I woke up yesterday morning and jumped out of my bed with more enthusiasm than usual because the sun was streaming through my curtains- optimal outdoor weather! The event was to start at 12pm so we had the morning to organise our picnic baskets and blankets. We packed ham and cheese rolls, chips, dip, cupcakes and every kind of not-so-healthy portable food imaginable.
Sponsored by The Witness and East Coast Radio, there was a lot of hype created about the event, my friends included (#Gees).We arrived as Moses Mabhida People's Park at what we thought was perfect timing, but it seemed we had miscalculated the sheer mass of people flowing in for the concert. To make matters worse, as we arrive in the queue for parking, I got that blood-curdling realisation that I had left my ticket at my brothers digs.Only me! My dear brother had to drive all the way back to Umhlanga to fetch my ticket whilst I waited in the queue with his girlfriend Kirst.
Thankfully I have perceptive friends who had arrived earlier and secured a spot for us. Little did I know how fantastic this spot would be until we met up with them. They somehow strategically placed themselves right behind the VIP section (photo evidence below) and to the left of the lighting stage. We were the envy of everyone having their blankets trampled on and their drinks spilt as people navigated their way through the crowds to bathrooms and food stalls.
The food stalls were impressive and plentiful. There was a portable wakaberry fro-yo bar, a waffle-on-a-stick stall (I'm not joking, I've never seen this before), spur burgers, corn dogs, slush puppies and cooldrink vendors. Let's not forget the beer tent, which attracted a constant stream of people ready to get their drink on. Once you have found your way through the masses of concert-goers to buy yourself a drink, you might as well buy a few because its no easy feat. My friends and I also learnt early on in the day that if you actually wanted a drink, you had to be relatively ruthless in terms of getting the bartenders attention before others around you got the call up. The drinks were ice cold and the service was efficient.
Back to our fantastic spot we went, and that's when we were truly able to appreciate the purely authentic South African bands that performed throughout the day, some I was very familiar with and others that I had never heard of. Jimmy Nevis (who I missed because we were late oops), Gangs of Ballet, Mi Casa, Khuli Chana, The Arrows and Freshly Ground were some of the acts that got us feeling carefree and in our element from 12pm to 8pm at night. We definately got our money's worth!
I would just like to mention Mafikizolo's performance separately, because I was blown away. Not to take away from any of the the performers, who were all outstanding, but they stole the show. Everyone was on their feet dancing, the band and the dancers on stage gave it their all, and I found myself singing along to songs I didnt even know the words to.
The best was yet to come. As I said above, our spot was just infront of the VIP section, which was cordoned off with red velvet ropes. By the late afternoon, the VIP's had left the spot and it was time for a balsy friend of mine to make the first move. He decided that it should not go to waste, with the glass coffee table for our drinks and the comfy leather couches. By the end of the evening we had taken full advantage of the space, and we were 'very important people' for those last few hours of the concert.
We left that evening after the last act with tired eyes, empty cooler boxes and a day full of unforgettable memories. I'll be back Durban Day! x
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