I was sitting at a wooden table staring out over the vast Indian ocean, sun breaking through the Stilbaai clouds. My ice cold beer sweating silver beads down the neck and onto the checkered tablecloth. We had a day off on our Vagabonds Karoo tour and we were staying at a friend’s house in this quaint little seaside town. It had been a busy few days playing to friendly, intimate audiences all along the fabled Route 62 criss-crossing the magnificent southern desert of South Africa. The day off gave us all a well deserved break from the road, each other and the whine of weary sound equipment. The rest of the Vagabonds are night owls who usually, when left to their own devices, only rise by mid-morning, ready for oily eggs and thick cut bacon washed down with strong coffee or perhaps a left over beer. They also tend to stay up way past midnight telling stories and woodshedding new material sipping strong whiskey till damn near dawn. They are my brothers, my heroes and my soldiers. We share each other’s songs, building up and fading out at the right moment to bring the songs and stories home. Lingering on that minor chord until the venue is alive with anticipation and built up energy and letting it all loose with some dramatic final chorus, searching, and struggling, to find a dry eye in the house. We all live for the connection, the freedom of the open road and the adventure. I ordered some fresh fish and fries and took out my notebook. I took a deep breath and started writing my very first blog for this page. It was five years and countless shows, miles and stories ago.
Today I’m sitting on the tailgate surrounded by my cows quietly grazing in the crisp, golden autumn pasture. The light is soft, sky blue and sweeping swaths of Cirrus clouds transforming the evening into a magnificent Van Gogh like painting. It’s quiet except for the calves calling their mothers and pheasants crowing in the distance. There’s a light dusting of dirt road red on the hood of the truck and the mirror like water in the galvanised troughs. I’ve got my notebook out working on the setlist for my upcoming shows in a few weeks. I’ll be doing shows in Pretoria and Potchefstroom. The Potch gig in particular is big one. A show with my fellow Vagabonds at one of my favourite establishments called Loop Str. The owner Riaan and his wife Inge always treat me well and offer a true safe haven for musicians and performers. It is a cool place with great food, excellent beer, friendly staff and beautiful bartenders. My kind of place. Songs hidden in the smokey nooks and crannies, stories in the frosty bottles of tequila that magically appear after midnight. I can’t wait to play my songs and tell my stories to the people in my hometown that still appreciate storytelling and honest art. It’s a real honour to be invited to play there.
I want to thank you for your support over the years. To everyone who reads my Newsletters and listen to my songs, I appreciate it. Thank you for coming to the shows and thank you for believing in my songs and my dreams. It’s truly a privilege to share whatever goes on in this restless mind of mine. Thank you to my bandmates and collaborators and thank you to all the venue owners and managers who have given me a chance over the years. I’m looking forward to seeing you at a venue near you real soon.
JB
