Rediscovering SA’s underground music revolution of the early ’90s

You’re asking me to pay for what I didn’t buy! – ‘Hog in Armour’

I’m a product of a town called Vereeniging, the heart of the steel and coal triangle south of Johannesburg. Born in the 1970s, under apartheid, educated during the states of emergency in the 1980s, and then thrown from the nest in 1990. It was truly an amazing time to be alive. Scary as hell, but amazing. The sins of the Nationalist Party were uncovered, and I was discovering bands that had been previously silenced by the SABC like Asylum Kids, Koos, Dog Detachment, Gereformeerde Blues Band, Kalahari Surfers and all the James Phillips projects, to name a few. These artists took to the streets to tell the truth about what was happening in the country. Banned, silenced, jailed, and some were forced to flee to other shores.

There was a new wave popping up. Bands emerged like No Friends of Harry, The Get Out, The Outsiders, Dolly Rockers, Elegant Chaos and Underground Press, among others. The truth was out, but we were not free. The shackles of military service were still around, so I went to Natal University to dodge it. I ended up playing more music than studying for a civil engineering degree that was never achieved. I was not alone. Many of us were caught in the gap, expressing ourselves through music. Some expressions were political, others were social, worried about the future, inspired by the pending Rainbow Nation, and some just wanted to rock and have a good time.

From 1990 to 1995, this blend of styles shared stages all around the country, and the scene was alive, still in DIY mode. There were low-fi fanzines in every town, guys were producing low-fi cassette compilations of unsigned bands like Sound Action (Ernesto Marques) in Cape Town, and the C-Weed guys from Pietermaritzburg. There were many venues: Wings Beat Bar, Roxy’s Rhythm Bar, Tandoor, The Station, Zeplins, Carfax, The Fridge, and many more. All slightly different in offering and clientele; the only common thing was that they all smelled the same the next morning … spilled alcohol and cigarette smoke. 

I think I’ve got something I want to say to you, and I’m only going to say it once. – ‘69 at Half Past Ten’

A band I failed to mention that fitted into the scene was arguably the best, most entertaining live act at that time: Live Jimi Presley (LJP). They were a blend of everything at the time: performance, danger, aggression and melody. ‘Larney musos’ went shopping for gear at Toms or Marshall, LJP went downtown to Steeledale, to the scrapyards, and arrived at a gig with a trailer filled with car parts, scrap metal, power tools, a mannequin and a blow-up doll. When the show started, it was an hour of flames, sparks, smashing metal, face masks, grooving beats, noisy guitars and a half-naked man. They had found a way to blend theatre, intrigue and a heavy dose of rock ‘n’ roll. LJP would play festivals, rock clubs and even trance/dance clubs – that’s how unique they were. 

I first heard LJP when glued to Barney Simon’s late-night radio show on Saturdays and Sundays. Barney Simon is a veteran South African radio DJ known for his significant influence on the local rock and alternative music scene, started on Radio 5 (now 5FM), where he became a key platform for introducing South Africans to international indie bands and local rock acts. Over the decades, he maintained a strong presence in the industry, currently hosting shows on Jacaranda FM. I recall ‘Calculus’, ‘Mobile Home’ and ‘Hog in Armour’ were played. I still have the recordings, taped off the radio. I was a fan. They came to play a gig in Durban. My then band The Mind Theatre was just starting out, and we played before them at the Architects Ball. The drunk students didn’t really understand the Presleys, and threw beer cans, but some of us got it. The next night, they did a show at the Natal Playhouse. Frontman Marc Feltham asked nicely that they not throw any cans.

“My gig guides and interviews played a major role in promoting the bands,” Barney Simon says. “We recorded bands and released many compilations. I loved doing the TDK Radio Sessions with Simon Foulds. Bands played live on my show, and I still have the recordings of these sessions. I am looking to put them on Spotify soon.”

Lately I’ve been wondering where is this all leading, ‘cause there’s too many prophets and there’s too many liars. – ‘Mobile Home’

A year or two later, I relocated to Johannesburg and found work as an assistant studio engineer. I had the privilege of working mainly with African jazz musicians like Hugh Masekela, Jonas Gwangwa and Mbongeni Ngema. In the evenings and downtime, I got permission to compile an album of South African unsigned rock acts called Soda Sex Fountain. Leon, my partner in crime for Soda Sex, managed to get LJP to agree to be on the album. I was beside myself with excitement and sheer fear. They were the biggest unsigned band and had previously done recordings with many ‘bigger name’ engineers. They arrived, and we just got straight to work.

Studio owner Derek was desperately trying to block the sparks from the grinders with a piece of cardboard to protect the expensive acoustic treatment. He also stopped me from using our best microphone, a Neumann U87, on the grinder. LJP did three songs: ‘Halen’, ‘69 at Half Past Ten’ and ‘Unger’. I made the percussion and grinders dirty, in-your-face, and kept the guitar loud.

You are unger, you mean nothing. – ‘Unger’

I also recall on ‘Unger’ Marc asking bassist Derek Davey to do backing vocals – an ‘answer’ type thing to his chorus line “summertime”. So the lead singer in my band, Bruce, who is a great vocalist, stuck around to assist if needed. Being brought up on Simon & Garfunkel, he knew about harmony. I played the track, hit record, and Derek then made this weird noise with his mouth that sounded like the word ‘time’, while having six marbles and milkshake in his mouth. First take, "Perfect!" said Marc. Bruce got up and said, “I’m getting lunch, I can’t help here.” I was on the floor with laughter. 

I got to record with Marc and work on Soda Sex Fountain II. This time, we held a battle of the bands, and the top few would make it onto the album. Leon Economides, the genius, managed to get us to live broadcast the battles on 5FM. I was mixing the bands in the kitchen at Wings Beat Bar, and the mix was going out live on national radio. What balls! Those days were different. 5FM had presenters like Barney Simon, Phil Wright, Leon Economides and Alex Jay, guys who knew DIY local rock and would back us.

Barney Simon adds, “I remember seeing Live Jimi Presley one night at the Roxy’s Rhythm Bar in Melville. Their live shows were brilliant!”

You told me you despise me, and I think I said I love you too. – ‘One Day at a Time’

I recall that during the Soda Sex Fountain II sessions, we recorded Albino Tarbugz. Marc decided that the song needed feedback for the entire track, as it lacked energy – so it’s 2am, and his body and guitar are like a snake in front of the charmer (the amp), producing the weirdest feedback to date. The feedback is in the mix for the entire song. Then for the band Free Taxi, there was a guitar solo, and then the song was supposed to come back to the chorus, but Marc made the guitarist solo all the way through to the end. “No need for the chorus, no one has the guts to put out a song where the solo goes all the way to the end. We do.”

The last recording I did for LJP was an amazing cover of Neil Young’s ‘Mr. Soul’ and an original, ‘Song A’. Their version of ‘Mr. Soul’ was just amazing; a recording I believe is sadly lost or never released. ‘Song A’, influenced by world music, was a popular track and one of my all-time favourites. It was lost for two decades. I have nearly 100 DAT recordings of most of my sessions over the years. We managed to hire a DAT machine, and I sat for days working through the tapes, but I could not find ‘Song A’. About five years later, a version appeared. I’m not convinced this version is the final mix; Marc would not have approved the level of the percussion, and the guitar lick in the middle is way too soft. Beggars can’t be choosers, it’s the only one we have.

Don’t think of home when you’ve gone out fishing. – ‘Song A’

Marc left South Africa, and we would occasionally comment on each other’s posts on Facebook. I recall a happy birthday message from him saying, “Fancy doing some guitar overdubs on the Tarbugz?” I smiled. Obviously he had enjoyed that late night in the studio, too. Marc was a very clever, always switched-on guy. I got the feeling he hated mindless sentences, idiotic banter or non-genuine behaviour. So, I made sure I was thinking about what I said, meant what I said, and was not trying to impress. Maybe it’s just the way I felt. His bandmates would have known him better, as they all lived together.

The Presleys lived in a derelict house in Houghton that was marked for demolition. When they found that out, no more rent was paid. After all the parties and goings-on there over the years, destruction was the only option. I attended one event at the Presley house, and I don’t recall a thing.

Still disappointed that ‘Halen’ was never redone or released, in 2017 I decided to jam a version in my style. It worked. I liked it, and surprisingly it suited my voice. I revisited it often, but because it was only me, a guitar and my drum machine, I never got the opportunity to work on it more and present it to my band, The Fismits. At that stage, we were focused on getting our originals done, trying to find our sound and get the live show happening. So ‘Halen’ was on ice.

I also wanted to get it to the point where it was presentable to Marc, but I never got the cojones, and the opportunity just did not present itself. It’s one thing to cover a song by a band you don’t know, but to redo a song by a person you know and respect takes more guts.

Time is here, dream is gone forever, always, on Saturday. – ‘Nightmare Max’

Towards the end of 2023, I said 2024 was not going to be as silent musically as 2023. So, I took stock of all the ‘in-progress’ stuff and ‘Halen’ jumped onto the list. When Marc suddenly passed away, it was the kick in the arse I needed. I stopped working on the other tracks and finished ‘Halen’. The idea of a tribute was not there; it was more of a knee-jerk reaction to “time is not on your side, get it done, what do you have to lose?”

While finishing ‘Halen’, I went for a Fismits sound of loud guitars and my distinctive voice. I did a few things to add LJP spice to the track. Firstly, I added a guitar solo in Marc’s style. He liked delay, no, he loved delay, especially on guitars and voice. I hope I got it right. Go listen to a few of their tracks and you tell me. I added a grinder, had to. Then they played a melody on the original, right at the end, that was done using a toy mouth organ. So, I used a synth brass. I’m sure Marc would have said, “You’ve sold out!” Lastly, I cut my version down in time. Marc would always shout at a band onstage, “Harder! Faster!” Not sure if he was getting bored or just trying to stir the pot. Every time I was working on the track, I was asking myself, is it harder, faster?

Barney Simon says: “I recently heard ‘Halen’ on Mix FM and was blown away. I loved the raw energy and powerful vocals. I hope their fans from the past will get involved and show support again. As for the new generation, we wait.”

Please Google Live Jimi Presley and check out the YouTube clips. Stream and check out all the bands and more that I have mentioned. Maybe you’ll find a hidden gem. Maybe the journey will open your eyes further to what was really happening. Too often, we assume and stereotype; the ’80s and early ’90s had many people doing amazing things, things we should not forget.

I never got to play Marc the song. I am sure he has heard it by now, and then, one day, while standing in the queue at the pearly gates, I hope to hear him at least shout, "Harder! Faster!" 

Stream ‘Halen’ here. More About Live Jimi Presley 1990-1995 by Derek Davey here. More About The Fismits here.