Cape Town Gig Guide: Get your goat

A curated list of reasons to get out the house in May

 

The nights are getting longer, but that doesn’t mean you should sit in and watch Game of Thrones. Besides, you still have to wait for it to dribble through at the rate of one episode a week (unless you’re a crook). Be real. Be unique. Be an individual. Get away from the box and go watch something real.

Theatre:

The Baxter Theatre has had to issue A Note Of Caution for patrons booking to see The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? The caution states “this is a provocative, daring and shocking production”. “There are explicitly violent images involving a goat (NOT REAL)… It is not for the faint-hearted…” It’s an Edward Albee play (he who wrote Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf) and we highly recommend you go see it. It’s on until May 11 and tickets are between R120 and R160 but the Baxter is offering a special of R60 for the first 50 tickets sold until May 4. Book on thebaxter.co.za

The cult hit from Jozi, J. Bobs Live: Off the Record, is on The Alexander Bar. J. Bobs (Jefferson Tshabalala) is the freshest ou in Mzansi. He breaks down the barriers between theatre, game show, improvisation, and stand up comedy. And he gets you to jump in with both feet, even if you think you’re not the type. Get your gameface on neh, sort your Mzanzi lingo; and prepare to play. Runs from May 1 to 4. Tickets cost R100 online at alexanderbar.co.za

Georgina Aurora Clementine is a nerd who tries making friends by asking lots of questions: “what’s your favourite thing to do at the beach?”, “which animal would you like to come back as?”, “what would you do if you only had a week to live?” She’s superbly brought to life by Taryn Bennet in Silkworm. Critter Sarah Roberson said her “imaginative creations are fantastic yet simple and almost childlike”. We are cast under her spell and want to join the magic. It’s on at The Alexander Bar from 6 to 18 May. Book on alexanderbar.co.za, tickets cost R80 online.

You may as well just hang out at The Alexander Bar because it also has the brilliant James Cairns doing an Afrikaans version of his excellent play, Dirt. It’s called Stof. Of Dirt, we said although it’s a one-man play, “if you had your eyes closed you’d think there’s a cast of seven, for Cairns has the rare mimic’s skill of instantly switching from one character to another, altering his voice, body language, facial features, the whole package”. It’s about death, friendship, ambition, love, lust, young fatherhood, resentment, and hope. It runs from May 6 to 11. Tickets are R100 online and you can book on alexanderbar.co.za

Still at The Alexander Bar? Well, when you see Guy de Lancey’s name on the credits, you just go watch it, even if it has a goon name like Apple Face. But if you ever saw the version of King Lear he directed, or his performance and design in The Pervert Laura, you’ll know why. He designed this one, and it also stars Pierre Malherbe and is directed by Adrian Collins. The blurb is lit, too: “That which is seen, cannot be unseen; unless that which is seen was never seen in the first place. Or maybe it was seen, but not quite in the way that it happened. If it even happened at all.” Be prepared for the surreal, is our guess. Runs from May 13 to 25, tickets cost R120 online. Book at alexanderbar.co.za

Music:

Although Marcia Moon sounds like a pseudonym for Luna Paige, they’re actually two different people (we think) who are both singer-songwriters. It’s soft and folksy and ethereal and reflective and silvery. They play together at The Alma Cafe in Rosebank. The music starts at 20h15 on May 3 and tickets cost R200 with a light dinner included. The venue is small and bookings are advised: 021 685 7377

Billed as Cape Town’s most “what the fuck is going on” experience, with promises to “be loud and special”. It’s called Glitch Party and it’s happening at Stags Head & Hectic on Hope on May 11. There’s live bands Banana Brains, Thylasine, Julia Robert, and Mouse, with DJs before and after the real stuff. There will also be art. Tickets are R50 before 10pm and R60 if you took too much time getting your outfit together.

Androgenius have put a 6-track EP on wax (or flashdrive or AI or whatever it is people record music on now) and they’re gonna launch it at Mercury Live on May 17. They call their musical mix ‘Soul Hop’ but we’re vibing on the fact that Jackal and the Wind and Nomadic Orchestra are jamming on the line up and we rate them high. Presumably the Andro’s are up there too. Check them out from 8pm. Tickets on Quicket and cost R100.

The South African band with the best name is playing Mercury Live on May 25. Yep, it’s Desmond and the Tutus. It’s a long time since we kicked to their jive-pop licks but it was a jol, as far as we can remember. We presume they’ve only got tighter. It’s on from 8pm, R80 at the door.

Get down with your continent. Get out of your comfort zone. Meet real people. Celebrate Africa Day at Khayelitsha Stadium. It’s the MAYIBUYE iAFRIKA FESTIVAL on May 25. There’s a whole bunch of artists, and some of them we’ve heard before and they’re great. It’s hard to wrong with a festival that is in celebration of Marcus Garvey and Nina Simone. Also, if the EFF win the elections, you’ll need the cred if you’re a honky. Gates open at 11am. Early bird tickets R80, or otherwise R120 at the gate. Contact 072 893 1134 or email mayibuyiafrikafest@gmail.com for more info on how to save that R40.

The dank, dark, briny trio from the backwaters of the Eastern Cape who call themselves The Fishwives need you to pre-order their album so that they can lay the damn thing down. Take it from us, they know how to stomp a dive and dive into any stomp they find. It’s going to be good and you will want your copy. Got to Thundafund.com and search ‘Fishwives’. You’ll hook them there. Gooi a few dollas and reel them in.

Parties

Bell-bottoms, glitter, P-Funk, Bowie, etc. Expect them all at Evol when radio station Skrrtcobain takes over the decks on May 24 . It’s all the best ‘70s bangers on so it’s okay if you’re over 30 (or 40). If you are over 40, Evol is what you would know as the Stags Head Hotel on Hope Street, which was probably learnt (and have since forgotten) how to hustle a pool table. Tickets are only R50, go get your groove (back) on.

We’re sceptical about a venue called a ‘cocktail emporium’ but turned on at the promise of beats from a jungle vinyl collection. If this is old-skool drum ‘n bass these guys are talking about, it’s worth braving the Bree Street glass and chrome and hipster fonts to throw hip and, if the beats are really good, name as well. It’s a Derby of Drum ‘n Bass at Orphanage at 227 Bree Street. Entrance is free of charge so no excuse not to take a chance and see if it delivers on its promise. Happening on May 7.