The moment Tidal Waves struck their first note at Bohemia in Stellenbosch on the evening of the 11^th of February 2010, a wave of surprise swept through the audience; and all pre-conceived ideas of what a reggae band should sound like flew out the window. The sweltering heat and the sweat dripping down those jamming around you, didn’t seem to matter to anyone as the five band members lead yet another crowd into reggae-rock oblivion with top-class lighting and sound that would impress even the most critical of audiences. Not surprisingly, their down-to-earth nature and ambitious attitude featured strongly in the group’s interview with Die Matie. A band certainly worth the heads-up, this is what they had to share:

You’ve been around as a band for over ten years. Tell me about how things started out.

Jacob: Sam and I met as laaities when we were band members of two different bands in the same township. His band enjoyed my sound and so we started playing together. We met the others later on and initially started performing in Klerksdorp as a group. We’re based in Johannesburg now, though.

You’ve just come back from touring South Africa. How was that?

Jaco: It was cool! We launched our 5^th album, Manifesto. We were also able to go to quite a few small towns that we hadn’t been to yet, like Stilbaai and Hermanus.

How did you get around?

Jaco: We used to have an old-school bus which was pretty awesome. But we sold that and so now we use my car and I do most of the driving!

Sounds like you had fun. Could you summarise your philosophy as a band in a few sentences?

Shadrack: Original music for original people! We’re here to express ourselves as South Africans- to create something different and to take South African music to the next level! We perform our music in four South African languages (English, Afrikaans, Setswana and Tshivenda) which helps us to better bring across our message of acceptance and transformation.

That’s a refreshing outlook. Many South African bands simply want to make it big overseas, even if that means losing touch with their South African roots.

Jacob: When you forget where you’re from, you lose sight of where you’re going. We don’t try to copy popular international bands- that’s been done too many times. We like to surprise with our unique reggae/rock/ska sound. It’s what sets us apart.

Don’t you find it tough though, to make your mark in the South African music industry?

Jaco: We do! That’s why we’ve traveled quite a bit in the past. We’ve just come back from France where we played at the MIDEM show-case of African bands in Cannes. That was really a great experience. We got good feedback and were able to make some valuable connections. We’re off to Germany next!

And the hotter babes? Abroad or at home?

Jaco: Local, definitely!

Are there any local bands you haven’t yet shared the stage with but really would like to?

Abraham: Freshly Ground would be one for me, but we have no preferences- we’d like to play with as many different bands as we can. We want to learn, bring each other together and inspire each other through our collective art.

Finally, what is your most pressing message to your South African audience?

Jacob: For our nation to build on the foundation that Nelson Mandela has built; to be a living memory of him; to follow in his spirit and to walk in his humility.

The band’s gig guide can be followed on www.tidalwaves.co.za.