Synergy Live 2013 Johannesburg

Waking up with mixed emotions, the lingering smell of cigarette smoke and cologne, punctuated by the odd sore muscle spasm and the access band still on my arm, a memento of an evening spanning emotions as diverse as the multitude of genres that filled the Johannesburg air that night. Still, after much reflection I'm left unsure about how the Johannesburg leg of the mammoth music festival, Synergy Live, turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments of 2013.

A quick scroll through my Twitter feed reveals a somewhat polarised response, with 140 character praises from satisfied rockers and outcries from disappointed ravers, some calling out the organisers for poor marketing and management. Surely these are just typical social media exaggerations, taken to the extreme for the sake of invoking a response? Perhaps international headliner, Feed Me, playing graciously to a crowd of 60 people would prove otherwise? Or would DJ Nonames and MC, Illaman, of Foreign Beggars trying their best to uphold a sense of professionalism performing to a near empty venue drive the point home?

Don't get me wrong, there were great moments at the Red Bull tent that doubled as the electronic stage where our very own local DJs held their own. From the almost comical and infectious charisma of David and Goliath, Das Kapital's stage antics during PH Phat's electrifying performance and even drum 'n bass overlord, RudeOne, laying out a beautifully curated set ranging from neurofunk to jungle. The small crowd of ravers navigated each set with enthusiasm, whether the moment called for grungy trap or big room electro. By 12pm with the final rock bands having finished their performances, the majority of the festival crowd left for home, weary of the workday ahead. That left only the last few ravers at the Red Bull tent to move over to the indoor stage that housed the bands throughout the day. Fans waited anxiously as the DJ equipment was moved and set up. About 60 people waited, some kicking around empty plastic cups in the nearly empty venue as the sound checks were done. It was hard to believe that just 20 minutes before this venue was packed to the rafters, atmosphere worked into such a frenzy that a mosh pit erupted at the call of the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus lead singer.

Feed Me played a great set consisting of mostly his own compositions, at some points even joined by Tasha Baxter who treated us to glorious live renditions of 'Cloudburn', 'Strange Behaviour' and more recently, 'Ebb and Flow' off of Feed Me's latest LP, 'Calamari Tuesday'. Those of Feed Me's more dedicated fan base who support his less-known drum 'n bass alter ego, Spor, were rewarded with classics such as 'Aztec'.

I couldn't shake the feeling that a producer of his calibre deserved better. The off-sounding sound system only served to deepen the disappointment we already felt, although throughout his performance the small crowd would cheer, clapping ever so often, acting as a kind of consoling gesture from those of us who were there, an apology for the poor turnout. And in response, as the closing love note to those of his fans who stayed to see him, leaving us with 'Love Is All I Got'.

With the venue quite nearly empty after Feed Me's set, Foreign Beggars scraped together what they could given the circumstances, officially closing out the day long festival.

This by no means dampens the fully fledged Cape Town leg of the festival which is being received by stellar reviews, being cited as the official opener of the summer season. With larger stages, bigger crowds and the DJ tent being graced with LED backdrops and taking place over 3 days as opposed to the 1 day festival in Johannesburg, the experience of the Capetonians cannot be disputed. The failure of the Johannesburg leg however, whether it was a misjudgement in placing it on a Sunday, poor marketing, exorbitant ticket prices or its close proximity to larger scale electronic events such as the 'I Am Hardwell' Tour or a combination of all, is yet to be determined. Either way, it failed to capture the hearts and minds of Johannesburg's thriving electronic fan base. Though the effort and planning required to bring the magic and atmosphere to Johannesburg doesn’t go unnoticed, the organisers still have a long way to go in bringing future Johannesburg festivals up to par with that of its Cape Town counterpart.

Thank you to Dionne from PR Works for the press tickest.

Review done by @G1NO