Rolling Stone SA has announced the first ever Rolling Stone Weekend at the legendary Mercury Live and Shack Complex in Cape Town, featuring exciting young voices on the local music scene.
The Rolling Stone Weekend will showcase 10 dynamic acts that have been selected not only for their achievements to date, but also for the great potential and professional attitude they display in their respective genres. The event itself will take place on September 14 and 15.
"We didn't want to make this initiative just about our choices," said Rolling Stone Project Manager Anton Marshall. "We approached a number of booking agents and promoters who have a strong and reliable track record dealing with young artists and asked for their input.
"Mercury Live and The Shack were clearly the ideal venue for this event. This is where the rock'n'roll is at in Cape Town. These venues have supported new artists and young people for years, providing avenues and opportunities to step up and advance their careers through the various stages of the industry."
Marshall explained that the 10 acts would be split into two rosters of five, and supported by two more established acts – one each night. The selection includes singer-songwriters, rock, blues, and hip-hop genres.
"There will also be four separate DJ floors operating, and a total of seven bars at the disposal of partygoers.
"Basically, it's the type of genre mix you might see on the Mercury stages and Shack bars. We're saying that if you want to see what's bubbling under the surface of Cape Town's music scene right now - this is the place to start."
Partnerships
"Importantly, we realised the need to start adopting the approach of partnerships to grow our music scene – not only in terms of audience but also in terms of depth," says Marshall. Rolling Stone's strategic approach in considering the artist selection therefore involved other publications like Your LMG, promoters like Charlie King of Bluestown Sessions, Mercury itself and even The Shack.
"We've also agreed to mash up the set lists to reflect various genres , giving audiences a unique insight into the artistry of performers and acts they wouldn't normally see gigging together."
A parallel development programme - Rolling Stone Young Reporters - will launch in tandem with the Rolling Stone Weekend build-up. Details on this aspect of the main event's social investment commitment will be released soon.
Featured artists will be announced in the coming weeks, and will be published in a special focus in the September issue of Rolling Stone.