This time it was music video director, Ryan Kruger, who received the SAMA for best music video for the video Doors.
The SAMA awards took place on Sunday, April 12.
“We love being part of history in the music scene and to be able to share and be recognized for it, for us is inspirational. Big up to Ryan, we are so happy about the SAMA win,” Ross Learmonth, lead vocalist from Prime Circle said.
This award comes hot on the heels of the Short & Sweet Music Video Awards Show that took place on March 31.
Ryan won the music video of the year award with Prime Circle’s ‘Let the night in’.
On the subject of this year’s SAMA awards Marco Gomes, lead guitarist, said: “Getting to share a stage with a great South African legend rapper like Cassper, was another tick to our amazing musical journey we have been on for all these years”.
Prime Circle came a long way from practising in the garage in bass guitarist Marco Gomes’ parents’ house more than 15 years ago.
The band started playing in clubs and bars when band members Ross Learmonth, Marco Gomes, Dirk Bisschoff and Gerhard Venter who had been playing in various bands came together to form a new band.
Initially the band signed with independent local label, David Gresham Records with a two-album deal.
Their July 2002 debut album, ‘Hello Crazy World’ was a success in South Africa with the first single, ‘Hello’ topping the national charts for 28 weeks
This was followed in 2003 and 2004 by ‘Let me go’, ‘As long as I am here’, ‘My inspiration’ and ‘Same goes for you’ all topping the charts in 2003 and 2004. The album achieved platinum sales status.
The follow up album, ‘Live this life’ was already in the making and was released in 2005. This album reached gold status.
The two albums cemented their position as the biggest selling South African rock act from 2003 to 2006.
Neil Breytenbach, on keyboard, joined the band in 2007 and a year later Gerhard left the band.
Dale Schnettler joined the band to take over the drums in September of that year.
Prime Circle has played at most major local concerts including nine times on the 94.7 Highveld Stereo Jo’burg Day stage, Nelson Mandela 46664 Concerts, Oppikoppi, Splashy Fen, My Coke Fest, Synergy and Rocking the Daisies.
The band joined US band, LIVE on stage during their ‘Birds of Prey’ tour to South Africa in 2003.
International stages have hosted platforms for the band doing two tours of India, one of them a festival known as Rock ‘N India, playing at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival in 2007, the Reload Festival in Germany in 2011 and numerous German and European tours including touring with 3 Doors Down, Alterbridge and Seether.
In 2013 the band played Homelandz Festival in the UK and 2014 they appeared on the main stage at Graspop Metal Meeting.
The rest as they say is history as a DVD ‘Hello Crazy World’ followed as well as the album ‘All or Nothing’ by the band’s new record label, EMI Music South Africa in June 2008.
‘All or Nothing’ reached platinum status.
In early 2010 the band began work on their fourth studio album ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ which Kevin Shirley mastered the tracks of.
The album’s first single ‘Breathing’, released in August of that year, reached number one on regional stations in the first week and repeated the chart topping success on national radio.
In July 2012 the band entered the studio to record their fifth studio album ‘Evidence’ and two tears later ‘Let the Night in’ followed.
The boytjies from eMalahleni took big strides and have left a footprint of true musical genius. Although their names are written amongst the stars, they still hold eMalahleni close to heart because that is where their dreams started.
