Synergy Live 2014 Event Review
Synergy Live 2014
It’s hard to think of a major music festival that offers a more complete three days of music than Synergy Live. Taking place at the idyllic Theewaterskloof Dam, Synergy Live has become a mainstay of the South African festival circuit, and it’s not hard to see why. The 2014 edition had two major improvements: the introduction of the Beach Club Stage, organized by ERA, the new House and Techno Club in central Cape Town, and a partnership with Sirius, which meant the whole of Sunday was dedicated to Trance music. Not only were there 3 different stages, which had performances running simultaneously, each day seemed to have a slightly different approach to it.
(Theewaterskloof Dam)
Main Stage:
Nestled in between the two other stages and conveniently located near The Market Place, where vendors offered everything from pizza to iced coffee, the Main Stage presented festival-goers with some of the best acts the country has to offer.
(One of the many vendors in the Market Place)
On Friday, Blues band, The Ballistics, were joined by Rock groups, McCree and Stoker, in welcoming party-goers to the festival. Rising stars, Reburn, took the stage at 21:00 and festival favourites, aKING and Taxi Violence, followed them to round up a top-quality showcase of local music. Saturday kicked off with indie favourites Kings Down South, Yo Grapes, Michael Lowman and Beach Party. The crowd was warming up, the dance floor slowly started to fill up as the afternoon progressed and the heat began to die down. Cue one of the year’s hottest groups: Shortstraw. Performing with the energy and intensity so indicative of their music, they got the crowd moving with appropriate hits, such as Bikini Weather and Heaps Keen.
(Shortstraw opening for Bombay Bicycle Club, Saturday)
The wait after Shortstraw’s performance felt like an eternity because it was now time for the festival’s biggest headliner: Bombay Bicycle Club. Their performance was everything the crowd could have hoped for; all the hits – from Shuffle to Lights Out, Words Gone – wonderful energy on stage, great crowd interaction and even an improvised drum solo between Jack and Jamie. When they closed with Carry Me, the packed crowd found it hard to believe that 45mins had gone by so quickly. Loud cheers of “we want more!” echoed around Theewaterskloof, but it was time for the next act. It was always going to be hard for Desmond & The Tutus to follow such a strong performance, but they pulled it off. Zebra & Giraffe kept the Main Stage rocking before crowd favourite, Jeremy Loops, rounded off a hugely successful night with his signature style.
Red Bull Studio Live:
A popular stage at many festivals, Red Bull Studio Live provides a platform for many spheres of Electronic music. The spotlight was on some of Red Bull Studio’s recording artists in the afternoon, but in the evening, the crowd was treated to Electro House, EDM and Drum and Bass from local DJs and international headliners, Congorock, Felix Cartel and S.P.Y.
(Thibo Tazz in action on the Red Bull Studio Stage, Saturday)
House music was the soundtrack to Saturday afternoon, as more of Red Bull Studio’s DJs took the stage. As the sun began to set, hints of Techno appeared in some sets, foreshadowing what was to follow. Some of the country’s most respected DJs laid down a solid foundation for the international headliners, Egbert & Secret Cinema, who performed a special 4-hour set of tantalizing Techno.
ERA Beach Club:
Situated underneath a large stretch of canvas, the ERA Beach Club had the intimacy of a club environment and the sound system to match. Their first headliner performed relatively earlier, but this did not seem to affect the crowd’s reaction to Stimming’s set. The German strung together some of the hottest House tracks of the year, including some of his own, and produced one of the highlight performances of the festival. He was followed by a host of local favourites, who kept the intensity up throughout the night.
The vibe on Saturday was similar to the previous day: deep, soulful House with people milling in and out of the tent, but just like the other stages, the party really started as the sun began to set. Techno kingpin, Ron Costa, took to the stage after some solid opening sets by Ian Skene, Danalogue and others. The crowd was extremely receptive to his signature style of Techno that left a lasting impression on the ERA Beach Club.
Final Thoughts:
It was a festival that catered to almost all musical tastes, a festival whose success is founded on diversity and a festival that seems to improve with each year. Synergy Live was a huge success and the acts, both local and international, never seemed to disappoint. We can’t wait for next year.
All photos by Clare Patrick
Written by Mikhail Moosa