Chatting to the boys from The Rescu was certainly one of the more refreshing band interactions I’ve ever had. While I may have hidden a smile when vocalist, Mike dropped ‘BS’ into a sentence instead of actually cursing, it was quite cool to not be dowsed in cynical, achingly hip conflicted ranting for once.
Perhaps it’s because these guys are a little older or because they aren’t desperately trying to live up to their American and European rock star idols, which as a South African musician, let’s face it, is not gonna happen. Probably cos, you know, you’re not from there. In fact band members, Mike, Graham and Rusti actually echoed a lot of my own thoughts on the South African music scene: It’s great at looking the part and talking the talk but no one actually makes it as a rock star with a backdrop of the Hollywood Hills. There is a lack of spirit in the young adult generation in South Africa as a collective. The wild, artistic antics of the real rock stars from the past and the current guts and glass gutzpa across the water takes balls and pride. Instead of slagging off The Parlotones who actually sell records, The Rescu is chuffed for them and has big plans of their own.
Whereas most of South Africa has the weird concept that consuming American culture from the comfort of our couches is going to make us famous, The Rescu are not similarly disillusioned. They’re actually doing something about being a band instead of ripping V’s into their T-shirts and having wet-look photo shoots before they’ve pressed an album. You know who I’m talking about. The Rescu have done a spectacular amount of work since their beginnings in 2010 to include an album, decent national radio play, a video on MK and a growing audience that has no trouble filling up Grand West.
Gathered around a table at Marshall Music where we talked shop, literally as this is where they all work, Mike Vaughan – guitarist and vocalist – is perfectly at ease in his surroundings as he tells me how the band all came together; “It was when Rusti, our drummer, stepped in to help us out last minute on a gig that we realised that this thing could actually work. Something special happened. We kind of looked at each other after the show and decided maybe we shouldn’t pack it all in and to keep going.” This had never been the intention but they saw this as their chance and took it. Mike and Graham reminisce about how they used to see all the dudes coming into Marshall to jam in the studio that Rusti built and wondered when it would be their turn. Rusti tells how they took a Zeppelin-like turn into De Doorns to record, “We set up our gear, wrote songs and hung out.” Mike chimes in, “Lots of male bonding, running around naked and braaing boerewors. You know.”
An awkward silence ensues as the other two look at him shiftily and I notice a slight blush from the vocalist before we move on laughing. Dragging my eyes around all the pretty instruments in the room I ask them about at what level of gear heads they are. Their eyes glitter as a rock n roll junky’s should.
“I have the coolest gear by far,” jokes Mike trying to make a comeback from his earlier fall from grace. Then he and Graham get serious as they go on to explain, “We’ve been playing for a number of years so we pretty much have the best gear in the world.” I laugh and he tells me it really is the bee’s knees. Cute!
Graham mentions how they all are avid collectors of instruments whilst Mike gets wistful talking about the smell of a Les Paul. Says Graham, “Mike and I are always scouting for great deals and checking out who’s got what… I play a Gibson, Mike a Gibson too and a Fender and Rusti’s got DW Collectors Series drums and we’ve a got a few other nice things.” Vaughan agrees and tells us about vintage guitars and a rare peddle from the 80’s called the Akai Deep Impact which he waited for three and a half years to nab on EBay.
In one short year these dudes have already managed to put together a debut album which is self-titled and came out in August. For them, as Vaughan explains, it was an organic process, “We wanted to put out some good music because we didn’t wanna die without having put out a decent album.” Aw, I like that.
Graham goes on to explain how they took their time on the project so as to keep a neutral viewpoint and produced it themselves without some record label breathing down their necks. They got their act together all on their own steam which they say carries some weight around here. Especially since the festival season is upon us and I imagine it’s great to have an audience who are acquainted with whom the foggiest your band is. I think how ridiculous it is when bands whisper that they want to stay underground in South Africa. Um, you actually have to have an underground for that to happen and we aren’t quite there. Let’s hear it for being heard first maybe?
We come to the end of our chat when I ask them what South African bands they appreciate at the moment. Graham mentions the Duke Royals and Mike talks about Prime Circle, one of the most successful South African bands around and how he has a lot of respect for them and that it’s a privilege to share a stage with them. He’s right when he says we need to change our attitude around here. “Europeans love making rock stars out of their own bands but it doesn’t happen here,” he stresses.
While the commercial nature of what gets you groupies in South Africa does not exactly appeal to me, The Rescu really have a point. This city has got it all, the wild palms, the glamour and the talent, probably more than what we anticipate LA and CA to have anyway. Make a movie, make music just make something and play the hell out of it.
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