DON’T you love that kinda beat where you can just let loose and engage in some head-banging?
That’s exactly what rock band CrashCarBurn (pictured) has been offering audiences for the past decade.
Having performed at almost every major festival, with the backing of a full orchestra, the band recently performed at the iHeart Joburg Festival alongside internationally-renowned artists, Fall Out Boy, Jesse J, Panic! At the Disco, B.o.B and T-Pain.
And now the guys are on their national summer tour which got off to an awesome start in Cape Town.
Lead vocalist and guitarist, Garth Barnes, explains how their sound has evolved. Fans of the band will know that brothers Garth and Brendan Barnes formed the punk rock band Tweak before CrashCarBurn.
Barnes shares: “We’ve been doing this for over 15 years. We were in Tweak and that was an amazing experience. But, of course, we were singing about different things back then since we were a bunch of teenagers and now I can’t sing about that stuff in my mid-30s. So it’s been a very natural slow progression.
“But we feel very comfortable in the music we’re making now. And it’s a representation of what we’re doing. And your parents just think that it’s something you grow out of or will let go of. I mean, I never pictured myself still making music in my mid-30s and now I can’t picture my life without it.”
On their upcoming gigs which include KZN, East London, Knysna and Joburg, Barnes says: “We’re definitely excited about visiting these cities. And this time around we’ve tried a different approach. We spread it over two months, November and December, so there’s a bit more time between gigs and it’s a bit more relaxed. We’ve played at Cape Town, Stellenbosch, already and that was flippin’ amazing. And it’s been a while since we’ve played in KZN so we’re super stoked and looking forward to it.
“The last time we played in Pietermaritzburg, we ran out of drinks at the bar because it was so busy so we’re hoping for that kinda response and we’re excited to share the new songs we have with everyone.”
Of their new single, Rock ’n’ Roll Reverie which the guys have just released, Barnes says it’s inspired by their 15-year career in the music industry: “Reverie is like a daydream or thought back to fond memories. So the song was inspired by the last 15 years in the business. It’s been a crazy ride and people only see the glamorous side of things and leave out the other stuff like the constant driving, sleeping on floors and fighting in your band. So all those things inspired the song. And that inspired us to post videos on Facebook and Instagram, on the less glamorous side of being in a band. But it’s all about making music and it always works out in the end.”
• CrashCarBurn: Fri at Ollies Pub and Grill, KZN, Sat at The Red Door, Pmb. Dec 5 at Sundowners in Alberton, Dec 26 at the Bushpig in Kei Mouth, Dec 27 at Pool City in PE, Dec 28 at Barmuda in Port Alfred, Dec 29 at Zanzibar, Knysna and Dec 31 at Rumours Lounge in Joburg. See facebook.com/ crashcarburn and Twitter: @CrashCarBurn