Extracted from the After Hours Biography done by Willie Els, EMENDY Sound & Music Technologies 2009
It’s one of those nights; life threw a curveball, time is speeding by like a euro-train on nitro’s, you just can’t seem to get that ultimate grip on what you used to be like, where and the places you used to do the “groove” at. Shockingly, to your surprise - it’s the mid late 80’s. The realm of those days, right here, right now! Yes, my friend...the bliss of the good old days came to you, instead of mindlessly fetching it from a book of memories. The big question is: “Where did this come from?” Well, look at the stage. It could only be the two boys from After Hours. The two piece that, time after time, rocks the entertainment world with their timeless repertoire from the 80’s. Of course a few newer numbers are also included in the mix. I decided to meet up with these two fellows, Eben Van Der Merwe and Johnny Daniels, to discuss the future and to “fish-out” their secret recipe for rocking up a good time. “We bring back those ageless hits like it was sang originally, here - right on your door step within reach!” And needless to say, that’s exactly what After Hours is all about. Its most likely to experience a thrilling, “goose-bump-giver” performance from After Hours, knowing that they have been professionally hitting the keys and twanging the strings for the last fifteen years! Ad some saxophone lead and blues harmonica and you've got a variety that keeps on entertaining you for hours on end.
Eben and Johnny informed me about how they met, a bit more than fifteen years ago; and gave me a smile, to say the least. A small music shop in Witbank saw the two young men bumping into each other, soon to team up and start jamming together. Ultimately ready to perform, they spent about six months just practicing the then most recent hits and started performing locally with the sounds we can never forget. From having quite a busy schedule, two to three gigs a week, they tend to lend out their persona to many corporate functions, pubs, clubs, weddings and private events all over Gauteng. Their music is a definite stress reliever, full-filling the heart and soul with hits like “500 Miles”, “Every Breath You Take”, “Hotel California” and many more to get em’ bones crackling again. Years later bass player Kuifie Van Heerden joined and added a solidness to the band with his humble personality and smoothed things out with his brilliant harmony. Later vocalist and lead guitarist, Piet Le Roux also joined and contributed his unique husky voice to really give shine to the band by allowing a special selection of songs not previously possible. The 4-piece did well but as times changed, priorities did and eventually After Hours scaled down to the practical 2-piece again. This allows for cheaper costs and in effect more opportunities, but still a great performance like always.
I asked the guys who would be their market and yet again a quite surprisingly answer: “Everyone with good taste in music, young and old”. The '80s has some good stuff as you'll find hearing these guys, like the original - the way you like it. Reading up on the history of the band, I stumbled upon a few lines written by one of the members that just released a sense of pure excitement and eager to see them perform. He wrote: “Everywhere we played, the crowd was happy to sit back and relax, lifting a glass in acknowledgement of an old memory awakened by the melodies and words we delivered, or maybe just tapping a foot, eyes staring while the mind is wandering off escaping to that special place, some trying to remember, some just trying to forget. As one so often find, some would spontaneously grab a partner to the dance floor and indulge in the sounds and rhythm and forget about everything else for a minute - and I could see in the corner of my eye the smile on my band mates faces and just knew, yes - we're doing ok!” For those of you curious to know where they have performed, some venues might sound familiar in the likes of Witbank Casino, TWINS in Pretoria, Upper Deck in Harties, Heidelberg Pub and of course countless corporate functions and parties, all over Gauteng. These boys are still up for a good time, anywhere - anytime!
Curiosity got me to my next point, anxiously asking Eben and Johnny, where to from know? Well, most bands want their “claim-to-fame”, but popularity is the last satisfactional element on their mind, they clearly just want you to have a good time with them, just to chill and let it go.
Music is what they enjoy, music is a language, and boy can they speak it! I myself, can’t wait to experience the next delivery from the band After Hours, knowingly that the chances for them rocking my mind and soul is as clear as daylight. I feel proud to say, for any queries and bookings, don’t hesitate. You definitely found the right band!
Extracted from the After Hours Biography done by Willie Els, EMENDY Sound & Music Technologies 2009
