Prime Circle set to scorch the stage when they return home

This multi award-winning rock group launched their sixth studio album to their South African fans in spectacular style this August and September, with a continued nationwide tour that promises to pull out all the entertainment stops.

‘The Let the Night In’ concert tour will take place at The Ridge at The Venue on September 5.
The ‘Let the Night In’ South African tour,  which hit the country soon after Prime Circle wrapped up the first leg of their 30-date European tour, is set to showcase the band at its spellbinding best, with a strong visual component complementing the music.

Designed and overseen by the members of Prime Circle themselves, these concerts in the country’s state-of-the-art concert venues will feature massive stages, out-of-this-world lighting and mammoth sound.

The emphasis is on delivering a spectacular, quality live music experience to their fans, explained frontman and singer-songwriter Ross Learmonth.
“We’re all super-amped about it. Audiences can expect an explosion of feeling and visuals – it’s going to be totally over the top. Each concert is going to be an event, rather than just a show!”

Local fans will be among the first to see Prime Circle performing hot-off-the-presses tracks from their stylistically adventurous new album, ‘Let the Night In’ – including the first radio single, ‘Gone’ followed by the second single ‘Doors’.

Plus, they’ll be playing all the hits that South Africans know so well, which have helped elevate Prime Circle to the position of the country’s premier rock act in the 13 years since their inception.

Since they first burst out of eMalahleni, this rock sensation has been unstoppable.
They stormed out of the gates with their record-breaking debut album in 2003, and have followed it up with a string of massive studio albums that have secured their place as the most successful rock act in South African history.

Prime Circle’s career is an inspiration that has spawned hundreds of garage bands across South Africa, with starry-eyed young rockers hoping that one day, they might make it big the way Ross Learmonth, Dirk Bisschoff, Marco Gomes, Neil Breytenbach and Dale Schnettler did. In a country where rock ‘n’ roll is a precious but rare commodity, that’s nothing to be sniffed at.
“It was hard to find people who were serious about music, so I jumped at the chance to jam with guys who were ambitious musicians,” said Ross as he reflected on the early days. .

Their 2003 debut, ‘Hello Crazy World’, rocketed to gold status in South Africa, with ‘Live This Life’ (the 2005 follow-up following suit) – fairly groundbreaking stuff for the fresh-faced newbies to the local rock scene.

Singles such as ‘Hello’, ‘Live This Life’ and ‘My Inspiration’ earned heavy rotation on South African radio, and it wasn’t long before crowds at Prime Circle shows were roaring their songs back to them word for word, building a fanbase that would stick with them for over a decade and more.

2008 saw Prime Circle’s signing to EMI, as well as the release of an album that would signal them as a seminal South African act. ‘All or Nothing’ demonstrated the difference between a good band and a great one. Recorded at Bellville Studios in Cape Town, ‘All or Nothing’ marked a turn in Prime Circle’s musical direction, moving further from their original post grunge, alternative sound to produce more anthemic, stadium rock records. The record raked in the first two Prime Circle South African Music Award nominations of their career, for Record of the Year and Best Rock Album (English).

To date, the first single from ‘All or Nothing’, ‘She Always Gets What She Wants’, has received over 789 000 YouTube hits. It is the most-viewed South African rock song of all time on the channel, and cements Prime Circle’s status as the most successful South African rock band in history. Award-winning follow-up singles from the album include ‘Out of This Place’ and ‘Consider Me’.

‘Jekyll & Hyde’, unleashed in 2010, had a lot to live up to – but Prime Circle has never been a band to shy away from a challenge.
The album was mixed in Los Angeles by Kevin Shirley, who has previously worked with the likes of Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Silverchair and Journey. New York-based Sterling Sound mastering engineer George Marino, who is famed for his work with Guns ‘n’ Roses and Ozzy Osbourne, laid the final touches on ‘Jekyll & Hyde’.

The first two singles from the album, power ballads ‘Breathing’ and ‘Turning in My Sleep’, were each nominated for the SAMA for MTN Record of the Year in 2011. As of October 2012, both releases continue to enjoy heavy rotation on regional radio stations in South Africa, with ‘Breathing’ having received over 197 000 YouTube views.

In March 2011, Prime Circle won the Best International Breakthrough Act at the MK Awards.
Over a decade after they first arrived on the scene, changing the landscape of South African rock forever, the band was delighted to announce the release of their fifth album. The title of the enigmatic 2012 release, after months of fan speculation and cryptic viral marketing, has been revealed as ‘Evidence’.

The first single off ‘Evidence’, ‘Time Kills Us All’, debuted on regional and national radio in South Africa in late September 2012 to widespread acclaim. A stadium-sized power ballad, the song indicates the heights the band have scaled since their inception, and the scope that they’re still capable of. Other songs sure to make top the charts are ‘Evidence’, ‘King for a Day’, ‘Change’, ‘Written in Riddles’ amongst others.

Thirteen years down the line, Prime Circle have kept their brand of rasping, layered, melodic rock on mainstream airwaves, bringing the heavier stuff to listeners who might not have found it without their help. Ross is now one of the most recognisable voices in South African music. But for the band, it’s not about rockstardom – it’s really still all about the fans and the songs.

“Without the fans, we would be nothing. And I don’t ever want to do anything else. Creating music for a living is a privilege, and we never forget that,” Ross said.
Don’t miss out on this golden opportunity to see Prime Circle on their dedicated ‘Let the Night In’ tour on Friday.
Tickets are R120 each and bookings can be done at www.computicket.com.

Fans will be in fort a huge surprise when the band I am The Army will be opening for Prime Circle.

From haunting melodies to rocking upbeat tunes, I Am The Army is all about melodic rock!

Starting out in 2007 as’Mood Swing’, a cover band performing a regular slot at Rust Lounge, Pta. Christiaan and Ivy  wrote a song called ‘Devil On My Shoulder’ and decided to bring it into the repertoire. A great crowd response was felt and a few weeks later the song was being requested by the audience and they were singing along.

This was the artistic turning point for the two songwriters.

Then a management company approached the band to perform at Aardklop 2007 with less than two weeks to prepare 12 original songs. They sat down and started writing… And they haven’t stopped since!

After working together in various projects over the years, the band decided to save up some cash from the cover gigs and do a proper I Am The Army” recording. Working with the insanely talented Denholm Harding, recording started in late 2013.

I Am The Army is proud to announce their first five-track extended play ‘Young.Wild.Free’  is available to purchase.