A Q&A with Sidestreet Serenade ahead of the Beer and Bratwurst on the Bay that takes place at the Point Yacht Club on Saturday 25 March
1 What was the first song that you learnt to play / sing?
LN -> It has to be Say You, Say Me by Lionel Richie in the car on the way to somewhere in the late 80s. It must have been playing on the radio quite a bit.
DP -> Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
TW -> Puff the magic dragon…. F, Am, Bb….try playing those bar chords as a beginner.
2 Strangest request you have ever received while on stage?
LN -> People always request insane classics like Hotel California. So we just ended up adding it to our live set. But we’ve since forgotten how to play it.
DP -> To use some sausages instead of drumsticks.. They worked pretty well, until I ate them.
Can’t think of any…..
3 What genre of music most inspires you and why?
LN -> Old school rock ‘n roll and blues. There is a certain substance in the songwriting and timelessness that can’t be replicated today. Except probably for Dan Patlansky.
DP -> Some heavy Metalcore or some dirty Trap. They both very emotionally triggering genres. Any music that makes you pull a face like you have smelt something horrible is a good thing.
TW -> EDM, metal, drum & bass…..no clue on the inspiration haha.
4 If you could invite any three iconic musos to dinner, who would they be?
LN -> John Lennon, Ravi Shankar and Bono.
DP -> Matt Mcguire, Hayley Williams and Herman Li.
TW -> Dave Grohl, Steve Hofmeyer, Taylor Swift
5 In your opinion – Best music festival in South Africa, and globally?
LN -> At the moment it has to be Rocking the Daisies and Tomorrowland
DP -> Oppikoppi and Redding festival.
TW -> Oppikoppi was really good when they brought big international acts down…not so much anymore… Leeds or reading could be cool for international festivals.
6 What instrument do you play?
LN -> guitar and currently bass guitar.
DP -> Drums, but also guitar, bass and piano.
TW -> guitar
7 If you could attend any concert, anywhere in the world, where would it be and who would be performing?
LN -> Burning Man in the US and any band that would be performing there would be a great experience.
DP -> Any stadium gig, with Escape the fate, Tonight alive, Alesana and Black Dahlia murder.
Tw -> Ultra Miami
8 Best lyric you have heard?
LN -> The legendary Beatles has some of the best lyrics in human history. “I am the egg man / They are the egg men / I am the walrus / Goo goo g’joob”. What’s not to love about that?
DP -> “ain’t fooling me with them D cups b#@th, your arms are looking like tree trunks”.
TW -> (blank)
9 Do songs transport you to a memorable moment? Name one song that whisks you away and where do you get whisked away to?
LN -> Yes, always. It takes me away to that special place and if I stay too long… Oh wait, that’s a Guns ‘n Roses line isn’t it? Bon Jovi – Bed of Roses takes me away to times when it was still cool to close dance at parties.
DP -> Funeral for a friend – Red is the new black.
TW -> The solo from Master of Puppets by Metallica always reminds me of an episode of Isidingo – Where barker finds out Cherel committed the murder or something like that….no clue why though…Every time i play or hear that solo.
10 In your opinion, best title for a CD that you have heard of?
LN -> Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
DP -> ” KID OF DOOM” – You know the sound a drummer makes when someone tells a back joke.
TW -> (blank)
11 Prefer gigs to be unplugged or plugged?
LN -> Unplugged. In our society everything has become processed and artificial. Stripping the music down to its base elements shows how good the song or the songwriter really is.
Dp -> Plugged
Tw -> plugged….otherwise you can hear shit.
12 Guitars to be acoustic or electric?
LN -> Nothing beats a really loud electric guitar!
DP -> Electric.
TW -> Can’t decide. I enjoy both equally
13 Late night owl or early bird catches the worm kind of person?
LN -> Currently an early riser
DP -> Late night owl.
Tw -> Late night…
14 Modern day music or golden oldies?
LN -> Golden oldies!
DP -> Modern day music, fo sure!
TW -> modern (with one or two oldies in between)
15 Do you sing in the shower?
LN -> No never. Maybe it’s time to get a microphone soap-on-a-rope and a waterproof radio.
DP -> If beat boxing is considered singing.
TW -> Yebo
16 What are you currently listening to?
LN -> The Pixies – Wave of Mutilation – Greatest hits album.
DP -> CDs are for rookies.. I listen to whole discographies! But at the moment it’s from Alesana, paramore and I see stars.
TW -> I have hundreds of songs on my usb in my car…..mostly deep house & metal.
17 How adventurous are you in your musical tastes? Do you like a whole range of music?
LN -> Quite adventurous. Enjoy anything from oldies to current hits but some of the indie bands freak me out. They are very artistic but sometimes music should be funny and humorous not just serious, you know?
DP -> I listen to every genre of music from Metal core to drum ‘n bass. Every genre has a certain purpose and application.
TW -> Fairly.
18 How did you come about the name of Sidestreet Serenade?
LN -> Our original Afrikaans band is called Systraat Serenade so it’s a literal translation of that name. When we perform as a 3 piece we use this name.