Verity's Blog

Kirstenbosh Katch-Up...

I know its over a week after the fact but I couldn't leave out a quick update on how our Kirstenbosch show went given that it is one of our favourite shows each year! This year was special in that we had a new guitarist Al Du Toit join us on stage for the first time. The band has been begging for a guitarist since we finished recording the album, but for some reason we haven't gotten it together until now. I think Nelson was relieved to finally just have to worry about his piano & keyboard parts after all the shows where he has been filling in guitar lines as well!

We managed to squeeze all of us onto the rather tiny stage and launched into our first set with gusto. Half way through Tony dashed off the stage & I was left adlibbing to the audience as the poor guy was violently ill! Somehow he made it back on stage & gave the rest of the set his all & we were hugely relieved that he was miraculously back on track for the second half. We showcased some of the new songs we are working on including a brand new floor thumping dance track "I Am Free" and the evening ended with the entire place up & dancing & calling for more. It was like a night at some of the biggest party hotels in manchester - great people, super music, wonderful atmostphere and dancing til dawn! I made my regular vow to go to actually use my gym contact so that I can dance like a mad woman & not want to collapse in a heap at the end of each big show - the queen of procrastination - hmmm!

Al played brilliantly and we are looking forward to having him join Verity & The Shades when we perform with CODA on Friday 18th September at Wembley Square. Bring it on!

KTV market day... innovation & inspiration!

Saturday morning saw me up bright & early and on my way to MC the KTV Market Day at Canal Walk. I was a little apprehensive, given that I have never MC'd to a mall audience before, but when I arrived and had the opportunity to walk down the hallways packed with kids and their stall displaying their various products, any worries I had disappeared! The place was packed with kids from across the Western Cape who had spent the last few months coming up with ideas they could make & sell and then putting together a business plan to motivate why they should be chosen to take part in the market day. My sister and I were blown away by the inventiveness & passion all the children displayed - from toys made out of old golf balls & recycled milk cartons, to a full medieval castle kit made from toilet roll tubes, to vuvuzelas made from dried kelp! Every stand was beautifuly decorated and some kids had even made business cards, had t-shirts printed & had their sales pitches down pat.

It was incredible to be part of a day that is all about encouraging the entrepeneurial spirit in our youth & letting them learn business principals from a very early age. The centre stage at Canal Walk is where I spent my morning MC'ing the talent contest, and the floor was filled with hundreds of people giving it up for each young performer. We had amazing dance groups, young rappers, solo singers & dance/song groups and every one of them gave it their all. I have to say I was pretty emotional the entire morning between introducing the next performer, to interviewing some of the young marketteers on stage so that they could tell the audience about their products - goosebumps all round!

All in all a fantastic day filled with innovation, ingenuity & inspiration that was coloured by brains, brilliance & so many children believing in themselves & having the courage to share their creativity & discover their capability, talent, tenacity & just get out there and try their best!

Thought for the week...

Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity.  -  Lou Holtz