's sound and signatures is any less important. In fact, I think, that has become more important now than it has ever been.

Now, as this musical and event curation has become more difficult, so has it become an endeavor that fewer and fewer people have the opportunity to attempt, regardless of their capability.

We were approached by one such group of people about a month ahead of their sixth event. Bunk have taken the challenge I mentioned head on, and boy was I excited. My introduction to this phenom we call the local music scene came courtesy of a similar group to Bunk. MK went out in flames, bobbejaan was coming to an end, and the only major music events in Pretoria came courtesy of the Fokofpolisiekar monopoly and Park Acoustics. All in all a sad time for aspiring musicians, and a time where a dream like Dystopia or Bunk seemed to be futile.

Then came Psych Night. They changed the game everywhere, and especially for us in the 012. Now Now Just Now, Kudukudu records, Uncle Mothers, Roastin Records and many more followed and did just as much good all over SA. The 012 started falling behind again, for many different and understandable reasons. We needed a stalwart of our own. One that was homegrown, based in the 012 and dedicated to a dream that was becoming increasingly difficult all the time.

I think we may have found a contender in Bunk.

The Constanzas (ATFN) 

Fuck, I need to work on the lengths of my intros don't I? Here's my experience of Bunk 6: Peer Pressure.

The Constanzas were the first act up. I was surprised by the amount of musicians they fit onto the stage, and more surprised by learning I had seen these dudes before as ATFN. A band that has been around since I literally turned one year old in 1998. They warned us of their being a surprise act, and in that and in an interesting twist on ATFN's sound they undoubtedly succeeded.

Next up was another old stalwart of 012 history. 

Scarlotte Will

Scarlotte Will brought their gorgeous heavy sound to stage as I've come to expect from them. Their chemistry, confidence and pure musical skill make for an act that is always well worth a watch. Their work beyond the band and into helping local music progress is also amusingly relevant to my earlier point, more on that later.

Cocklescocklescockles.

Cockles headlined the event that night, as their frontman Alistair Thomas has done so often in his previous outing with Shortstraw. In many ways, Cockles resembles Shortstraw. Ordinarily I wouldn't make that connection, not being the biggest fan of Shortstraw myself, but the components of that act that I have always liked despite that, form a part of Cockles that is not simply familiar for the sake of being that, but that is the simplistic, rudimental and natural progression for an artist with undoubted passion and talent. Along with an astounding variety of interchanging talented musicians by his side including, on this occasion, Pollinator and The Tazers' groove machine Tim Edwards to name just one. Their influences listed on their social pages sums their act up better than I could ever attempt; "Pretending to be happy when I'm actually not that happy." Cockles is unique, jovial and just a grand old time in general.

Earlier I mentioned ecosystems in music, I'm fascinated with that concept. Take away a vital component of an ecosystem for whatever reason, and that system fills the void left behind, one way or the other.

For example, legalize the devil's lettuce in South Africa and you reduce the size of the black market significantly, but somehow a Weed Dealer pops through the cracks anyway. I was sceptical of this act for one major reason. It was the tail end of their debut tour, and everyone (and I mean fucking everyone everywhere) was talking about this band and their live show being new, fresh and phenomenal. Ironic from a dude that tries to review bands to question overwhelming positive reviews right? Well not really, but fuck was I sold by this band.

American or american influenced garage alternative punk rock, (see why I avoid the genre bullshit yet?) has never been a train that I'd bought a ticket for. While everyone I knew was waist deep in Blink-182, The Offspring, MCR, etc. I was tripping my balls off on the Floyd's discography mostly. (I still do, now just with shrooms, which I unfortunately didn't have as a kid.)  I only later started to appreciate these bands and their music for what they were. Weed Dealer is an act that draws so heavily from these that you could've told me they were grown in a lab in someone's Chicago garage with mixtapes blaring in the background and I might've believed you.

It's very difficult for an act to live up to such hype so early on, and Weed Dealer didn't blink. They're debut EP is immaculate and their live shows are not only energetic and flawless, but also include covers from the motherfucking Pro Skater games. They are a nostalgia trip all the way through the set while staying fresh and modern at the same time. It's beautiful to see, and if their style of music is your thing, I gaurentee you'll fall in love.

Weed Dealer. 

Where was I?

Oh yeah. The glue metaphor. 

What holds the different parts of our musical ecosystem together isn't financial backers, musicians, or even the fans. It's the people that are willing to put themselves out there, and that are willing to work with others and put their dream of what the scene could be ahead of their own success. Bunk are these types of dudes. Their events are gorgeously curated, diverse and yet perfectly suited to the ambience and the different bands' sound, and the music and quality of the live performances is their first priority, as it should be for all of us. 

They want what we want. A thriving scene for the 012 and beyond. 

It was a pleasure to meet and work alongside these guys, we'd love to do it again and to help and learn as much as we can together. I can't wait to see how they take on the next challenge. I think we're in pretty good hands here in the 012 for now, so go see for yourself how the magic happens at Bunk 7, and all the Bunks to come. 

Love, Dystopia. 

Dank Distributors

All photography courtesy of the local wizard, Bleach.  

Check out the real heroes, Bunk. 

For any business or other enquiries, contact us on Dystopia.za@gmail.com