The first time I heard Joint State, I was sitting with the Nebbiolo Nymph at Berties Mooring Pub and Restaurant in Gordon’s Bay. I was mightily impressed by their talent and so when I received word that they would be playing at The Nameless Pub in Somerset West, I made plans to see them.
Nameless Pub is not the type of pub where you order a glass of wine and sit quietly in the corner. It’s a rowdy musky, pub and when I walked, I immediately went to order myself a brandy and coke, just to blend in with the locals. As I moved through the smoky bar towards the back, the area opens up to large courtyard where the stage has been set up. Its seems that I have arrived just in time to see the boys as they prepare to get ready for their set.
Joint State consist of:
- Chris Munro – Lead guitars and vocals
- Martin Munro – Drums
- Stephan Lenhoff – Bass Guitar
After I bought them a round of beers as refreshments, they started off with their explosive rock gig. Joint State has a diverse music style, which is a combination of Classic Rock ranging from the 60’s with a detour via Ska and Melodic Rock, all the way through to the early 90’s Grunge movement. (a time when Doc Martins, checkered shirts and long unkept hair was the norm.)
Chris writes all of the songs for the band but they also like to cover a couple of songs from groups that are their influences, for example they performed “Roadhouse Blues” from The Doors. After hearing the cover, I really came to understand how these influences comes through as the part of their music style.
They kept the crowd going with the powerful vocal talents from Chris, the infectious beat from Stephan’s bass and the non-stop energy from Martin on the drums for the duration of their whole set.
When they were done with their gig, I spend some time with the guys at the bar, they are down to earth and very approachable. Also I got my hands on their new album, The Relief, which was recorded after winning the Mystic Boer BandBattle competition in 2009. The album was created with sponsored studio time at the Franschhoek Recording Studio.
Joint State Rocking With "Give Some Fire"
As I walked out of the pub in the early morning hours, I came to realise that regardless of The Pub’s name or reputation it is one of the few places in the Helderberg that provide a platform form for up and coming bands and artists as a venue to bring their talents to life. Say what you will about the place but The Nameless Pub will definately see me again.
On my way home I popped the CD in my car stereo, after stopping at the petrol station for my traditional nocturnal pie and coke, I was surprised to hear that the band (albeit the fact that the CD is produced in a recording studio) was just as good as their live performance. The only difference was the bands raw energy, which was more tangible as it oozed from the speakers at the Pub, but that is to be expected from a live gig.
***Its been a couple of days now since the gig and I am still not tired of listening to the CD, it just goes to show the diverse style of music and the incredible talent from this band. I’m loving their songs more each time I listen to it. It is a melting pot of genres and influences, but Joint State still remain unique and they hold on to that good old South African Rock feel.
I think Joint State has got it right and I cannot wait to go and see their next gig!
- Check out Joint State on their Facebook page to find out where to buy the CD, their next gig or any other additional information.
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