Fataar returns to set the stage ablaze

POPULAR guitarist and vocalist of The Flames fame, Steve Fataar, is back on the music scene to set the stage on fire for Durban fans as a special guest by special request. For one night only at the German Club in Westville on Essex Road, old fans, new ones and music lovers can expect a blazing performance with Fataar’s exceptional musical skills.

With a twist of fresh new school beat boxing and Fataar’s classic sounds, the show seeks to wing in fans of all generations for a fusion of the old blended in with the new. “It gets really interesting because we don’t know where it will go. The only real danger is of it derailing – which usually doesn’t happen. It goes to spaces where sometimes it sounds like almost unfamiliar pathways that we’re threading but we find each other on a bend somewhere and then it is beautiful again,” he said.

“I can see how it is enjoyed – that kind of stuff is enjoyed by audiences and they throw the same kind of energy back at us,” Fataar added.

The show will feature two other artists making a name for themselves in the Durban music scene who will be performing alongside him. DaneStops, a graphic design master’s student at the DUT who is also Fataar’s son, will bring in the beat boxing element to the performance, while Westville Boys’ High School old boy, Aury Livingstone, will be on guitar alongside Fataar.

Fataar has had a presence in the music industry stretching over 40 years, enjoying great success with tours all around the world. “My band and I have toured Europe with the Beach Boys, across the United States, visiting about 30 states. Our first album had songs off of it that went into the top 10 in about 11 states,” Fataar recalled.

Needing no proof to his claims of his popularity, our interview was interrupted by fans wanting a hug and quick chat with the star, praising him of his music. “I get this kind of thing quite often, people still recognise me and my friends always complain about it. It’s a beautiful feeling, very rarely irritating on a good day, but sometimes I don’t want to be Steve Fataar from The Flames, I just want to be just another somebody,” he laughed.

He also went on tour with the Rolling Stones in 2003, however, not to perform with them but as a guest. “Business class flights to Australia, hung out with the Rolling Stones for seven concerts, got in the car with Keith Richard going to the concert. It was fascinating, I behaved just like a lot of people behave here with me. I found myself almost like a groupie, my knees were shaking,” he recalled.

“Music has always been about feeling to me. I enjoy playing for small gigs because it always feels like people get something out of it, a little bit more than what song it is,” Fataar said. He advised that although people’s ideas of success differ, getting into the energy of doing what you love is a formula for success.

Don’t miss Steve Fataar, DaneStops and Aury Livingstone live at the German Club, Westville on Saturday, 1 August. Doors open at 6.30pm and the show starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale for R120. Contact Glen on 082 851 6390.