“Bazaar Punk takes us on an emotional journey: we not only accompany a man on his homecoming, but also witness a band returning to its roots and offering proof of life long after it had been pronounced dead.” This is an extract from Stefan Schutte’s review of the Brixton Moord & Roof Orkes’ album “Bazaar Punk”, published by the South African Rock Encyclopedia. In an overview of the album, its background, as well as a blow-by-blow account and analysis of each of the albums songs, Schutte provides one of the best appraisals of the band’s history and its approach to rock music.
Gerhard Barnard, ook bekend as die Brixton Moord en Roof Orkes se kitaarspeler Kapelaan Pat Plank, is in sy ander lewe as beeldhouer besig om ‘n groot nuwe werk te voltooi. Hierdie beeldhouwerk se titel is “The Juggler”. Die foto’s kom uit sy ateljee in Velddrif op die Weskus.
Verder is Gerhard besig om track sop te neem vir die band se volgende album. Hou die ontuisblad dop vir meer hieroor, of volg die band op YouTube.
Meer oor Gerhard Barnard as beeldhouer by sy website.
On the theme of trips and trivia, “Geraamtes in jou kas” is one of the Brixton Moord & Roof Orkes’s darkest songs. It comes from the band’s first album Spergebied (2002) and deals with the country’s troubled and violent history. It excavates the time and atmosphere when white, male conscripts were stationed in the country’s black townships in the 1980s. Generally, this is not a topic people want to be reminded of, but despite this, the track proves to remain popular on streaming services. “Geraamtes in jou kas” is one of the band’s most listened to songs on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. Maybe it is because of a reminder in the song that societies, like individuals, cannot permanently bury their past. It could also be Esme Evakwaad’s haunting background vocals.
Perhaps this thoughtful blog by John Samson explains why some people find meaning in listening to the track. The blog was published as part of a series on 1001 South African songs you have to listen to “before you go deaf”. In the blog he analyses the song’s lyrics and puts those in historical context.
Here is an English translation of the text:
THE SKELETONS IN YOUR CLOSET
A hand comes through your window And your lightbulb is an eye that stares Your ceiling starts to buckle downward And fingernails scratch beneath the floorboards
‘Cause you know, you know The skeletons in your closet have begun to stir
The clothes are crawling in the tumble dryer And your boots are dancing in the hall Your backpack slowly opens by itself And grins along with your old coat on the wall
‘Cause you know, you know The skeletons in your closet have begun to stir
You remember the dust On the streets of a township And the hatred in their eyes At the end of your rifle
‘Cause you know, you know The skeletons in your closet have begun to stir
You remember the fires And the wheels of a Casspir And the smell of burning rubber Through the filter of your gas mask
‘Cause you know, you know The skeletons in your closet have begun to stir
So pull your hat down low over your eyes For Sharpeville and for Boipatong And swing from your dream So your shoes never get muddy From the earth beneath your feet Here and there mixed with blood
‘Cause you know, you know The skeletons in your closet will keep on stirring The skeletons in your closet will stir forever
Ockert Greeff, Brixton Moord en Roof Orkes’ drummer, has just published a new poem in the literary journal New Contrast. About this, he writes on social media: “As I have a little soldier of a poem, ‘Cold Bulb Hung,’ and I’m very happy to say it has marched straight into the pages of New Contrast Literary Journal, one of South Africa’s longest-running and most respected literary journals […] Somehow, my foot soldier now finds himself standing at attention in the very fine company of Damon Galgut, Gabeba Baderoon, Malika Ndlovu and others […] Salute to the editors for giving this poem a place to stand.” The journal’s cover art, in the picture, is by Ruschka du Toit and the special issue of the journal appears in memory of Diana Ferrus and Zoë Wicomb. The New Contrast website is here and you can buy a digital copy of the journal edition with Ockert’s poem here.
Other poetry news from Ockert is that his poetry manuscript “I Do to You” has been listed as a semi-finalist in the 2026 Wolfson Press Chapbook Prize. This prize is awarded by Wolfson Press, a nonprofit organisation attached to Indiana University South Bend. The winning manuscript is published and added to their esteemed literary catalogue. You can read more about this award here.
News from the Brixton Moord & Roof Orkes is that work on a new album has started. A number of new compositions are already on the boil and the recording of one of the tracks has been completed. But band members are also busy with other creative outlets. As reported previously, the band’s drummer, Ockert Greeff, was the winner of the 2024 Vallum Chapbook poetry award. An insightful interview with him has just been published, with him commenting on the link between drumming and writing poetry. Read it here, or sommer just click on the image.
Other news is that Gerhard Barnard, otherwise the band’s guitarist and now also bass player, has produced a number of new sculptures. Some of these have already been sold by his gallery. His latest works have moved from abstract to figurative, with Barnard proving what he is capable of as sculptor.
Finally, Andries Bezuidenhout, the band’s rhythm guitarist and vocalist, is involved in a multidisciplinary exhibition titled “Juxtaposition and value” that will open at the University of Fort Hare’s campus in eDikeni on 19 February. The exhibition, and a corresponding colloquium, explore the interconnectedness of water, energy and food. Bezuidenhout has produced a video for this upcoming exhibition, with music that draws on guitar and bass tracks recorded by Gerhard Barnard for the band’s forthcoming album. The video documents a mural art project at the Mdantsane Art Centre near East London in the Eastern Cape.
‘n Nuwe gedig deur Ockert Greeff – of Moord Greeff, soos die Brixton Moord en Roof Orkes se drummer bekend is – is pas in die New Ohio Review gepubliseer. Sy gedig se titel is “The Hair Cutting”. Die band is nogal trots om sy naam saam met iemand soos Billy Collins in die Review se inhoudsopgawe te sien. Lees Ockert se gedig hier. Daar’s ook meer inligting oor Ockert by sy eie website.
Verder het ‘n gelukkige koper van een van Gerhard Barnard se beeldhouwerke ‘n foto gestuur van hoe die beeldhouwerk nou in ‘n woonstel in New York lyk. Gerhard is natuurlik ook bekend as Kapelaan Pat Plank, die band se kitaarspeler. In die foto’s hier onder is drie van Gerhard se nuutste beelhouwerke – die een in die middel is die werk wat nou op die kaggel in New York staan.
Kapelaan Pat Plank se naam in die regte lewe is Gerhard Barnard. Hy is ‘n beeldhouer en musikant en woon in Velddrif in die Wes-Kaap. Hy het in 2002 reeds as lid van die Brixton Moord & Roof Orkes aangesluit, aanvanklik as elektriese kitaar-speler, maar deesdae ook baskitaar. Hy skryf van die band se musiek – onder andere die wysies vir twee van die band se gewildste songs, naamlik “Vis” (van die album Terug in skubbe) en die immergroen “C-Maximus” van die album Slaaptyd in die suburbs. Meer onlangs het hy ook begin om lirieke te skryf, soos “Die groot skabenga” van die album Bazaar punk en “Babelaas in Brixton” van die album Strate sonder bome. Vir laasgenoemde twee tracks het hy die musiek ook gekomponeer.
‘blissful slumber’, Gerhard Barnard, klip en klei, 25x15x10cm. Foto: Fomo Art Gallery
‘That’s My Star’, Gerhard Barnard, klip en draad, 13x18x9cm. Foto: Fomo Art Gallery.
Gerhard se beeldhouwerke is beskikbaar deur die galery wat hom verteenwoordig – kyk hier. Of by sy persoonlike website.
Moord Greeff, andersins bekend as Ockert Greeff, is ‘n digter en drummer wat in Montreal, Kanada woon. Hy is, saam met Roof Bezuidenhout, een van die twee stigterslede van die Brixton Moord & Roof Orkes. Hy is die band se drummer en percussionist en skryf ook lirieke. Hy is byvoorbeeld verantwoordelik vir die liriek van “Vis” van die album Terug in skubbe – ‘n slinkse verwerking van DJ Opperman se waarskuwing (in Komas uit ‘n bamboesstok) teen menslike regressie (of devolusie). In “Vis” omhels Moord Greeff die idee van omgekeerde evolusie, maar die oënskynlike bravade in die liriek is ook tog ‘n tipe waarskuwing. Ander lirieke deur Moord Greeff is “Witwolke” van die album Spergebied, “Liena Mondegreen se filosofie” van Bazaar punk, asook die titelsnit van die album Strate sonder bome.
Van sy gedigte is in letterkundige tydskrifte soos New Ohio Review, Ons Klyntji, South Florida Poetry Journal en Thimble Literary Magazine gepubliseer. In 2024 is hy aangewys as die wenner van die Vallum Chapbook Award. Van sy video’s wat gedigte en drumming kombineer, is by ‘n aantal filmfeeste vertoon, onder andere die Raleigh Film & Art Festival en die Small File Media Festival by Simon Fraser Universiteit.
Roof Bezuidenhout, soms ook bekend as Andries Bezuidenhout, is saam met Moord Greeff een van die Brixton Moord & Roof Orkes se twee stigterslede. Hy woon in Alice in die Oos-Kaap. Hy is ‘n musikant, digter en skilder. In die band speel hy meestal akoestiese kitaar en sing. Hy het ook die band se laaste twee albums by sy tuis-studio gemeng. Hy is verantwoordelik vir tracks soos “Geraamtes in jou kas” van die album Spergebied, “Spoed” en “Fortuinverteller” van Terug in skubbe, asook “Vrou op die trein in die skildery” van Strate sonder bome.
Karien du Plessis, Roof Bezuidenhout se skoonsuster, het in 2007 saam met die band in Roof se diesel Toyota Condor Mosambiek toe gery. Die band moes soontoe ry om by die Strab rock festival op te tree. Karien lewer met ‘n skerp sin vir ironie verslag oor die trip – in pynlike detail, wat die band eintlik in ‘n baie slegte lig stel. Hulle het verdwaal en was bitter amper laat vir die set wat hulle moes speel. Dis onder protes dat die stuk hier geplaas word, maar as die band se bestuur het ons ook ‘n sê. Of hoe? Lees die hele stuk, want dis regtig snaaks. Die meisie wat Ockert in die bar ontmoet het, is waarskynlik Liz, die Kanadees met wie hy uiteindelik getrou het.
