Studio 7 and Jimmy Nevis: a match made in musical heaven

I feel as if I have been living under a rock, on mars, whilst blindfolded and gagged… that’s how disappointed I am that until this week, I didn’t know about the Studio 7 concert venue in Seapoint. At least, ‘concert venue’ is what appears at the top of the Studio 7 Facebook page as the one-liner description.

But as an avid concert-hater, I have to say that this place couldn’t be further removed from my definition of a concert. Concerts are loud, overcrowded, incredibly expensive, uncomfortable and the audio quality is mostly as appealing as a pig snorting.

Studio 7 is the antithesis of all of that. The venue really is “intimate and exclusive”, as promised. At the Jimmy Nevis unplugged performance I attended last night, only 49 other people shared the experience with me, and it is this exclusivity that makes it really special.

Back to the very definition of unplugged music, a music reviewer by the name of Craig Conley summed it up perfectly: “When music is labelled acoustic, unplugged, or unwired, the assumption seems to be that other types of music are cluttered by technology and overproduction and therefore aren’t as pure.”

And without the distraction of screaming fans, instruments that drown out the singer’s voice, unpredictable weather that also negatively affects the voice of any singer or ostentatious dancers / set design, Studio 7 makes it easy for the artist to just “be”, and for you to literally just sit back and enjoy.

At Jimmy’s session last night, the audio quality was absolutely crystal clear, allowing everyone to really take in how powerful his vocals are. I don’t think the guy missed a single note, despite throwing in a few covers and doing a few very creative takes on the tracks from his album, Subliminal. Three back-up singers, a guitar-player and Jimmy occasionally making use of the keyboard and a big, blue tambourine, were the only ‘extras’ required to bring his music to life.

Going back to the setting, Studio 7 is actually a house (a nice one, it must be said), with large, puffy couches and a few quaint wooden benches rearranged closely around the performance area. For those who arrive a bit later and have perhaps struggled to manoeuvre their vehicles into the constricted Seapoint streets that surround the venue, a few scatter cushions on the floor is where they will sit – but it is exactly this impression of chilling in your own living room that makes you feel so relaxed. The mood lighting is spot-on, and while there wasn’t an indoor fireplace crackling away in the corner of the room, it genuinely felt as if there could have been...

The few speakers that are necessary in such a small space are also thoughtfully arranged. You won’t miss a single detail in the reproduction of the audio, and you also won’t go home with your ears zinging uncontrollably. 

Thank you, Studio 7 and Jimmy Nevis for an unforgettable evening. I will definitely be back to experience real music in the kind of setting and space it deserves.

Some useful links:

Studio 7 on Twitter: @Studio7_SA

Studio 7 Website

Studio 7 Facebook page

Jimmy Nevis on Twitter: @JimmyNevis

Jimmy Nevis Facebook page

Energy

One day, when I’m three-quarters blind (I’m currently half-blind) and 65 years old, I will look back on my days of working on Hectic Nine-9 fondly. It’s a shame that only once we’re removed from a specific period or scenario in our lives, do we realize how fantastic some of those periods and scenarios actually were.

In-between looking for a place to live (outside of my parents’ abode), worrying about the price of petrol and getting so old in years that the mention of the word ‘club’ incites a feeling of penetrating nausea, comes a special moment or two that I am determined to bookmark in my memory bank.

Yesterday, I went on my second (of many more) shoots at Sahara Park, Newlands, to cover the Cape Cobras vs. Dolphins T20 cricket match. There is very little in that sentence that – under normal circumstances – wouldn’t usually put me to sleep, but as part of my new role as Online Content Producer for HN9, I am required to part with the free time I usually enjoy on weekends, forfeit those fabled naps and capture the best moments that events such as this cricket match has to offer.

The best (and worst) part of doing what I now do is that I am completely out of my element. As much as a desk-bound job saps at the staying power of my spinal cord, it also affords me the benefit of retreating into my own head, a place where I feel most comfortable. Walking around a noisy stadium, snapping pictures of crowds and not being able to listen to some Jimmy Nevis over a cup of black Rooibos tea is far from the norm for me. Far from the norm, until I shot this rather spontaneous video of JP and Lukho, two (awesome, talented, friendly) members of the hip hop group Purple Hearts…

We were outdoors, time was limited, a Hectic Nine-9 fan had to keep boisterous members of the Cape-coloured community out of shot and I had to maintain a steady hand with my newly-acquired iPhone. Sounds simple, perhaps. But when you’ve spent the last five years writing scripts in a corner of the office, such a scenario was as foreign and intimidating as polished, technologically-advanced Eva was to rusty, creaky little Wall-E.

But two minutes later, the seemingly simple video was done. It looked good. It had energy. And more importantly, I had energy.  I had belief that change – as daunting a prospect as it may be – is simply essential to your wellbeing. With the natural passing of time a phenomenon that we can reliably count upon, surely life itself should be transforming at a similar rate?

If it isn’t, it’s up to you to find that something – no matter how small, and even in the form of a 37” video clip – that will reignite that childhood energy you could once conjure up in an instant.

Find it.

IKasi Experience 'Rains' Supreme

It's hard to remember when last it rained - let alone poured - in Cape Town. But that was until yesterday, of course, when the heavens opened up and then didn't let up until late into the afternoon.

While it was a welcome relief for many of us after months of uncomfortably hot weather, the timing wasn't ideal because the latest IKasi Experience event was held this weekend at Khayelitsha's Lookout Hill (this unique venue - even though 40km from the Cape Town CBD - offers amazing views over Khayelitsha, the Cape Flats and Table Mountain in the distance. It's situated on the corner of Spine Road and Mew Way in the culturally vibrant township).

But the IKasi Experience is about more than the views beyond Lookout Hill, because within this venue you will find what is fast becoming a township-based market unlike any other. Vendors from Khayelitsha (and other townships in Cape Town), have long impressed with their unique, well-crafted products, made from materials that many of us nonchalantly toss into trash cans (or on the ground, for those of us without a decent upbringing).
But beyond selling these products on the streets or travelling impossible distances to more lucrative parts of the city to trade, their options are severely limited. Thankfully, with the foresight of IKasi Experience / Ikapa Live co-founders Loyiso Mdebuka and Vincent Manzini, these vendors now have an accessible platform to market and sell their goods in an environment deserving of their talent and passion.

Having heard only good things from others who had attended previous Ikasi Experience markets, I braved the rain to visit Lookout Hill with the Hectic Nine-9 insert team yesterday, and soon it became apparent that the weather wouldn't keep many others away either. Outside, there were rows of soaked and deserted benches and tables - inside, it was another story. Performers kept the crowds (young and old) thoroughly entertained, while vendors on either side of the main stage did their thing.

Some goods needed a close eye (and a friendly explanation from its maker) to explain what they were made from, because at a glance you could be looking at something straight out of a boutique store in a shopping mall. The prices are incredibly low and I found some colourful arm bands that suited my taste.

With the coverage and warm reception that this event has and continues to receive (an insert on the leading breakfast show Expresso over here, a feature in the Weekend Argus over there...), one can safely expect that other vendors will be inspired to get involved, further building upon the entrepreneurial spirit that Loyiso and Vincent have tried to instill in this community.

In-between chowing on a boerewors roll and a cappuccino from the Department Of Coffee stall, one can only admire the dedication of these vendors to create and sell products of such a high standard and from the most basic of resources. Of course, a great deal of praise must go to Loyiso and Vincent for (not only running around carrying wet umbrellas), but also giving the people of Khayelitsha a once-in-a-lifetime chance to succeed in the community they call home.

The future of the IKasi Experience looks bright, so do yourself a favour and make sure you attend the next one!

Visit iKasi Experience for more information