Bedrock
– Desert Rock (2011)
Bedrock
is a band that does not take itself too seriously at all, but they
are very serious about giving their fans (they prefer to call them
friends) a good time playing good music.
Originally
formed in 1994 in the Namibian desert hamlet of Oranjemund, the
essence and history of Bedrock, the band in the sand, is captured in
the self-referencing opening track of this album.
“A
little bit of rock, a little bit of roll
We've
been at it 16 years”
[Band
Song]
Mining
communities are known for their highly mobile nature, which has
resulted in the band constantly losing and gaining members, but the
core duo of Pete Shout and Eddie Heusdens is still going strong.
Despite regular interruptions to the band’s line-up, they have
remained productive and continue to gig regularly, particularly in
Oranjemund where it all started.
The
original 1994 quartet included Charles Piggott on lead vocals and
guitar, Pete Krog on guitar and vocals, Pete Shout on bass and Eddie
Heusdens on drums and percussion.
They started off in the
tradition of most garage-cum-pub bands with very little gear, a
non-existent fan base, no gig venues and a social environment which
was not traditionally known as a rock-friendly one. However they had
loads of enthusiasm, commitment, honest endeavour and good humour.
“You
don't know how close I came
to writing you a country
song”
[Feelin's Gone]
Their
aim was to provide fun and entertainment within the community, whilst
delivering their product as professionally as possible. This simple
formula helped the band's popularity grow beyond their wildest
expectations. Today Bedrock and their music are known far and wide,
way beyond the borders of Namibia.
In
1999 the band released an album of covers, “La Cantina”,
but they were always keen on writing and performing original
material. Axeman, Kenny Ramage (ex-Sheriff), had joined in 1997 and
brought with him the experience to help focus the band’s
energies on writing and performing original music.
Their
first album of original material was titled 'Recovery' and was
released in 2001. The opening track, “Rock ‘n’ Roll
Man” (penned by Ramage), name-checked many of rock's favourite
artists, album- and song titles and succeeded in becoming the band’s
first song to gain radio airplay.
“Jimi
and his feedback experience lost in a purple haze”
[Rock
'n Roll Man]
Always
appreciating the opportunities technology offered, the band were at
the forefront when it came to exploiting these possibilities. They
launched their website www.bedrockband.com
in 1998 and made their music available via the internet from very
early on.
The
band have played numerous gigs over the years, primarily on the South
African and Namibian west coasts. They have also appeared at many
local festivals and events, as well as making television appearances
on German and Namibian television.
'Desert
Rock' is Bedrock's fourth album of original songs, following
“Recovery” (2001), “So Where's The Party?”
(2003) and “Simplicity” (2008). Many of their songs enjoy
regular airplay in Namibia, especially on Radio Kudu, with “Crowd
Invasion”, “My Girlfriend” and “Last Round”
being amongst the most popular.
Pete
Shout, when asked to describe the Bedrock sound, said: “The
band's unique brand of what we like to call Desert Rock, is an
eclectic mix of rock, pop, folk and blues influences and, of course,
plenty of subtle humour!”
Brian
Currin, Cape Town, March 2011
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