Last Thursday, Fruit and Veggies and Tidal Waves played at Unit 11. Matt The Knight writes about seeing Tidal Waves for the first time.

Fruit and Veggies. Photo : Erin Wulfsohn

Last month Durban hosted its annual film festival (DIFF), where for ten glorious days the constant stream of Hollywood mass produce is interrupted by one-off passion pieces; creative and flavoursome films that have been carefully crafted by, often unknown, directors from around the world.

The differences between these two approaches to film are worlds apart. On one hand we have the Blockbuster: Animated 3D films about animal strife, or the next big ooh-look-at-me-and-how-this-new-thingy-is–bigger-than-the-old-thingy while I drop any actual plot or character development CGI extravaganza, or even the tired and predictable ‘Waa I’m so sad, Ooh now we’re happy’ ROMatthew mCOMmaughey film. The goal of all of these films is simple: make a product that many people will buy into, put bums in seats and fill the gap for 3 months until the next carbon copy comes and takes its place.

On the other hand, we have mostly independent and unknown films. Very rarely will they make money. Most of them will not appeal to a wide audience. I don’t understand about 43% of them, but, love a DIFF film or hate it, you cannot escape the fact that behind each unique product, there is a person or people who are deeply invested in telling their story. It often seems that they are compelled to do so; they have no choice but to do so; the story MUST be written. And so these film makers pour themselves into their films, going soulfully on display for any and all who would wish to see them. The objective is often not money or even success, but truth and significance.

Which brings us the long way around to the Tidal Waves, who played at Unit 11 this last Thursday night, and who took over half an hour to meticulously and annoyingly sound check every tiny detail.

I don’t know how, but I had not seen them or heard of them before (I was clearly in the minority here, as most of the 150ish crowd knew the words and interacted with the band the entire set) but I found myself tired and grumpy at 23h30 on a Thursday night, sitting on my crappy plastic chair waiting as they fiddled with the snare sound for another 10 minutes.

By the time they started, I knew this review would be grumpy and filled with revenge. But, within two songs, I understood with such clarity what I was starting to see and feel in the people all around me: something special was happening.

This was not a plug in and play kind of night.

There is a reason the band is so pedantic about sound check and everything being perfect, it is the same reason that, once the sound had come right, the entire band began to step into their set, and get utterly lost in the songs they had created. It was for the same reason that for most of the set I found myself with eyes closed, moving along effortlessly with the entire crowd, in time with each flawless beat; slowing down when they told me too, speeding up as we changed the mood together – This was not a plug in and play kind of night. This was not mass produced ‘fill the gap’ kind of music – These guys believed deeply in every word they were singing. They were in love with every melody and harmony; they NEEDED every indulgent and lengthy instrumental to be perfect, because this was not just a set, these were artists telling their story.

Tidal Waves. Photo : Erin Wulfsohn

For over an hour (it was hard to keep track) they ebbed and flowed – drawing you in to a very emotive and beautiful experience. Each musician was so skilled at his trade, and all five of them were so aware of what the other was doing the entire time. As a sound guy I was listening for the mistimed beat, the wrong note, the flat vocals…

There were none.

It is refreshing to see a local band care so deeply about dynamics and textures, about creating space for one another to play in instead of competing with their instruments, about being perfect together.

From pure-sex blues leads layered over ska and reggae beats, to ballads and rock and roll pieces – you could tell that not a note was played that the band were not totally in love with.

I have never seen so few people at a Unit gig sitting around or hanging at the bar – the whole audience was engaged the whole time.

Photo : Erin Wulfsohn

I’m sure Tidal Waves will not be everyone’s cup of tea. I’m sure they may have made a CD or several, and knowing them they would probably be really well put together and what not – but let me say this: nothing but a long ass sound check followed by an emotional and invested live show can do these guys justice, it was pure bliss to be there embracing each and every song.

These are creators, telling their story, pouring themselves into every second that they have with you. And man oh man, was I glad I got to enjoy it. By the end, I was a total believer, a (somehow) now familiar fan, able to join in with the band and their fans’ war cry throughout the set:

‘Tidal Waves – Original Music for Original People’

Long live the artist.