Sludge Underground Podcast

In this episode of Sludge Underground, we sit down with Ernest (Ernie) Pretorius, a lifelong supporter of South African live music who attends shows across the country and isn't afraid to step into the mosh pit.

We discuss how the South African music scene has changed over the decades, the advantages and challenges of both the old and modern eras, some of his favourite bands throughout the years, and what keeps him travelling across South Africa to support live music.

Ernie also shares his experiences living in Pietermaritzburg for over 40 years, how he stays fit enough to keep up with the energy of live shows, and what it's like watching the next generation carry the torch, including his son, who happens to be in a band in Johannesburg.

Whether you're a longtime supporter of the scene or a newcomer discovering South African alternative music, this conversation offers a unique perspective from someone who has witnessed five decades of live music culture firsthand.

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On this episode we look back on State of the Nation, Hilliker's trip to Mozambique with Your Cynical Sanity, and Walk These Skies, the Marilyn Manson tribute controversy, and ATFN's tour. 

We also look at recent releases, with a special focus on Internet Girl, Ill System, Daisy Arson, and ATFN. We then take a detour overseas and chat about Slipknot's latest single, Arsenal. Marcel shares his throughts on Falling In Reverse's latest single featuring Corey Taylor and Serj Tankian. We close off the global focus with what what went down on Ed Sheeran's Loop tour. 

In other news, we go over Jack White's South African tour announcement, Middlegrounds being back together, the recent Alt fest Q & A, and Sean Gaisford joining yet another band!

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We sit down with Christine & Paul of All This For Nothing, South Africa's longest-running progressive punk rock band. 

We hone in on vultures in the music industry, the band's upcoming album Nothing Is Punk Anymore, what it actually takes to build a "no-skip" record, how to pick the perfect lead single, why they left Spotify and what it's cost them, and how album releases have changed since 1998. We also talk about the homogenisation of the alt scene.

#southafrica#southafricanbands #southafricanmusic #southafricanpodcast

Paul & Marcel Interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJxJX0MX5g8&t=482s

ATFN

Tickets/Merch/Music/More

https://linktr.ee/allthisfornothing 

Presave the album

https://orcd.co/nothing_is_punk_anymore

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/atfn012

BackAbuddyhttps://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/atfn-new-album-fundraiser

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Ground Up is back for August! Nas and Marcel catch you up on everything that happened in the month of August as well as a bit of July to make up for what we missed talking about.

Marcel touches on his experience at that Winterfest and watching the skate community pull through to skate while bands perform, Emalyths July Jol across two stages, and finally getting to catch Man As Machine again after nearly a decade.

The lads look into upcoming shows you should be checking out like Durban Rock City's Rockfest, SoBelow's State Of The Nation and more. 

Nas and Marcel take a moment to chat about the wave of new young bands entering the scene. Bands Like Pinkslip, Die Agenda, Shorebreak, and Blackburn. 

In international news Spotify has finally decided to flag AI content, and Tyga dropped one of the worst recieved albums in recent memory. 

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On this episode we take a look at what Shinesh has been up to since his departure from Lefokolodi. He also breaks down the reason behind his departure from the band and how things stand between him and his former band mates. Shinesh gives his honest take on South African artists uploading music on Spotify, and gives us a first hand look at two of his latest projects, Violent Frogs & Oversharingmusician.

#SludgeUnderground #SouthAfricanBands #SouthAfricanPodcast 

Violent Frogs:

- Music: https://youtube.com/channel/UCrgK5gIo7P6OzCYsyGFjXnw?si=qlMQEEr4eSj4aUcM

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/violentfrogs_music


Oversharingmusician:

- Music: https://youtube.com/channel/UCp4TofNQIbkIQ89TsjSjFmw?si=GnS1CfLxtes-HvQm

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oversharingmusician

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They touch on their experiences with recent European tour as well as what they think it takes for a local South African band to make an international tour a reality.

There's also new music in the works, as the boys have been hard at work in the studio working on their new album, touching on the direction the bands taking their music, will there be physical media, and the debate as to what digital ownership actually means. 

Check it all out and drop your thoughts! 

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In this episode we sit down with Vince & Sean to unpack their latest single, The Omnificent. We look at the concept behind it, how it came together, and what the band was aiming for with the song. We also look at whether music videos  still matter in 2026.

The Omnificent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyw0VImHfEM&list=RDkyw0VImHfEM&start_radio=1

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This week on Sludge Underground  @Thorns_Of_Sludge shares his experience at Misty Waters Music Festival.

This festival was nothing short of a love letter to artist, festival goers, anda most importantly music lovers. Hired along as a second shooter he was front and center for all 27 bands who played seeing familiar faces but also a ton of new ones. This was one of the most diverse lineups imaginable from artists within Indie, electronic, blues, rock, punk to almost everything inbetween.

Here's a breakdown of almost everything Marcel experienced, from meeting fans of the channel to Fokofpolisiekar's frontman conveying his thoughts on our videos, to the overall experience of a festival Sludge Underground will definitely be returning to.

A massive shoutout goes to  @DizzyKhaki for providing all the band footage used in this video and for giving Marcel this opportunity! 

Artists mentioned and music used:
Simeon kriel
Absolute Silence
Taxi Violence 
Van Pletzen
Swimmer
Maxx And Love
Indie Dog
The Black Cat Bones
Fokofpolosiekar
Crash And The Void
SA Blues Society
Tidal Waves
Zaan Sonnekus
Die Heuwels Fantasties
Man Motels
DoomFairy

Join the discord to be part of the discussion:
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*Disclaimer: This episode is a little late and some of the events mentioned have already passed.

This week on Sludge we Introduce our newest host Rowan, joining Marcel for the first time on the May episode of GroundUp. They dive into the wave of AI generated posters, music, and art that has the Cape Town scene divided. 

We're also proud to introduce SAHARA, the South African Heavy/Alternative Release Archive, a project Rowan and Meagan have been working on behind the scenes, aimed at documenting all of the latest releases within the alternative and metal space! 

There's been some incredible release's from Human Nebula, Die Gemeente, BCOM, and more! So catch the scoop on those! 

Give us your thoughts on AI generated content in artistic spaces.
What are some of your favourite releases in the month of May?
What are your thoughts on SAHARA?

Join the discord to become a part of the discussion:
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This is the story of one of South Africa's most promising hip-hop artists, filmed at the places that made him.

We start at PEGG's high school, where he found hip-hop, fell in love with drama, and met the late Simon of PosterBoy. We end off at Dropkick Murphy's, the venue where he won an open mic that led to a Cotton Fest mixtape feature and a life-changing performance.

PEGG breaks down:

• Why Glenwood's brotherhood shaped him
  
  
• The Alt vs Hip-Hop venue problem in Durban
  
  
• What makes a lyricist (MF DOOM style)
  
  
• Working with Luukhanyo, Risky T, Mash Beats, and more
  
  
• Why Durban needs its own Cotton Fest or Back to the City
  
  

Filmed on location at Glenwood High School and Dropkick Murphy's, Durban.

Crew: Rowan Deysel
Producer: Nasiphi Zwane

#PEGG #SouthAfricanHipHop #CottonFest #DurbanMusic #DropkickMurphys #SludgeUnderground #sahiphop 

🎧 Stream PEGG's music:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0mLscN8soRzzpD5z8WC42B?si=FffcW303SjCaS2TvsgCSPg

🔗 Follow PEGG:
https://www.instagram.com/pegg.dbn

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