Illegal Gathering

Formed in Cape Town in 1981 by Carl Raubenheimer (guitar, vocals) and James Phillips (guitar, vocals) with (initially) Brett Murray (bass) and Brian Rath (drums). After an initial attempt at getting things going Murray and Rath left and were replaced with David Ledbetter (bass, guitar, vocals) and Wayne Raath (drums) when the band reconstituted later in 1981.

In early 1982 they recorded a few songs, some of which ended up on marginal compilations (for example, “Emphasis Shift” and “Buttons Your Lip” on the 1983 Regional Jive cassette compilation and “”Johnny Cool” on the 1984 Out Of The Blue compilation LP).

Kalahari Surfers

Primarily a studio group formed in Cape Town in the early 1980s. Initial line-up was Warrick Swinney, aka Warrick Sony, (guitars, keyboards and studio), Hamish Davidson (saxophone) and Brian Rath (drums).

They released the single “Burning Tractors Keep Us Warm” in 1982, followed by the cassette release Gross National Products (1983). By the time of their first album release on vinyl Kalahari Surfers constituted Warrick Swinney and a host of guest musicians.

Four albums followed in the 1980s: Own Affairs (1984), Living In The Heart Of The Beast (1985), Sleep Armed (1986) and Bigger than Jesus (1989). Urgent Release (1990) included ANC leaders’ speeches with a Surfers backing. In 1992 the Surfers collaborated with poet Lesego Rampolokeng on the New Beginnings album.

After a break of several years Sony/The Surfers began to release more electronic/dub-oriented music, beginning with Akasic Record (2001) and then Muti Media (2003), Conspiracy of Silence (2005), Panga Management (2006), Turntabla with Greg Cutler (2009), One Party State (2010) and Agit Prop (2012).

Tighthead Fourie & The Loose Forwards

Tighthead Fourie was Roger Lucey under another (country) guise.

Formed in Johannesburg in 1984: Tighthead Fourie/Roger Lucey (guitar, vocals), Ray Stadig/Johnny Blundell (guitar), Gene Parkering/Brian Rath (drums), Lorenzo Marks/Dave Marks (bass), Ben Zeen/Warrick Sony (bass), Sakkie de Kock/Lloyd Ross (bass), Tennessee Ferreira/Will Von Will (vocals) and Slim Gedagte/Peter Davidson (vocals). (Different bass players were used on various songs).

Released the single “Whiskey Strait Up”/”No Easy Walk to Freedom in 1984”. Other songs were recorded but not released.