Organized Distortion

I'm missing these boys...

2006 - Levi's Rage for life

28 September 2006
Levi's rage 4 life
Newtown

Johannesburg

Alternative spirit circling around 2toned kidz

ROCK THERAPY

I got an invite to a ‘rock therapy’ session on the thirteenth of September. This is an ongoing monthly backyard tour session that is hosted by Rebirth- a three piece punk band from Soweto in Pimeville.
These dudes are hoping to move from yard to yard every second Saturday of the month around Soweto rocking and
Persuading clichéd minds to take note of this music; that is if they ever get granted permissions in few of their ideal places that they have approached.

I went to scout this session and I got hit by an overwhelming vibe and people, young kids singing the chorus along with Rebirth ‘I assume they know it from the weekly band rehearsals that they visit as the band rehearse outdoors at Nathis’ house – the vocalist and initiator of the band’.

Here are one or two personal turn offs which I hope will change as the vibe grows stronger and taller.

1- when I first got there... these dudes were playing my chemical romance and something that sounded like Merlyn Manson..., I have cut –off that shit on my preference list years ago; infect since I started to fuck with bands like Arctic monkeys, The Automatics, Desmond & The Tutu's, Howard Roak etc.

2- This other hit and miss dude who plays a guitar for this band portrayed himself as a guitar technician to me other than the drummer who stole my whole attention. This dude was playing a guitar with his teeth! Playing it backwards! It’s disgusting he should leave that to my boy Thato, ‘Redeye’ he knows how to do that trick better.

The last and the least...it was some random hip-hop vernacular rappers who then started to rap about Africa and there was another dude backing them-up with an acoustic-guitar, playing emotional rhythms! I won’t throw a heavy punch at that though because Nathi had said before that they accommodate hip-hop cats as they fill up the space and show support to Rebirth.

This does not stop me from supporting Rock therapy sessions though, I love it and I want to take part in it where possible or if they allow me to.

See you later...Alternative Kidz.

Damned

Am I damned or it's just a thought...if not another episode that I have to go through as a young man?

I am walking on the uneven path that often leads me to the grumpy lands of...the wonerlands. I now and then bump into dead-end zones, I am numb!

I plead, they close their ears; they swiftly turn their backs towards my face and they glance on my feet! They look forward again and they tell me it will all be fine...in time. They’re moving forward and they leave me hanging. I cannot workout my way forward; I am damned.

Later... Kidz.

Something closer to core definition of revolution

The rise of rock music and culture among the black youth is a new and exciting vibe that is very real to my social and age groups. However, it hasn’t yet made its core impact here at home; this vibe is happening in the USA with cultures like Afro-Punk.

In my research I have also come across bands like The Specials – a very impressive ‘ska-punk black and white Coventry’ band which was put together by Jerry Dammers in 1977. “I was aiming for revolution of racial harmony, of peace and unity” - JD. I have found very little of this being done here in South Africa. I have started however sub-consciously by photographing myself and friends who choose to dwell into rock music and culture as an alternative lifestyle to what is clichéd to our ethnic group for may social and political issues that we are faced with in our everyday lives.

I want my photography to challenge the stereo-types and stigmas attached to various races and cultures in S.A; breaking them and encouraging more relations between these groups and take-over from what THE SPECIALS has started...

Hello Alternative Kidz...