Atterbury Theatre, Lynnwood -14 & 17 June (Afternoon Show)
Bookings OPEN on Computicket! Limited seats available!!
“Riders from the Storm” is an initiative undertaken by rock guitar legend Mel Botes, renowned for his master craftsmanship on the electric guitar, his interpretations of various legendary rock works, his original compositions and his classical repertoire.
Says Botes: The concept was born out of similar projects undertaken by international rock legends such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Locally, we have also had unprecedented success with the band “6 Snare”, in which we have combined six of the most popular Afrikaans folk musicians into one group, roughly following the same recipe used by the international supergroup “The Travelling Wilburys”. Hence, joining six of the most prolific electric guitar players into one rock supergroup was a logical next step to take.
The band members have for the first time ever, shared a stage at their maiden performance/s 0n 20 & 23 February 2012 at the Atterbury Theatre in Pretoria.
The band members are Mel Botes, Piet Botha, Albert Frost, Valiant Swart, Nathan Smith. (There will always be an invited sixth “mystery” member who will be selected from guitarists from popular local rock bands, session musicians and solo artists.) Ghapi joined the group on the drums in April! A new mystery guitarist will feature on 14 June and maestro Mauritz Lotz will join the Riders again on 17 June.
The line-up needs little introduction. Botes is himself an accomplished player, interpreter and originator of legendary rock works, including his evergreen nationwide top-sellers “Crazy Diamond - A tribute to Pink Floyd”; “Sultans of Swing - A Tribute to Dire Straits” and his own original masterpiece, “David’s Confession - About Time, Chapter II”, which includes drumming sensation Ghapi. Piet Botha is renowned as one of the pioneers of South African rock and has become a legend in his own time as front man of the everlasting rock outfit “Jack Hammer” as well as a host of solo Afrikaans and English rock works. Nathan Smith has often been described as one of the top session guitarists in South Africa, playing with many of the great musicians of our time. Both Frost and Swart are legendary blues players who have built up fan bases that follow them religiously throughout their careers.
The brief to these musicians was simple: To each contribute three compositions to the group’s performance in which that particular musician plays the lead guitar to accompaniment from a full rock band. They were given a choice between original or standard rock renditions, provided that the music fits within the overall criterion of groundbreaking work, as Botes calls it. Furthermore, each musician also had to submit material that could be played be the group as a whole, balancing recognisable sounds with new artistic works.
A live DVD will, at a later stage, be recorded at one of the performances.
The end product is something not seen on South African stages yet, a supergroup of cataclysmic proportions. The Riders are coming from the storm. Be sure not to miss their performance at the Atterbury Theatre, 14 & 17 June (afternoon show). Book @ Computicket! Cape Town - Barnyard Willowbridge -16 & 17 August. Tickets available at the Barnyard Box Office.
SULTANS OF SWING - TRIBUTE TO DIRE STRAITS
Next Performance - Emperor's Palace, Theatre of Marcellus
23, 25, 27 May. Book online at Emperor's Palace (TIXSA)
For the past three years, multi-talented musician and master guitarist Mel Botes, has tantalized audiences all over the country with his critically acclaimed musical performance, Crazy Diamond: A Tribute to Pink Floyd. Audiences and critics agreed that he mastered the complexity and density of the Floyd in a way that none of the other tribute shows have achieved. He then followed this with David’s Confession: About time, an original composition of his own, featuring various other acclaimed musicians with him.
Now, by popular demand, he is presenting the next chapter in this remarkable series of rock & roll nostalgia with the long awaited “Sultans of Swing: A tribute to Dire Straits”. Featuring the same pin point accuracy in his playing, the same acclaimed band and the same delightful Botes touch, this show promises everything audiences have come to expect from the virtuoso. Like in the case of his previous shows, this show features all of the favourite songs of the band and its enigmatic front man, Mark Knopfler. The title is derived from their definitive song with the same name, which has of course become a standard in serious guitar playing repertoire.
The show premiered on 31 October 2011 and again on 9 November 2011 to packed audiences at the Atterbury Theatre in Pretoria!!
DAVID'S CONFESSION - About Time, Chapter II,
Next Performance: Atterbury Theatre - 13 August
ART EXHIBITION, BOOK LAUNCH & SHOW - Bookings OPEN on Computicket!
The last time this incredible and sorely missed theatrical rock music production was staged, was in December 1999. David’s Confession is not a band - it’s a musical project, the brainchild of respected songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Mel Botes, surely one of SA’s national assets. It features original drummer/vocalist Philip Botha, nowadays known as Ghapi, an incredible talent who could quite easily compliment any world class band you care to name.
Augmented by some of the finest session players in the country, as well as a six member choir, the stage was set for what was to be one of the most memorable and exciting evenings in the history of SA rock music. This was the second and last of two shows held at this fantastic venue in August 2010 after 12 years.
The setting was perfect, the lighting and sound spot on, and the musicianship flawless, with the costumes and at times robotic movements of the three male and three stunning female vocalists/dancers adding to the spectacular production.
With “Journey To The Centre Of The Earth” -type narration by Michael Richards, the story of David unfolded, accompanied by some of the finest conceptual progressive rock music you will ever hear, in South Africa, or anywhere in the world. The excellent Jon Delinger handled a number of lead vocal parts, together with both Ghapi and Mel. The original album, entitled “About Time”, and released in 1999, was featured in its entirety, from beginning to end. It’s unfortunately not available, but is available as a FREE download via www.melbotes.co.za. The album, produced by Peter Pearlson, is an unrivalled milestone of progressive rock in this country, matched only by the likes of Off The Edge and very few others. The word “masterpiece” immediately springs to mind. But the production was more than that. It was creative, exciting, dramatic, emotional, and, for some, a dream come true. It was David’s Confession, live, at last. It’s about time....
PRESS RELEASE (20 July 2011) - DAVID'S CONFESSION, About Time, Chapter II
Botes leads the way with virtual art gallery
Mel Botes is again revolutionising the music business with the introduction of a virtual art gallery. The art gallery is based on scenes and characters from his rock masterpiece, David Confession - About time, Chapter II.
According to Botes, David's Confession - About Time is the second chapter (1st) in a four part series on the life of a composer and musician and the way he deals with success, family life and the spoils of success. Filled with mythology, time travel and mysticism, the storyline delights audiences with impeccable stage design and casting, hauntingly beautiful rock music played by Botes on guitar/vocals, Ghapi on drums and vocals, singing sensation Jon Delinger on guest vocals and a host of other top musicians including a 6-piece choir.
In addition to this, he now introduces this exquisite art collection. The idea of the art collection is to portray the story in a way that does justice to the timelessness of this, Botes's finest piece.
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