25 Feb 2010 If you like  small angry men letting you know why they think they’re single then you had better not miss Paul Snodgrass,  the loudest comic on stage, in his first one man show “I'm So Lonely”.   From  Thursday 11 to Saturday 13 March 2010 Paul lets loose at the Baxter Concert Hall where he will take you on a high energy ride and describe the differences between men and women, his worst kiss, why he never wants to move in with a girlfriend again and why he'll probably be lonely for the rest of his life !    

Paul’s comedy career started over a decade ago at the fresh faces section of the Smirnoff International comedy Festival.  At the Edinburgh Festival in 2006 he was  billed as one of the best value for money acts and has performed at and hosted many comedy festivals in South Africa.  He is a regular performer at the Heavyweight Comedy Jams and the Kingsize Comedy Fests and has performed at the Vodacom Funny Festival and the Old Mutual Comedy Encounters.

Known as Snoddie on Heart FM's Afternoon drive show, Paul is the resident sport anchor and side-kick to host Diggy Bongz.  He was a reporter and a producer for eTV sports news for five years and  “That Sport Show” for three.  As an MC Paul has worked at almost every major rock festival in SA bringing on bands from all over the world including recently completing his 3rd year at “Rocking the Daisies’.

Joining Paul as his special guests on 11 and 12 March is the Rock Band Taxi Violence with George van der Spuy (vocals), Jason Ling (bass), Louis Nel (drums) and Rian Zietsman (guitar and backing vocals). Since 2006 they have received many accolades that include ‘the best thing that has happened to Rock Music’, the Best Album nomination, the Album of the Month and the Best Live Act.   And on the 13 March, well known singer songwriter and photographer Andy Lund performs solo. Achieving underground acclaim, Andy has been involved in the South African music scene for over 10 years.

Tickets costs R60 and there is a 10% discounts for block bookings of ten or more. Book at Computicket, Shoprite and Checkers outlets, at the Baxter Theatre 021 685 7880 and on line www.computicket.com

I’m So Lonely is at 8.15pm each evening and is 70 minutes long with no interval. It has an age restriction - no under 16s.
PROFILES:

PAUL SNODGRASS
STAND UP COMEDY

• Started Comedy 10 years ago at the fresh faces section of the Smirnoff International comedy Festival
• Performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2006, the largest arts festival in the world. Achieved a 4 star review and was quoted in the Guardian "Headliner, Paul Snodgrass … one of the best value for money acts at the festival."
•  Founder member of the Cape Comedy Collective
• A resident host and comic at the Comedy Warehouse in Greenpoint till its closure.
• Founder member of Comedy all stars in Cape Town
• Regular visitor to Joburg and Durban for comedy events as well as being on many tours throughout the country
• Has performed and hosted festivals such as the Vodacom Funny Fest and The Old Mutual Fest in Cape Town, the "HA HA" Festival and the “Up ‘n under Festival” in Durban, the Greenspicer Varsity Tour and The Play 'n Ice Festival in Grahamstown

Has featured on TV or video on SABC3's "Comedy Showcase", ETV's "Deadtime, SABC1's "Takefive" and eTV's "Citylife as well as being invited to be one of the performers on the second installment of the Joe Parker Comedy Express Video

TV WORK:
Paul was a reporter and a producer for eTV sports news for 5 years, and was the side-kick on eTV’s “That Sport Show” for 3 years

Fans remember him swimming against Olympic gold medalist Ryk Neethling in a pair of flippers, facing fast balls from cricketing fast bowler Makhaya Ntini without a bat in a hockey goal-keeper's kit and trying to side-step springbok rugby player Schalk Burger.

RADIO WORK:
Paul is part of Heart FM’s afternoon drive show, which is the 2nd highest rated radio show in Cape Town. Known as Snoddie on the show, he’s the resident sport anchor and side-kick to host Diggy Bongz

MAGAZINE WORK:
Paul has also used his sports profile to become the Extreme Golfer in the new irreverent golf magazine “Golf Punk”, doing crazy things like putting golf balls underwater with sharks, playing golf out a helicopter and hitting chips out the crocodile enclosure at Sun City

BAND WORK:

• Paul has worked almost every major rock fest in SA bringing on bands from all over the world.
• Has done 4 years MC’ing the stage at “Rocking the Daisies”
• Has 4 years of “Up the Creek” under his belt
• MC'd the main stage at “Toast Fest” in London alongside “Arno Carstens”, “Freshlyground”, “Just Jinger”, and “Jac Sharp”
• Paul has become a number of bands’ choice for MC work, from “The Dirty Skirts”, to “Fokofpolisiekar”, “Hog Hoggidy Hog”, “The Rudimentals”, “Goldfish”, “Plush”, “Jac sharp”, “Andy Lund and the Mission Men” and “The Shy Guevaras”
• He’s also been used by international bands like punk masters “NOFX” and “Eagle-Eye Cherry” 

PRESS COMMENTS:

"Incredibly funny" …  The Argus

 "Unknown pretty boy, with funny bones" The Mail and Guardian

 "One of SA' top young acts"… The Cape Review

 "My favourite comedian at the Comedy Warehouse"  .. Kieno, from 567 Talk Radio

 "Headliner, Paul Snodgrass, one of the best value for money acts at the festival" … The Scotsman

 "Opening the second half was one of the most energetic and funny young performers I have ever seen" … The Natal Mercury

“Pure comedy class” … The Cape Argus

TAXI VIOLENCE

George van der Spuy (vocals), Rian Zietsman (guitar), Jason Ling (bass) and Louis Nel (drums) 

Taxi Violence was born in Cape Town in the spring of 2004 when best friends Rian Zietsman, Loedi van Renen and Louis Nel approached George van der Spuy with an invitation to a jam session. Rian, Loedi and Louis had played in a band called 508 in high school, while George was the drummer for their rival band, Drain (there was a famous spitting incident to which both parties claim innocence). After finishing school, both bands ceased to exist and the members went their separate ways, but staying involved in creating music. In 2003, George and Rian played in the band, Multistate, in which George had thrown away his drum sticks and focused on vocal duties, but this was short-lived. A period started in which Rian, Loedi and Louis had conversations about creating music together again. They wanted a new project. One with substance and something that stood out above the rest of what South Africa had to offer its Rock and Roll lovers. They had a clear mission, a boiling passion and needed to find a front-man who would share this with them. George came highly recommended by Rian, and so the first get-together came to fruition… at a military base.

“When I heard Queens of the Stone Age for the first time, I knew that I wanted to play in a band again” - Rian Zietsman

Taxi Violence spent the rest of 2004 perfecting a set to unleash upon a virgin Cape Town audience. After the first show (March 2005) at a packed Mercury, the band and its newborn fans could sense that this was going to be a powerful force to reckon with. Taxi Violence then entered the nationwide RBF Studios Emerging Sounds Competition, working its way through every Western Cape qualifying round until reaching the national final at Caesar’s Palace in Johannesburg. The band won first prize (a record deal with a major label), but after weeks of negotiations, Taxi Violence decided to turn down the record deal and hand over the winners’ title to the second-placed band.

“We couldn’t meet the demands of the record label and they couldn’t meet ours. We wanted to retain our artistic freedom and integrity” - George van der Spuy

The rest of 2005 saw Taxi Violence releasing a self-titled and self-produced 3-track EP, as well as two music videos. The first video (Rock Out) was made with a miniscule budget of R400, yet it grew in popularity until it reached a point where Taxi Violence was the band on everyone’s lips. This could have contributed to Look and Listen, a national music retail chain, requesting Taxi Violence to stock the EP. It sold out in two months. The second video (Nothing Left to Lose) received a nomination in the MK Music Video Awards.

Taxi Violence entered the studio in May 2006 to record their debut album, Untie Yourself… again, self-produced. The album was released in November 2006 after successfully performing at their first Oppikoppi Festival. The single, Untie Yourself, was made available on 24.com and still holds the record for most downloaded track in one week.

"The best thing to happen to South African rock music since The Springbok Nude Girls” - Miles Keylock, Mail & Guardian (10 February 2006)

“Taxi Violence… The next BIG things” - Cape Argus, The Star and The Daily News (16 February 2006)

In 2007 the Taxi Violence popularity snowball increased in speed. The band regularly performed all over South Africa and made appearances at large festivals. These included Splashy Fen, Rocking the Daisies, and My Coke Fest where Taxi Violence shared the stage with 3 Doors Down, Hoobastank, Staind and Evanescence. The single, Untie Yourself, also reached number 4 on 5FM’s Top 40 after spending about 6 weeks in this chart. To date, the single is still on high rotation on 5FM.

“Untie Yourself: Album of the Month” – GQ Magazine (January 2007)

“Best live act of 2007” – 24.com

At the beginning of 2008, Taxi Violence had to overcome a very difficult period. The band had to bid farewell to their charismatic bass player and a life-long friend, Loedi, who decided to call it a day and relocate to Johannesburg. After playing his last show, a very emotionally soaked ripper at the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees in Oudtshoorn, Taxi Violence began auditioning for a new bass player. Jason Ling stepped into the rehearsal room, started jamming with the band and it felt right. Jason was already a well established musician in the scene, having played in bands like The Roswell Kings and Zenith, but after deciding to call it quits, he was stuck with having to experience rock shows from the crowd’s perspective.

“Taxi actually got me off the couch. When I saw them for the first time I thought, this is the band I want to play for” – Jason Ling

With a new bass player that fit the band like a glove, Taxi Violence spent the rest of 2008 exploring a new direction in sound. This included perfecting a highly regarded and entertaining acoustic set. Again, Taxi Violence had a surprise in store for fans when unleashing this version of their music onto a jam-packed Green Dolphin for Levi’s Vintage Sundays. After two encores and a standing ovation, the band experienced that same feeling they had after their very first show. A feeling of excitement and renewed energy. Receiving a nomination at the South African Music Awards (SAMA) for Best Rock Album was another highlight in 2008, as well as being part of a reality show called Telkom Do Band Up.

A year after saying goodbye to Loedi, Taxi Violence had yet another difficult hurdle to overcome. They could not, after planning and strategising for the future, see their management team play the part that the band desperately needed them to play. This resulted in another difficult and emotional farewell, but the band looked ahead and instead of letting their emotions get the better of them, they used it as inspiration for their highly anticipated second album. The Turn was recorded in Cape Town at George’s studio, Kill City Blues, in March 2009 and released that August. After a successful album launch tour across South Africa, Taxi Violence headed to Germany and Holland to test its brand of rock and roll in Europe. The results were great and a follow-up tour is definitely on the cards.

With more successful tours and headlining performances at Up The Creek, Pro X Games, Ramfest and Oppikoppi, as well as another nomination at the MK Music Video Awards, 2009 served as a turn-around year for Taxi Violence. A year of new beginnings and new frontiers. There is a fresh new outlook in the camp and a much stronger-than-before desire to succeed… on their own terms.

 “I’ve always been a big Taxi Violence fan” – Arno Carstens

"Watch Taxi Violence on a big stage and you will want to grow your hair and start a band. This is noisy, sweaty rock 'n roll personified." - Hennie Van Halen (aKING)

"Taxi Violence have been the best band in the country for many years now. When can they stop and give someone else a chance?" - Jaco Snakehead Venter (Fokofpolisiekar & aKING)

"They're totally underrated.  They should be charting in the UK." - Johnny de Ridder (Fokofpolisiekar)

“There is no excuse not to know or see Taxi Violence” – Cosmopolitan Magazine (January 2009)

“Taxi Violence is that rare beast, an old-fashioned band. If they were fine artists, they’d be painting the oil masters of tomorrow rather than staging the conceptual performances of yesterday’s news. The Turn puts down a marker in the dusty landscape of South African rock, a parched environment that is made that little bit greener by the passion and truth that is Taxi Violence.” – Chris Roper (Mail & Guardian)

“2010 started By: Jon Monsoon (Plus 1 Media Productions)

Sponsors, affiliates and partners in crime:

Red Bull, RVCA Clothing, Wildfire Tattoo, Paul Bothner Music, Speakerbox, BoyGirl Hair, Southern Pulse Booking Agency, Sheer Sound, Suukie Music, Kill City Blues, Type 1 Design.

 ANDY LUND

Singer and main songwriter, Andy Lund has been involved in the South African music scene for over 10 years achieving underground acclaim with previous band, Roswell Kings. Feeling that he was only expressing half of his soul with the Kings, Lund felt that he need to take the collection of acoustic songs that he had written and give them the attention and life that they deserved and so Andy Lund & The Mission Men was born.

Lund is kept on his toes by The Mission Men, a collection of like minded and talented ‘sound agents’ who provide a backing to Lund’s songs. Mission Men you might find playing at any given gig, include bassist Sean Ou Tim (Lark, Goddessa, Closet Snare), Adam Hill (Sleepers) on guitar,  Artur Pereira (Roswell Kings/VOL) on drums, on keyboards Jann Krynauw, harmonica player Dave Ferguson and Lara Block on cello.