Ataris blast into SA

The fine folk at Authentic Ideas are never a pioneering collective to rest on their laurels. Hot on the heels of their bringing popular Christian metal outfit Underoath to South African shores, the progressive booking agency acted promptly with the delivery of pop-punk veterans The Ataris to a deserving market too often deprived of witnessing topflight international acts.

The questionable decision to host the third leg of the Indiana-bred quartet’s four-stop visit to our cosmopolitan nation in Stellenbosch (population: 200 000) rather than Cape Town (3.7 million) eventually fell from forethought as ample fans gathered at the Klein Libertas Theatre in the small, student-inundated town for the nine-band outing.

Slick organisation and a welcome penchant for punctuality saw the consistent interchange of two stages — the main showpiece stationed outdoors and its subordinate buried deep beyond the smoky bar area — throughout the event.

With Autopilot, Holly And The Woods, Cat String Theory, The Ragdolls and their vast and varied interpretations of quality rock music out the way, Reburn were left to enliven a crowd that had just sat, sulked and sullied their way through four performances that would have sent the more embittered among us fleeing. Their Franz Ferdinand-, Arctic Monkeys-, Dirty Skirts-esque approach did marvellously well and duly paved the way for three stalwart acts synonymous with South African rock music.

CrashCarBurn, unashamedly admitted to playing in Stellenbosch for the first time before unleashing a characteristically vigorous set that saw them careen through notable tracks from their debut album 'This City Needs A Hero', including 'Serenade' and 'Broken Skyline' as well as a surprisingly decent amalgamation of Bryan Adams' 'Summer of '69', Kelly Clarkson's 'Since You've Been Gone' and Starship's 'We Built This City'.

The departure of the Johannesburg-based foursome left Cape Town-bred sextet Hog Hoggidy Hog to run riot as the anticipant audience geared up for their potent delivery of hits from groundbreaking release 'Oink' and its recent successor 'Method To The Madness'. Tenderfoot tracks 'Sherry Ann', 'Scene Police' and others punctuated the more recognisable (for now) 'African Son', 'Aunty Trish' and that awe-inspiring cover of Johnny Clegg and Savuka's 'Great Heart' as revered vocalist George Bacon and posse left in their wake a potential uprising, quick to repair its collective self for the arrival of Foto Na Dans.

Lead singer Le Roi Nel and esteemed company are fast becoming a veritable behemoth on the South African rock scene (particularly in Afrikaans circles) and it was only apt that the Stellenbosch-born quintet set the stage for the main attraction in front of their home crowd.

Two remarkable full-length albums, an MK award, a SAMA nomination and thousands of fans in tow, Foto Na Dans continue to set the benchmark with their unique, dynamic advancements and the night of 9 May 2009 proved no different as their scintillating performance positively overwhelmed all present and subsequently privileged to witness its brilliance.

Kris Roe, lead singer and founder of The Ataris, seems an unassuming fellow. Clad in flannel shirt and oversized jeans, he cuts a figure atypical of a famous rock band's frontman yet sports all the characteristics — passion, raw energy and raspy vocals — needed to take the helm of a new-look line-up and mould its infancy into somewhat more of a cohesive unit that'll play alongside much more established acts on The Warped Tour in America come late June this year.

While their Stellenbosch debut was an outstanding affair, it's evident that the band, which has seen members come and go consistently over its decade-plus career, are still finding their feet as a unit. They will return to their former glory, of that there is little doubt, but for the time being Roe ultimately stands alone, while guitarist Chris Swinney, bassist Bryan Nelson and drummer Jake Dwiggins and their fledgling onstage presence gradually come of age.

Renowned tracks such as 'In This Diary', 'The Boys Of Summer' and a string of Misfits covers, including 'Skulls' and 'I Turned Into A Martian', set the crowd into enough of a frenzy to warrant an extended performance. While the overzealous security staff dealt with stagedivers and crowdsurfers with inappropriate, indignant resolve, Roe and crew continued to belt out hit after hit, with 'Your Boyfriend Sucks' and 'I Won't Spend Another Night Alone' eventually bringing to a close the mayhem.

With The Ataris added to a list of relative non-mainstreamers that includes Underoath, Blindside, Lagwagon, Mad Caddies and Haste The Day to have visited our shores, one is left hoping that more of the same grace our presence in the near future.

For now though, Hog Hoggidy Hog and the like will do just fine…