Songs and sunshine at Parklife
JOHANNESBURG – Music fans made the most of a gorgeous day on 3 May, soaking up the sun and singing along to live tunes from a few of their favourite local and international bands at the Parklife Gourmet Food and Music Festival.
Festival-goers were not lacking in entertainment thanks to three stages and an incredible line-up of international acts like American Authors, Modest Mouse and French producer and DJ Klingande, as well as a few local stars like KAHN from The Parlotones, Johnny Apple and Connell Cruise, to name a few.
Many people laid out blankets and umbrellas and tucked into home-packed picnics or indulged in some of the mouth-watering food on sale. There were gourmet burgers from Balkan Burger, cupcakes from Crumb & Crust and even a selection of healthy smoothies.
However, the stars on stage weren’t the only ones causing a buzz. Many local celebrities such as Alastair Thomas and Jason Hartford from ShortStraw were in the crowd. “Parklife’s a great show, a great festival and a lot of our friends are playing so we thought we’d just come and check it out. It’s nice to show support. It’s a good festival to be at,” says Alastair Thomas, ShortStraw’s lead singer and guitar player.
South Africa’s Got Talent 2013 winner Johnny Apple also mingled with the crowd and snapped a few pictures with fans after his performance, as did KAHN from The Parlotones, who performed solo on the day. “I love Gangs of Ballet. In fact, our wedding song was one of their songs,” KAHN said when pressed about who he was most excited to see perform. “The crowd is very chilled. I think it’s just the nature of the festival. Parklife means everyone’s chilling on blankets and stuff.”
Jeremy Loops caused a stir with his amazing performance as the sun was setting. Even though he got a bit over excited, jumped to high and ended up disconnecting his own microphone, he made the best out of a bad situation and got the crowd into a frenzy. He even went as far as to loop the singing mass into one of his songs.
It certainly was the best way to wind down after the weekend and it’s safe to say that the crowd departed after Modest Mouse feeling thoroughly sated and entertained. “It has the potential to be the best festival in Joburg,” KAHN added.
Details: www.parklifefestival.co.za
