THE BATS

SOUTH AFRICA CAN BOAST MANY ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND ONE HAS TO BE THE RETURN OF A BAND THAT, EXACTLY 40 YEARS AFTER ITS INCEPTION, IS BACK ON THE ROAD AND STILL PULLING IN THE CROWDS. YES THE BATS ARE WELL AND TRULY BACK!!

IT ALL STARTED IN 1964 WHEN THE BATS, EDDIE ECKSTEIN, PAUL DITCHFIELD, PETE CLIFFORD AND THE LATE BARRY JARMAN, BURST ONTO THE LOCAL SCENE AND BECAME, TO MANY ARDENT FOLLOWERS, SOUTH AFRICA'S ANSWER TO THE BEATLES. THEY TOURED EXTENSIVELY, BOTH LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, WOWING AUDIENCES HERE AND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, ZIMBABWE (THEN RHODESIA) AND GERMANY WITH THEIR BRILLIANT MUSIC AND HILARIOUS COMEDY SHOW. MORE THAN JUST GREAT MUSICIANS, THEY WERE ALSO GREAT ENTERTAINERS, AND IT WAS THIS THAT KEPT THEM AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME FOR 16 YEARS, AN AMAZING ACHIEVEMENT FOR ANY BAND.

IN THE EARLY 70'S THEY WON A SARIE AWARD FOR 'SONG OF THE YEAR' WITH 'WHO'S THAT GIRL', AND IN 1972 PAUL'S COMPOSITION 'OH GOD IT'S BEAUTIFUL' WAS CHOSEN TO REPRESENT SOUTH AFRICA AT THE TOKYO WORLD SONG FESTIVAL. PAUL TOOK EDDIE WITH HIM TO TOKYO TO PERFORM THE SONG AND THEY REACHED THE FINALS.

IN 1980, WITH MANY HIT SINGLES, INCLUDING 'IN A SHABBY LITTLE HUT' AND 'VAT HOM DAWIE' AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF LONG PLAYING VINYLS UNDER THEIR BELTS, THEY DECIDED TO GO THEIR SEPARATE WAYS TO PURSUE SOLO CAREERS. THIS BREAK JUST SEEMED TO HONE THEIR TALENTS BECAUSE AFTER A BREAK OF 21 YEARS, THEY ARE BETTER MUSICIANS NOW THAN THEY WERE THEN!!

AFTER CONSTANT PRESSURE FROM THEIR FANS TO GET BACK TOGETHER AGAIN, EDDIE, PAUL & PETE, MINUS THE LATE BARRY WHO HAD DECIDED TO RETIRE, WERE JOINED BY DEREK GORDON AND GOT BACK ON THE ROAD FOR WHAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE A SHORT 'COME BACK'. LITTLE DID THEY KNOW THAT 3 YEARS LATER THEY WOULD STILL BE ON THE ROAD, DELIGHTING AUDIENCES YOUNG AND OLD, AND RELEASING A BRAND NEW C.D.

THIS PRODUCTION BY DENNIS EAST AND ENGINEER, KEITH FORSYTH, IS THEIR FIRST MAJOR STUDIO PRODUCTION IN 25 YEARS! DUE TO THE VERSATILITY OF THE BATS, AND BECAUSE THEY ARE PREDOMINANTLY A PERFORMANCE BAND, THEY DECIDED TO SPECIFICALLY AIM THIS C.D. AT THE RETAIL MARKET. THEY HAVE INCLUDED SOME FAVOURITE SONGS THEY HAVE PERFORMED OVER THE YEARS SUCH AS MANFRED MANN'S 'THE MIGHTY QUINN', SOME GREAT NEW ORIGINALS LIKE THE CATCHY 'CHEEKY FACE' AND BECAUSE THEY WERE ONE OF THE FIRST BANDS TO WRITE AFRIKAANS POP SONGS THEY HAD TO INCLUDE 'BEZ VALLEY BREEKER' AND 'HOENDER JIVE'.

SO, IF THE LIVE PERFORMANCE C.D. SALES ARE ANYTHING TO GO BY, THE BATS ARE CERTAINLY RIGHT ON TRACK.

LET'S CELEBRATE THE BATS, A GREAT SOUTH AFRICAN PRODUCT! WHO WOULD NOT BE PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN HEARING THIS!!

'The Bats' will be performing at Swing Cafe, Knysna, on Sunday 5 June.
Tickets cost R100 per person, and tickets are limited.
Please pre-book your place to see this South African Musical Institution!