Carnival City plays host to the internationally-renowned British pop group, Smokie, during the Johannesburg leg of their Anthology World Tour.
The band will perform two shows in the Big Top Arena on October 10 and 11.
With chart-topping hits like Living Next Door to Alice, Lay Back in the Arms of Someone, Mexican Girl, For a Few Dollars, Needles and Pins and If You Think You Know How to Love Me, and constant tours, Smokie is one of the most popular bands in the world today.
The Smokie Anthology concert is a brand new show.
The band recently played the Haapsalon Castle in Estonia to a record of 50 000 people, and will also be visiting Moscow, Sweden, UK, Germany, Ireland, Austria, Norway, Spain, Denmark, Greenland, Scandinavia and Australia as part of the tour.
Smokie’s founding member, Terrey Uttley, said the band is excited to include South Africa in this celebratory tour.
“We will do something that we have never done before; that is to start the show with a 45-minute unplugged session, where some of our hits will be delivered acoustically.
“Then we will have interval and rock and roll in true Smokie style.”
The band’s tour to South Africa is made possible by Lefra Productions, Stuttaford Van Lines, RSG, Sounds Good and McCarthy Volkswagen (Arcadia).
Frans Swart, CEO of Lefra Productions and Promoter of the SA tour, said: “We organised three previous Smokie tours to South Africa a few years back. They were a sellout success, with many extra shows having to be scheduled. Smokie is one of those groups that understand how to entertain their audiences.”
Look at the Guinness Book of Hit Singles and you could be forgiven for thinking Smokie’s success story was a 1970’s phenomenon.
After all, 11 of their 14 British hits came in that eventful musical decade. However, their massive success story has continued to flourish around the globe, including Scandinavia, South Africa, Germany and even China.
Smokie has sold out tours and gained platinum records in four decades – the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and the present day.
Uttley said they cannot wait to come to South Africa.
“This is our favourite country and it has always been a wonderful experience to come to South Africa. The people of South Africa like our music and it is such a warm feeling to get such wonderful support,” he added.
