Undivided attention at magical Divide Tour

It’s disgusting how talented some people are; gifted even. Sadly, it’s very seldom that these rare precious gems are given the credit they deserve in their lifetime. But sometimes, they capture our undivided attention at the right time and we give them a platform on which to make their magic as we watch divided between feelings of awe and envy.

That’s exactly what we experienced at Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour.

Ed Sheeran, Divide Tour, South Africa
Credit: Big Concerts

On Sunday evening, 24 March 2019, at South Africa’s FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, 65 000 people were fixated on the musical geniuses before them. The plural, yes, because not only did Ed Sheeran mesmerise the crowd, but so did lovely local lady, Shekhinah, and UK talent, Passenger. How is it possible that one lady with a microphone and two guys with guitars can captivate an audience? Easy. They are not average. They are musical magicians who have raw talent beyond measure.

Shekhinah, Divide Tour, South Africa
Credit: Big Concerts

Shekhinah’s smooth, angelic voice eased the crowd with hits such as “Back to the Beach” and “Your Eyes”. It is needless to say that this SA talent needs to be heard more often. Radio stations and event organisers: take note. You won’t be disappointed.

Passenger, Divide Tour, South Africa
Credit: Big Concerts

Passenger (Michael Rosenberg)…what can I say? He blew us away.
His quintessential British humour and relaxed stage presence left us feeling as if we’d known him for years. We heartily sang along to thought-provoking songs reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s hits, such as “I Hate,” and shed a few tears as Passenger passionately played his own version of Paul Simon’s “The Sound of Silence” to a hushed audience and “Survivors” while surrounded by twinkling cell phone lights. Those who do not want to admit that they cried, had goosebumps. I can guarantee it. It was, needless to say, magical. The magic is due to continue in November this year...

Then…the opportunity of a lifetime I’d been anticipating since I heard on the radio he was coming to SA; the man himself: Ed Sheeran. From the first strum of his guitar, all eyes were glued to the stage.

Ed Sheeran, Divide Tour, South Africa
Credit: Big Concerts

Sheeran took us on a journey of various emotions through his poetic lyrics and masterful guitar playing. We were torn between toe-tapping highs with hits such as “Castle on the Hill” and “Galway Girl,” to tear-shedding, lump-in-throat dips with his beautifully haunting rendition of “Tenerife Sea” (personally, this was the highlight of the evening). It takes someone special to render a spectator speechless and move them to uncontrollable tears with just his voice and a guitar. It takes someone like Sheeran to make “Love Yourself” sound like what he actually meant it to sound like (full of scorn) when he wrote it for Justin Bieber. That’s Ed Sheeran for you.

Ed Sheeran, Divide Tour, South Africa
Credit: Big Concerts

It was refreshing to experience, as with Passenger, a mega star who reacted so naturally to his audience. Sheeran still appreciates his audience and doesn’t forget from whence he came. He, unlike many musicians I’ve seen, smiles shyly when the crowd cheers. This, somehow, makes a massive difference when watching a genius at play. It makes them so much more relatable, even to the point where you feel as if you could achieve just as much if only you’d put your mind to it.

Ed Sheeran, Divide Tour, South Africa
Credit: Big Concerts

Humongous kudos must be given to those who were involved with stage effects, lighting and sound. It was first-class to say the very least. The screens on stage were curved in such a way that from where I sat, some of the images looked 3D. More genius at play? Absolutely.

Without a shred of doubt, Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour is magic that everyone, fan or no, should experience. Would you want to see Shakespeare in action if he were still alive? Would you want to meet Einstein, or hear Mozart himself play live? Yes? Then you know what you have to do…Give your undivided attention to the magic of Ed Sheeran’s Divided Tour.

Links:
Ed Sheeran
Passenger
Shekhinah
Big Concerts



Review by Andrea Vermaak

Wild, Wild Bastille

It was wet. It was cold. It was wild.

Fans did not budge from their muddy spots in anticipation to soak up the nostalgic melodies of none other than…Bastille.

Credit: Wolf James

The final stop on the British band’s Wild, Wild World Tour was Emmarentia Dam in Johannesburg on Saturday 7 October 2017. As if to echo the lyrics of hit single ‘Pompeii’, the sky was dark and grey, intermittently pouring down on the huddled crowd and splitting in two with the odd flash of lightening.

Despite the threatening conditions both on and off stage, fans were promised they’d experience Bastille live…and Bastille delivered above and beyond expectations, with frontman Dan Smith’s energetic and charismatic stage presence gushing forth in torrents.

The wild experience included favourites from their debut album, Bad Blood, as well as their latest album, Wild World, creating a great mix of mellow melodies, such as ‘Things We Lost in the Fire’, and more puddle-splashing beats, such as ‘Good Grief’.

Fans may have left a little soaked to the bone and slightly muddy, but all were glowing in awe of Bastille (and perhaps a bit of the afternoon sun that decided to make a cameo appearance). The wet wait was worthwhile!

Heart-wrenching Hamlet: Tears worth spilt

National Theatre Live's Hamlet
Review by Andrea Vermaak

Hamlet (Benedict Cumberbatch)
Photo by John Persson

The stars – William Shakespeare, Benedict Cumberbatch and director Lyndsey Turner – have aligned to present National Theatre Live’s theatrical phenomena, Hamlet. Were it that Shakespeare were still alive to see his longest, and very likely most performed play with such life breathed into it that it instils a hushed awe of deeply emotional proportions in a captivated audience, he, like I, would weep.

I knew from the first scene that it was going to be intense, but amazing. Although I watched the live theatre performance from a Cinema Nouveau seat in Pretoria, South Africa, the atmospheric production was as great and intense an experience as sitting in the Barbican in London itself.

Hamlet (Benedict Cumberbatch)
Photo by Johan Persson

It’s as if Shakespeare knew that Cumberbatch was to play Hamlet, and wrote the role especially for him. Cumberbatch’s genius performance is heart-wrenching to the core. He takes on the immense role head-on, physically embracing the very essence of Hamlet’s loaded speeches. Hamlet’s frustration, anger, pain and grief visibly courses through Cumberbatch’s veins, leaving the audience in a pool of their own tears. During interval, a friend turned to me and said, eyes wide, “I can feel it.” All I could do was nod in agreement, rendered speechless at Cumberbatch’s magnificent performance. I can still feel it.

No matter how many times I’ve read or watched Hamlet, Cumberbatch introduced me to Hamlet as if for the first time. I now can’t imagine anyone else playing Hamlet but Cumberbatch. Give him all the awards possible.

Ophelia (Siân Brooke)

Photo by Johan Persson

New life is also breathed into the rest of the characters. No character is left to be pondered upon, but is as real and true as the stage on which the actors stand. Cornelius (Ciarán Hinds) and Gertrude (Anastasia Hill) are more infuriating than ever. Cornelius is perfectly showcased as the sinister king he is, while Gertrude’s weaknesses are left bare on her wedding feast table for all to see.

Laertes (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith) is the definition of blood boiling, calculated action, counteracting Hamlet’s depressive procrastination and irrational actions perfectly. Siân Brooke embodies Ophelia’s innocence, confusion and mad grief like no other actress before her. Like Cumberbatch to Hamlet, Brooke climbs into Ophelia’s very soul and pulls her out, leaving the wretched maid exposed and raw as I’m sure Shakespeare intended.

Although brief, Karl Johnson’s performances as the Ghost of Hamlet’s father and the Gravedigger, is spine-chilling and endearing, respectively. Polonius (Jim Norton) is, for once, also somewhat endearing in his awkward ignorance and irritating incoherence, while Horatio (Leo Bill) is the ever loyal, but now also ‘hip’ friend everyone wants to have, making Hamlet as relevant for our times as it was when first performed in 1601.

Karl Johnson (Ghost of Hamlet's Father)
in Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre
Photo by Johan Persson

Turner’s use of modern costume and sets also makes Hamlet a suave and relevant production. Her flawless direction also does absolute justice to the masterpiece. She creates an ominous atmosphere through emotionally charged speech (only some may realise that the heart of the production, Hamlet's 'To be or not to be?' speech, is newly positioned in the script, yet cleverly adds to the dark atmosphere), magnificent visual artistry, and transitions as smooth and natural as the acting. Deep, thundering sound, and impressive lighting gives, like Cumberbatch’s performance, physical effect to the horror and grief that lies within Hamlet’s soul, leaving the audience unsettled. The moving set is what Aristotle would call spectacular, cleverly used to its utmost potential. In all, this production of Hamlet is mesmerising and magically breathtaking to say the very least.

Personally, this production of Hamlet left me weeping, but wanting more. I went to watch it twice, but would have gone to the cinema as many times as I could, had I the time and money. Some may call me a masochist, but I would gladly be left penniless and exhausted if I could watch this particular interpretation live. It stirred something deep within my subconscious, holding a mirror up to my inner Hamlet, though I’ve read Hamlet at least three times, and seen a few other interpretations of the play (yes, Hamlet is my soul brother; my spirit animal. Of this I am convinced). To put it bluntly, I was kicked in my already raw emotions, but it is the kind of catharsis I would gladly experience again.

Ciarán Hinds (Claudius) in Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre
Photo by Johan Persson

I could gush for eternity about this production, but I fear I would run out of adjectives, too many of which I have already used. I also fear that I may become as verbose as Polonius, if I am not so already. I will, however, leave you with this: Every time I encounter the Danish prince, I learn something new. Cumberbatch, Turner, as well as the rest of cast and crew, reminded me of everything I already knew and taught me everything I still need to learn about Hamlet. I am now fulfilled, although also heartbroken, in Hamlet. National Theatre Live’s Hamlet is a production of spectacular proportions that would leave even its author in tears.  

Gertrude (Anastasia Hille) and Hamlet (Benedict Cumberbatch)
Photo by Johan Persson

Images courtesy of National Theatre Live.

A unique South African novel kicks off

Soccer Farm

An autobiographical novel by Lourens Erasmus

Soccer Farm by Lourens Erasmus

I have been privileged to edit a few books this year, but one that stands out is Soccer Farm by Lourens Erasmus. It is one of few books I had no problem waking up for, knowing that I would be able to continue with Erasmus on his unique childhood adventure, while I worked on his book.

Soccer Farm is the true story of two young boys who grow up on a farm in South Africa during the early 1980s. Erasmus, the White son of a respected farmer, befriends Bareng Moloantoa, the Black son of one of the farm workers. It is the height of apartheid and integration of different races is something that is completely unacceptable as per official policy of the government of the day. The White Afrikaner community is very supportive of this policy as a result of continuous indoctrination from the government.

When Bareng introduces Erasmus to soccer, he immediately falls in love with the game. The boys start their own soccer team on the farm and it is not long before they have a whole ‘league’ running.

Erasmus not only faces rejection from his school peers, as soccer is considered a ‘Black sport’, but has to deal with numerous confrontations with teachers, his parents and the White community in general as he interacts more and more with the Black community on a social level. But he refuses to give up on his beloved sport and his friendship with Bareng.

The two boys have many adventures and experiences on and off the soccer field, some good, some bad, some funny, some sad. Through roller-coaster times they support each other and their friendship grows stronger.

This story is about friendship and how living a dream together can overcome even the largest obstacles. It also shows how sport, especially the beautiful game of soccer, can bring people from different backgrounds together.

Soccer Farm pulls on your heartstrings more than a few times and presents a unique perspective of intolerance through the eyes of a young boy who refuses to be tainted by politics and the opinions of society. This book is truly inspirational, and refreshingly positive and uplifting for a book that deals with racial issues. Erasmus really shows us how to love one another despite our differences. His story of hope shows how determination and perseverance, even in the toughest situations, can overcome anything. Soccer Farm is a book that everyone, not only South Africans, should read and re-read.

About the author:

Lourens Erasmus was born in Thabazimbi, South Africa, where he grew up on a farm. He matriculated in 1987.

Benoit Knox, Lourens Erasmus and Dr Henning Gericke
at a live discussion on 27 November 2014

He always dreamt of becoming a detective and after school he joined the South African Police. He was soon forced by his superiors to resign, as he did not agree with the police’s involvement in the political situation.

He went on to study a B.A. degree at the University of Potchefstroom, but left soon after to follow his passion for fighting crime. He joined the Military Police, but again it was not long before politics interfered and he was at loggerheads with his superiors.

After he resigned from the military, he pursued a career in the private security industry and obtained a diploma in Security Management. He later became a private investigator and spent 15 years in this field.

He is currently in the training and skills development industry, and lives with his family in Pretoria.

He fell in love with soccer at a very young age and developed a passion for the sport. Over the years, he has been involved on a part-time basis as a player, coach and administrator, and gained a lot of experience in this field. He currently owns a Futsal club and is also involved with the development of young players.

Order your copy of Soccer Farm

Email sales@bkpublishing.co.za or lourensferas@gmail.com for more information.

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