Watershed LIVE at The St Francis Links (Rock Lily Music Promo & Events)
Thu Dec 27, 20:30 - Thu Dec 27, 23:00
The St Francis Links Clubhouse
ABOUT
Watershed LIVE at The St Francis Links Clubhouse | Thursday 27 December 2018
R180 per person
WATERSHED
Watershed, one of the most successful and well loved bands ever to come out of South Africa, will be embarking on a tour of the Eastern and Western Cape during the April holiday season. This multi platinum selling band have released 5 studio albums along with a greatest hits album during their 18 year career, as well as receiving 2 SAMA awards for best pop album. They are also multiple winners of SA's best band award by people magazine. The band are currently wrapping up their 6th studio album ?'Harbour'? which is due for release in ?May 2018?.
The new album? HARBOUR
The band started putting the album together in the early part of 2017 and decided then that they didn’t want to feel any pressure getting this recording out. “We know its about songs. It’s always been about songs” explains lead singer Craig Hinds. “It’s been an interesting journey so far, regarding how and where we have worked on the new tracks. We did the album pretty much remotely jumping from studio to studio and city to city. This made it interesting. The nice thing about remote recording is the fact that you have time to think about the parts, the melodies and the music between each recording session”.
The success of our 5th studio album “Watch the Rain” and the live energy those songs created became a big influence on the writing of the songs on “Harbour”. The new songs have moved into a Celtic space an the band have been experimenting with flutes & violins, mandolins and banjos. The melodies have also moved into this space and influenced where the instrumentation went. Watershed have always prided themselves in the lyrics to their songs and they feel they have “nailed it” on this album.
The first single from the album is the 1988 cover version of The Waterboys, ?“Fisherman’s Blues”?.
Watershed has moulded the song into their own unique sound incorporating Craig Hinds’ inimitable vocals, violin and other acoustic elements. The song has been a crowd favorite at live shows around the country and after months of touring, the band fine tuned the production in studio.
The single is sampled to radio in March, expect to hear it on your local station soon.
Watershed is:
? Craig Hinds - vocals, acoustic guitar, piano ? Howie Combrink - drums, vocals, acoustic guitar, ukulele ? Gideon Botes - electric and acoustic guitars, vocals ? Quintin Askes - bass ? Paul McIver - acoustic guitar, vocals
Having toured both locally and internationally over the years off the back of their smash hits 'Indigo Girl' and 'Letters' the band have carved an acoustic rock sound that is undeniably Watershed in its uniqueness and crowd pleasing in its boldness. ?'Watch the Rain'?, the lyrically intense and groove filled song off their 5th studio album mesmerized audiences and took them into a space where ending the show is not an option for the band. Watershed throws out hit after hit in their 2 hour performances and never disappoints. This multi talented 5 piece band switch from acoustic guitars to pianos & ukuleles seamlessly whilst their sound remains fresh, powerful and melodic.
Since their breakthrough single in 2000 with “Indigo Girl” South African rock icons Watershed have built their way up to be one of the most respected and decorated bands to come out of the Southern Tip of Africa. Their distinctive melodic guitar sounds blend with the sultry tones of lead singer and songwriter Craig Hinds voice to create a soothing and classic rock sound that is easily recognisable and yet utterly unique. Their albums and singles have consistently been rewarded with gold and platinum status both locally and abroad but Watershed pride themselves on being a touring band and always have a full gig schedule with loyal and vociferous support wherever they play out. Acoustic rock outfit? ?Watershed? emerged as one of the most successful South African exports of their generation when the single "Indigo Girl" topped the German pop charts. Formed in Johannesburg in 1998,? ?Watershed? was the vehicle of singer/songwriter? ?Craig Warren Hinds?, a former high school English and history major. After a series of early lineup changes, the supporting cast solidified with the inclusion of guitarist? ?Paul McIver?, bassist? ?Vernon Hodgetts?, drummer? ?Tulsa Pittaway? and viola player Lizzie Rennie?. This incarnation of the group signed to EMI South Africa in 1999, issuing? ?In the Meantime? the following year; the debut single "Shine on Me" launched the group to national stardom, and the follow-ups "Indigo Girl" and "Letters" made them superstars.
A German radio DJ on holiday in South Africa heard "Indigo Girl" and upon returning home began spinning the single on Germany's SWR3. The record emerged as a left-field blockbuster throughout Europe, and vaulted them to international renown. They launched the 2003 follow-up Wrapped in Stone at an all-star concert in Johannesburg's Nelson Mandela Square. The first album to feature keyboardist Graham Smith, it was also the last to include? ?McIver?, who at year's end exited to make way for guitarist? ?Nic Rush?.? ?Hinds? again reshuffled the lineup in advance of 2005's Mosaic, only? ?Rush remained from the previous incarnation, with bassist? ?Ozzy?, keyboardist? ?Hylton Brooker? and drummer Peter Auret? completing the roster.? ?Rennie? rejoined the ranks in April 2006.
The band itself is structured around singer, songwriter and instrumentalist Craig Hinds who has always felt he is a man with a positive message to convey. After teaching high school for two years while playing his own material out in smaller venues Craig decided to take the opportunity to form a band and make his voice and songs heard across the world.
Watershed’s travels have led them to perform at the prestigious SXSW Music Festival in Austin Texas and Canadian Music week to various dates across Europe where their music is particularly well received in Germany, Austria and Switzerland after a radio DJ on holiday in South Africa heard “Indigo Girl” and thought it would enchant his listeners. He was absolutely right. The play listing of the song on the local German station quickly built momentum and lead to them to be picked up by EMI Germany who released “In The Meantime” and every album & single since.
2015’s album “Watch the Rain” tips the hat to the new-age country sound while still remaining grounded in the cultured acoustic rock that Watershed is known and loved for and the first single off the album “Magical Energy” has built momentum on the local South African charts.
While the term Watershed is universally used to describe a turning point, a lesser known use is in broadcasting field where it is used to describe the transition time when adult content can be shown and maybe now that’s a better fit for a band that has matured and realised the strength and depth of their sound and trusted in their process and abilities.
Watershed are 18 years in the making and nowhere near ready to stop.