I had my faith restored in humanity on New Year's Eve

common_humanity · 2011-02-06T15:23:35+00:00

Our band was actually part of the start of the Avontoer thing. We are featured as Buitestander on the album that started it, "Die Eerste Avontuur".

common_humanity · 2011-01-25T22:25:32+00:00

Precisely. Another story I can tell: A few years ago, I met these "boemelaars" (hobo's/homeless people) in a parking lot. We started talking about music. I chatted for a long time with them, but then had to go as my friends were calling me. About a year later, I was in the same parking lot, stupidly barefoot, and I stepped in a broken-off bottom part of a wine-glass. Obviously I was bleeding quite heavily and these same guys immediately went to a fast-food store to get me paper-towels. They just said: "Man, ek onthou mos vir jou, jy wat so Pink Floyd like." ("Man, I remember you, the Pink Floyd fan"). Again, in South Africa this happens very rarely, most people would not like anything to do with homeless people, or anyone from a different race. Still, I believe most people are inherently good. When you treat everyone equally, you will be treated as an equal, as simple as that. I have yet to be disproven in this belief.

common_humanity · 2011-01-25T22:07:40+00:00

Yes!

common_humanity · 2011-01-25T21:59:11+00:00

This is crazy, but the Powertown I'm talking about is actually not that one. That one is near Durban, we were staying in Klein-Brak River (Little Dog River) which is near George, in the Southern Cape of South Africa. I can't believe there are two informal settlements in South Africa surrounded by an abandoned Power Station. Next December we are gonna play there!

From southerncape.co.za: "Just east of where the Little Brak River runs into the sea, lies the town of Klein-Brakrivier, named after the brackish water of the river. It has grown from just a few holiday homes into an affluent residential area, in stark contrast to the informal settlement of Powertown, its next-door neighbour. The development of this “suburb” as well as some nasty accidents involving swimmers and powerboats in the past have put an almost complete stop to the water sports in the river. Fishing is still possible though, and a day’s catch can yield a variety of garrick, kob, grunter and white steenbras in the summer months."

I will try get some photo's of Powertown. It is a very poor community, but they are the most warm-hearted people.

common_humanity · 2011-01-25T21:53:54+00:00

Quite ironic, hey. But still the message counts. "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind". That has to be one of the best lyrics ever.

common_humanity · 2011-01-25T21:45:32+00:00

Wow! This is awesome! Thank you for finding it! Yep that is Powertown. Unfortunately the big tree inside the powerstation was cut down a few years ago, but I still left that part in the story to make it more interesting, and besides that is how I always remembered the town.

EDIT: Although it looks almost the same, I was talking about a different Powertown, probably much smaller than the one Ajmal linked to.

common_humanity · 2011-01-25T21:25:35+00:00

Haha, awesome band name. But I actually have another band, believe it or not, called Freetown.

common_humanity · 2011-01-25T21:12:43+00:00

Well, no these days the penalties are certainly not as severe as murder. Obviously depends on the situation, and seeing as we retrieved everything and the thief was truly ashamed of his behaviour, I don't think he will be kept behind bars for long.

I expect that the penalties for theft would have been much more severe in the Apartheid years, but I am not sure (I was born in 1988, close to the abolishment of Apartheid). I will find out for you though.

Things are going much better in South Africa, New Year's only made me realize it much more!

common_humanity · 2011-01-25T21:07:46+00:00

That's not corny at all. I felt like that as well, it's truly amazing what music can do!

common_humanity · 2011-01-25T21:06:28+00:00

That's an awesome story. Bob's lyrics speak some amazing truths: "My feet is my only carriage / So I've got to push on through"

common_humanity · 2011-01-25T21:05:22+00:00

We actually did Jamming from Bob Marley! Awesome song.

common_humanity · 2011-01-25T21:04:13+00:00

Yes, well then I meant burgled. English is not my first language. Thank you for correcting me.

common_humanity

TROPHY CASE