Band Review Truth And Its Burden

8pm on a Thursday night I get a call, "come to Gig Tyd" says caller. "Gig Tyd?? In Boksburg?" I enquire. With my suspicions then quickly confirmed my immediate and reflex response was NO. I have no desires to mate with a relative and have all my teeth and would like to keep it so, so what the F*ck do I want in Boksburg on a Thursday night? Truth And Its Burden was the answer responded to me. Cut scene to me putting on shoes and rushing out the door. 

Truth and Its Burden... I have not seen this band for about 4 years.  What are they doing in a venue named Gig Tyd in Boksburg...? I guess I didn’t really care, I just had to see them live again. Upon my arrival, every stereo typical preconception I had conjured up in my head on the drive there was soon confirmed. Was that ACDC's Thunderstruck being slaughtered by a cover band?  Shoot me now were my first thoughts.

After being introduced to a very different looking Ashley De Beer (front man) I silently moved along checking out the environment. Head down, trying not to draw the attention of drunken East Rand fists. It must be said there were some familiar faces equally scared of brandy fists hiding in the shadows waiting for Truth And It's Burden to start. 

It was evident once the band got on stage that something electric was about to happen. “Sound check” he said... “SOUND CHECK!!” he barked and instantly the crowd’s attention was firmly with in his massive grasp!  

As one would expect the sound was not very good. A band like that should be on a big stage. No they deserve a big stage where their story, their anthems can justly resonate, violently, through skeletons of minds newly blown.  Hard core is not dead it would seem. As I stood there right in front, awkward in my self-proclaimed old age, it became more apparent that even though I may get old, the passion rooted in this music is ever burning. It was fantastic to see and to hear. It was very clear why this band has been commanding such attention overseas. Successfully touring Europe in 2012 and playing with heavy weight names such as Unearth, Darkest Hour, Sick Of It All, Norma Jean, and Funeral for a Friend to name a few. They have also taken a charge at the USA playing festival after festival. It is nothing short of a breath taking to see the drive that this band has. They are now signed to a US record label (Rite Of Passage Records / Mediaskare Records). This is every local alternative bands wet dream.

What really stood out to me, which was further echoed after seeing them again over the weekend at RamFest, was how impactful their set was. This was more than just well constructed dissonant chords and near perfectly executed phrasings, there was a message for each spectator to take home with them.  I got mine… Now go see them live and get yours too.

Live @Ramfest 2013

Check them out on 

http://www.truthanditsburden.com/

Band Lineup 

Ashley De Beer - Vocals 

Calvin Clayden - Guitar 

Niekie Van Niekerk - Bass 

NEW LOOK NEW FUZZY FEELINGS.

Time has been the eternal black whole that has consumed my attention away from this blog for months now. But NO MORE, is my declaration while waving a banana smoothie over my laptop. The time is now. Here it is folks, brand new face lift and a massive stash of freshly baked stories to share.

Please allow me to take you through some of the changes on the blog.
You will  notice:
* Twitter feed on the right. Time to follow me on @Tumin2D for daily(sometimes hourly) sneak peeks into the psyche (or lack there of ) that is me.
* Above is my Instagram feed. Please follow me on Tumin2D and see frozen moments awesomely filtered for your viewing pleasure.
*New Navigation Tabs filled with lots of goodies including music videos I've shot with old bands that I have worked with, music and more photos of my day to day interactions thanks to Tumin2D Instagram.

There will be a lot more coming including video blogs from my YouTube channel Tumin2D. (please feel free to subscribe to that as well), 'How to Tips' for new bands, artists and agents and not only gig review but CD reviews from some of the most anticipated new music around the world.

What is going on you ask. What is all this Tumin2D malarkey? Well simply put I have refueled the jet and am ready to embark on a new journey that is music. With over seven years working as a professional musician, artist manager and booking agent in South Africa I will take you on a fresh and relevant ride into the musical dragons den. I LIVE THIS SH*T.
This will be an objective, no holds barred dissection of the the current state of the music industry, music lifestyle and culture. It may get personal, it may get offensive but one thing it promises to be is fun. So I invite you along to enjoy the experience with me and to share this with all you mates. Please subscribe to the blog,  follow me on Twitter, Instergram and or YouTube.
Although blogger of "peoplepunisher.com"  Gurkin ,Aka Grumpy, may have said:

 "Blogs are not made to be read, but to be published"  I would prefer it if this was read and shared :) so hop to it:)

SO WHAT IS COMING UP:
*Music feature with South African 'die hard' rock star Gavin Wienand.
*look out for the first album review in the coming week from guest writer Heleen Markides
*The first on the "Being A Band" feature that will be diving head first into being a band in South Africa.
*Much much more ...



Exciting days to come.
Leave your comments and thoughts
Tumi

Important to who but me?

I find it crazy that I haven't posted a blog in so long, Its not for a lack of trying I might add. My life has been filled with such magical music moments that would be "Blog worthy" but hey... the moment is gone now.

I feel so inspired today. It may be my  man vocalist crush (Jonny Craig) that is sound tracking my day today or possibly that magical moment of the the years first snow... As odd as that may seem, it is in fact snowing in Johannesburg today. People are going nuts. It is all everyone can talk about. Peasants!!

Don't worry, this blog is not about the snow in JHB.

What it is in fact about is...well... hold on, ill be right back.its SNOWING AGAIN!!!!!!

Go jump off a Bridge!

 The are a few things I can not say "no" to and somewhere close to the top of that list is refusing Free Shit. I don't know what it is. Call it my inner black, if you will, or as some may refer to it as your "Inner Jew". That is  the inexplicable inability to refuse free hand outs which is not to be confused with your "Inner Indian", which is an inexplicable desire to barter and or negotiate price.
It is this "Inner Jew" that resulted in my standing lock jawed and paralyzed with fear on a bridge 216m above nothing but sheered rocks and a shallow river pools. I am quite convinced I saw the crushed skull of the last idiot that got 'dooped' into doing this on my way up here. But shhhh... I cant show fear in front of the guys.

It was day 6 of the ReeBurth Tour with Fire Fly and we had performed a very chilled acoustic set in Plettenburg Bay the night before. It was at this show, at a venue called Swing Cafe, that we were approached by a gentleman named Braden who thought it to be a good idea to throw five black guys off a bridge. For his own personal amusement no doubt. Playing at all our "Inner Jews"  he made it free for us.WHO WOULD SAY NO!!!

So that is how I found myself on the highest Bungy Bridge in the world with my knees just seconds from collapsing and my breath everywhere but in me. Half my band had already done it. I couldn't chicken out now. But every time I would look down over the edge, I was overwhelmed with crippling nerve spasms that would shoot through every limb of my silently quivering body and squeeze all the breath and bravery out of me. It was the involuntary influx of images of every possible thing that could go wrong that was screaming as loud as logic to GET THE F%CK OUT OF THERE!!!

It takes a lot to over ride that Flight Instinct when faced with with danger. Its so unnatural to tell your body that jumping off this bridge head first towards that gouge is what you want it to do. But I HAD to do it. I HAD to show a brave face, After all they all did it.(instantly pictured a lecturing mom saying "if all you friends jumped off a bridge would you??? well...) Plus there was a really hot girl watching. This school yard alpha "Boy" mentality was the only difference between my jumping and not!


My last thought, seconds before taking the plunge, was " if i die from this, my mom is so gonna kill me".
...and so I did it.

I wont even try and describe with mere words the sheer euphoria that is Bungy Jumping. I could do it no justice descriptively  but I will say  this. YOU HAVE TO TRY IT.

In these videos you see us just before jumping. Stocking up on tons of Monster to hype ourselves up and even Oscar acting all hardcore about jumping. Oh BTW he eventually jump. Or should I say collapsed off.

More Videos ????  Ok ill post some of this day soon, Including the actual jump. Dont forget to follow me on twitter (Tumin2D) and follow the blog after leaving your most random, preferably unrelated comment. :P

Love Tumi

ReeBurth Winter Tour

Its been too long since last I sat typing a blog. Its been way too long since last I've wanted to share something with everyone, or better yet had something worth sharing. I  have had what they call Bloggers Block otherwise known as having a life.

Now that I'm back from tour, I sit in this empty room and reflect on what an amazing time was had by all. But reflection need not be a solitary activity, that's why I will be posting a bunch of Video Blogs, uploading tons of Videos to my YouTube page and blogging some of the crazy sh#t we got up to.

But lets start with who "we" is referring to. To some of you that know me personally, you will know that I have recently joined a band called ReeBurth. Those of you that know me but didn't know this, well maybe you should take a second to reflect,in solitude, as to how well  you think you know me.  The Band is a rock band out of South Africa's biggest township, SOWETO.
Cool music and great stage vibe, but I will be sure to tell you all about them in a separate blog all together.

The band just got back from a very successful winter tour up and down South Africa's Eastern Coast. We decided to take along with us long time band friends Fire Fly who added an amazing dynamic to each show.
It was a crazy 2weeks  of proper road tripping. Each nights show funding the trip to the next town. Every nights performance to a different crowd and every day being a massive party,

ReeBurth is proudly sponsored by Monster Energy and Imperial Ford and Mazda Cape Town.
Tour accommodation was sponsored by Obviously Armchair (CPT) , Island Vibe (Knysna and JBay) Albergos (Plettenburg Bay) and Lungile ( Port Elizabeth)
Tour brought to you by Musketeer Records


The Tour started as most tours do... with no transport and no money. This problem was eventually solved and the rental car you see in video below was our means to get to CPT. But not before a quick petrol stop and the chance to stretch our legs. This was shot in Bloemfontein's only garage at some ridiculous hour of the morning.

Take Two

look out for more posting on this crazy tour, including bungy jumping of the worlds highest bungy and busking for money in Port Elizabeth

Picture Perfect

I have spent allot of time in front of camera's. It's quite easy that side. Especially when I'm sweaty on a stage, more often than none drunk out of my skull and oblivious to not only any flashing camera's that may be snarling their white soul capturing flash's at me, but the chords my fumbling fingers are attempting to squeeze from my guitars neck. It has become, dare i say, fun but what about the other side of the camera? My escapades in "The life of Brian" has been more than just a chance to watch some of South Africa's most talented musicians but also a chance for to me to indulge in something that I have always secretly loved, amateur photography.

But before I post some of my pics I would like to introduce you all to a friend of mine, Brett Schewitz, now living in Austria who makes this whole photography thing look easy.  Check out his latest for a competition he is in. Just click "GO BRET YOUR BEAUTY" and like his pic :) We are all about showing support.

Bellow are a selection of pics I have taken in "The Life Of Brian" at the beautiful Digital Forest Studios.
They were shot on a Canon EOS 5D ,
hope you like.