South Africa’s biggest rock band and one of its best-selling music artistes of all time, The Parlotones is all strapped up to give Qatar a live taste of its indie-alternative-rock-pop mash with smash hits such as Push me to the Floor, Sleepwalker, I’m only Human, Life Design, Honey Spiders, Beautiful, and Overexposed.
In a gig organised by Iconic Events, the Johannesburg-bred multiplatinum-selling band will take the stage at Qube – Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha, on June 3. The doors open at 8pm and the tickets are priced at QR150, inclusive of a beverage. For VIP and table bookings, you can call Iconic Events on 3369-2133; tickets are available at theplatinumlist.net
Ray McRobbie, Director of Entertainment, Radisson Blu Hotel Doha, told Community, “We are delighted to be hosting South African Rock Band The Parlotones at Qube Nightclub, Radisson Blu Hotel, on Friday, June 3. The evening promises to be an exciting event with seasoned professional musicians.”
In the 16 years since its formation, The Parlotones has won legions of fans across South Africa and beyond. Singer-songwriter Kahn Morbee was 17 when he began learning to play the guitar and songwriting – the origins of what would come to define The Parlotones sound. It was in the summer of 1998 that Morbee met Neil Pauw, a drummer who had attended the same high school as him. When Pauw heard Morbee’s songs, he knew they shared similar tastes in music, and soon the duo decided to put a band together.
“At university, Morbee met guitarist Paul Hodgson. One day after both of them were thrown out of the library for playing guitar, Morbee asked Hodgson to join himself and Pauw for a jam. He came to a practice, liked the songs, and joined,” says a biography on the band on the website Spirit-of-Rock, “At the time, Hodgson’s younger brother was still in high school and could play guitar, piano and bass, so the band asked him to bring his bass to a band practice. With that the band line up was complete. The Parlotones played as a four-piece for almost three years until July 2002 when they asked John Boyd to join, adding a subtle synth and sound effect element to the band, as well as contributing to the engineering during live shows.”
The four-piece band — Kahn Morbee (vocals and rhythm guitar), Paul Hodgson (lead guitar), Glenn Hodgson (bass guitar, keyboards and backing vocals), and Neil Pauw (drums and percussion) — started off with rooted British rock sound, it later on embraced a wide range of musical genres, which perhaps has a big role to play in their popularity. In 2003, The Parlotones self-released their first album, the “raw, indie-tinged” Episoda, which instantly referenced their sound to bands such as Coldplay and The Smiths. “This indie sound was the first of its kind in South Africa and quickly labelled The Parlotones as one of the freshest sounding bands on the scene, paving the way for the album which would cement their success and catapult them to the stars they are today – their debut studio album RadioControlledRobot,” says a bio shared on their website.
Driven by lyrics exploring personal themes, of love and everyday life, set in catchy melodies, The Parlotones have released eight studio albums till date and have won nine South African Music Awards.
From headlining the 20,000-seater Coca Cola Dome in their hometown in 2009, to performing at the World Cup Kickoff Concert to an audience of a billion in 2010, The Parlotones have hit the big league since some time. The band has also championed many philanthropic causes, including The Little Wing Music Foundation, the Anene Booysen Foundation, and the Africa-Unite campaign. About their charity work, Morbee had said, “People in the public eye have the ability to spread a message very quickly and effectively. So we try to do so when it concerns issues we feel strongly about. But we never want to come across as a band that’s preaching. All we are really doing is drawing attention to causes that we support. South Africa is our home and home to our families and our friends. We certainly want to make sure they have a bright future. If we can get involved and encourage people to get involved, it can only have positive effects.”
WINNING HEARTS: In the 16 years since its formation, The Parlotones has won legions of fans across South Africa and beyond.
