So I’ve always been interested in photography, and bought a decent camera about two months ago, so hopefully instead of admiring other peoples photos, I can take some decent ones myself. The prices of cameras are quite crazy and spending 25k wasn’t quite within my camera budget! While reading up on reviews, I got pretty confused as people were getting so technical about cameras and settings and using Photoshop and layers and whatever the hell else.

I’ve always tried to be as simple with things as I can, and I find the world of photography so confusing. There are a lot of great photos out there, but people Photoshop them so hectically that it’s not really the original photo we are left with. I enjoy Photoshop and I’m using a trial of Lightroom 3 as it has all the functions I need. I don’t want to completely change my photos, just switch some to black and white and change them slightly with filters and that sort of thing. Do some touch ups.

Yet as much as camera settings and Photoshop can make photos look good, I’ve always been interested in the basic, unedited photo, as these have always tended to capture the moment the best. When there is a moment in time that really matters, the chances are that you don’t have time to set up a camera and check light setting and place everything perfectly. Moments happen in an instant, and all you need in those moments is a camera that will take that picture.

So while I was researching cameras and all the bullshit that people use to make the simply art of photography ridiculously complicated, I was inspired by a professional photographer called Chase Jarvis. I found out about him while looking at Apple Aperture, then found his blog and eventually ended up ordering his book “The Best Camera Is The One That’s The One That’s With You” on Amazon.com.

Here is a little bit about the book:

At once simple and profound, the newest book by world renowned photographer, Chase Jarvis, The Best Camera Is The One That’s With You™  underscores—even legitimizes—the idea that an image can come from any camera, even a mobile phone. This is the first book of its kind. Inherently, we all know that an image isn’t measured by its resolution, dynamic range, or anything technical about cameras or photos. An image is measured by the simple—sometimes profound, other times absurd or humorous or whimsical—effect that it can have upon us. If you can see an image, it can move you.

His blog contains so much inspiration for just doing things, instead of over analyzing them, and in the end never doing them because of the thought of failure. His latest post is a classic example, well he found it somewhere, but it totally captures the way he thinks:

“The reality is that it’s easier to be inspired than it is to create an original idea and we are hardwired to take the path of least resistance. It’s easier to jump onto a design inspiration gallery site than it is to sit down with a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. It’s easier to follow a pattern than it is to test-drive new options. It’s easier to copy a style or idea that works than try something that might miss the mark or outright fail. Above all, it’s cheaper mentally for us to rally around what’s already been done and emulate it…”

Click here to read the rest.

There is also a great piece on just simply enjoying photography, and not getting caught up in all the complications about gear and cameras:

Seems like the more I listen, the more I hear people talking about the gear, the business of photography, the widgets. Let us not forget the simple love of photography.

I understand why there’s so much rhetoric in our industry about the business of photography and the gear and the gadgets. There is the common stereotype that most creative people aren’t good business people. There is fear. Gear is easier to talk about than vision. Exposures are exact, the camera dials have numbers. There is a ‘right’ answer to many of these questions.

But where is your love of pictures? Where are your actions that back this up?

Can you pick up a book of photographs and get lost in it?
Can you walk around with your iPhone or Android or your point and shoot or whatever and take 100 pictures knowing that they’ll never be for a client or a portfolio?
Do you love hunting for pictures?
Will you stay up late or get up early for pictures?
Do you sometimes ‘see’ life as a photograph?

It’s different for all of us, but when you can take a break from all the chatter, remind yourself–as often as you can–why you love photography.

Click here to read that piece.

And I think this is the important thing when wanting to do anything in the world today, you need to break it down to why you actually want to do it. Forget all the talk of equipment, no matter what industry you are in. Break things down to the basics and life will be a lot simpler and more awesome. We’re so caught up on the technical side of nearly everything…just simplify it.

Chase Jarvis shoots with some of the best equipment in the world, using the latest technology and big teams supporting him…and yet he has released a book with pictures taken on his iPhone. Which is the one I’ve ordered.

Chase Jarvis

He’s also released an iPhone App that allows you to add some awesome effects to your photos. Once you’ve done all of that, you can upload your photo to the website they have created, as well as view other peoples photos. Click here for the Best Camera website, where you will have links to buy the book, as well as to buy the iPhone App as well as view all the photos submitted to the website. It really is quite incredible, and inspiring, knowing that all those photos are being taken on iPhones around the world. This is a really cool photo Chase took on his iPhone, some people will see the gorilla in the picture:

And that, from a simple iPhone, amazing.

Another awesome iPhone App for those of you interested, is Camera+, ‘The Ultimate Photo App’

Click here to check that bad boy out for your iPhone.

So hopefully those links will inspire you, not just if you’re into photography, but hopefully it will inspire you in whatever you’re doing, to just get out and do it. Don’t think about it, over analyze it or be afraid to try it. Just do it.

I’m not going to lie to you, between myself and Jerry D, we are online shopping fiends.

I’ve long been a fan of online shopping, then Jerry started telling me that he was using Ebay… a lot.

(Before we go on, when you buy something on Ebay, you may need to pay an import tax. Watch out for this. Generally on items less than R500 it’s nothing, also try having items sent marked as a gift. Bigger items might be hit with tax, which is a BITCH! I don’t know where this money goes, but someone is making a killing for doing nothing. Some tool is living the dream from import taxes. I can pretty much say with 100% certainty that this money is going nowhere good, and it is a fact that no one is doing any work for it. The world is a bad place!)

So a while back I had been using the most killer hair wax/gum/shaper called Fudge Hair Shaper.

It ran out one day, and I actually could not fathom life without Fudge Hair Shaper, so I slapped on a hat and minced my devilish ass down to Style Studio in Canal Walk to grab some more.

I walked in, and put one finger in the air:

‘Slapper, let’s get one more Fudge Hair Shaper!’

‘Sorry your Royal Highness, we don’t have any’

‘Sweet mother of GOD. Wh…wha…what do you mean?’

‘Well it’s been discontinued’

‘Listen, don’t play games with me, don’t tear my heart out. You WILL get more of this otherwise I will simply die’

‘How about I recommend…’

‘SHUT UP! SHUUUUT UP! I’m standing here DYING and you want to recommend something else? What is this, AMATEUR HOUR?! What next, are you going to give me a FOAMY LATTE?!’

I stormed out of there like I was storming the beaches of Normandy, and I quietly sat down on a bench in Canal Walk, the faintest tear forming in the corner of my eye. It burned like hell because at the time I had quite a drinking problem, and my tears were actually vodka. Ever since then, I’ve been living a lie.

Changing hair products like Ron Jeremy changed partners. I’ve always felt like I’ve been cheating on Fudge, but there was simply nowhere to buy it in South Africa. Anyway, since discovering Ebay I’ve gotten my mojo back baby!

YEAH!

Look, I’ve placed my order and it hasn’t been delivered yet, but it has been shipped, so I’m stoked.

In the two or so years that I have been seperated from Fudge Hair Shaper, I’ve used OSIS 4 Play, Paul Mitchell Dry Wax, Redken For Men products, Hairgum Move Matt Wax,  VO5 Extreme Style Matt Clay and many more. Too often, I have to put three products in my hair and it’s a mission.

Fudge Hair Shaper is the one product that trumps them all, it is an all in one solution and it rocks my world. I’ve ordered the mint one, and good grief, I haven’t been excited since that chick took a double take at me in Standard 7. Because that day I knew, dammit Sean, you’ve got game! Many years later I’d be honest with myself and know that she was looking at the 1st team rugby player who was getting into his dads Ferrari.  Bleak days…

But Ebay is so much more than a place to get hair products! If you’re going to be using Fudge Hair Shaper, you’re going to be looking like a Greek God. The side effect of this is that you will have like, at least 1000 chicks every day wanting to bang you. I’m serious, not that this happened to me. When these chicks were banging down my door, I was too busy reading Harry Potter.

But a buddy of mine used some of my Fudge Hair Shaper, and so many chicks wanted to bang him, that he stopped using it. He literally had lost 45kg’s, just from banging. He had a chick feeding him through a tube, while the rest stood in line, to bang him. Ja, for real. So his problem was that he couldn’t work, because he was banging so much, and he couldn’t buy enough condoms. And he couldn’t afford to use 80 condoms a day. But if you do buy Fudge Hair Shaper, you should probably add a pack of 100 condoms to your order. That will get you through probably a day and a bit of living with Fudge Hair Shaper.

The stuff is so intense it should have a tagline saying “Can you handle the BANG?”

It’s like hair shaping roofies, madness.

So yeah, you should grab some condoms, but best you get the Maximum Love ones, you player!

Commonly known as the ‘Shaun Oakes 2 Day Supply’

Other than that, you can seriously find anything you like on Ebay. I’d tell you about the fragrance I’m ordering, but seriously, you wouldn’t be able to cope. You’ll be picking up so many chicks, Ron Jeremy will look like a girlie bitch. It’s the one fragrance I keep secret, because I don’t want anyone else smelling like me.

Actually, I just don’t like seeing woman falling all over an average guy, just because he has a killer fragrance. This stuff is so mad, you definitely wouldn’t be able to cope with the amount of chicks it would bring you.

Anyway, sign up on Ebay, get a Paypal account, and happy picking up chicks you playa.

I’m always hugely fascinated by the power of music and the memories it instantly brings back, and I was listening to an awesome version of Lightning Crashes by Live (Thanks Tim), which I think you need to hear.

For me, I can remember listening to this at our old house in Claremont, it was from the ‘Throwing Copper’ album that my sister bought and was one of the first albums that I listened to on CD. I’m pretty sure before then I was stuck on tape.

I’d be interested to know though, what memory this song brings back for you?

I love it how a song or a photo can make you recall memories that you think you may have forgotten, or they have just been placed in storage in your mind. This is an amazing song and nearly everyone has memories from this song.

Kind of like Mr Jones by The Counting Crows…

TIN ROOF!

Because I know you’re a drunk and disorderly, chaotic and rowdy bunch, I thought you’d like to hammer some branners (Spelling? Who cares?) and watch South Africa pummel New Zealand this weekend at 5pm on Saturday. I’m not sure if tickets to this are sold out, but I’m pretty sure they are. And also, you’re in Cape Town, and the match is not. But this is all cool, I found a package at SA Sport Travel that has flights, tickets and accommodation, so you now have a plan, Japan! Whatever Trevor!

Check it uit:

South Africa take on New Zealand this Saturday 21 August in the Tri Nations taking place at FNB Stadium in Soweto. SA Sport Travel have a limited number of packages available for this clash of the titans. The package itinerary is as follows:

• Two nights’ accommodation at the City Lodge Fourways.

• Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday at the hotel

• Flights

• Meet and Greet at Johannesburg International

• Return transfers from the airport to the hotel

• Main Grandstand Ticket to the rugby test

• Transfers to the match and return

City Lodge Fourways

Situated in close proximity to Sandton City and across the way from Montecasino, the hotel is easily accessible to all the main feeder motorways with nearby restaurants and shops.
A shuttle bus service is available for the short 15 minute trip to and from Sandton Centre at a nominal fee. A mini gym, pool and meeting room are also available at the hotel.

I’m not sure how many spaces are available still, but I read in the e-mail that they are limited, and the game is on Saturday, so round up the troops!

Click here if you’re interested.

I’m a pretty firm believer that visuals and acoustics keep the world together. I’m not talking about seeing and speaking, but rather photography and music. Photos and music have that ability to really move you and create emotions, as well as freezing time. Think back to songs that take you back to a certain point in time, dancing in that club, rolling on that road trip or just meeting amazing people. Music freezes time just as much as photos do.

I’ve always had an interest in creative pursuits, and this is why music and photos really interest me. While some people will see photos and think “Cool, that’s nice”, I’m fascinated by photos and the times they represent, the emotions they capture and the nature in which they were taken. I’d like to think I’m a creative type, and strict business talk and numbers and accounting don’t interest me at all…clearly! So when I was Googling some photographers, I came across Jim Marshall who has shot pretty much anyone who is cool, soooo…I though you might be interested in his photos!

The Beatles

Dylan

Hendrix

Johnny Cash: San Quentin Prison

Jagger and Uncle Jack

I still think the best photography is not about the best lighting and camera settings and equipment. The best photography is always about the moment, just being there and capturing that moment. And this naturally means being there in the moment, which is what made jim Marshall so awesome. He was there, and that made for great photos. I’m especially interested in music photography, obviously because it combines music and photography (Obviously!). Music has brought us some of the greatest moments in history, and this is one of the reasons why we should also pay for good music, instead of blindly downloading it and taking it from friends hard drives.

Still one of my favorite moments in music was this from U2.

And I really do think music and photography make the world go round, or at least keep it cemented together. Could you possibly live without music and photos?

Click here for MarshallPhoto.com

I don’t even know if I’ve ever mentioned Candice, but here she is launching some sort of other.

Car.Wall. Pen. Paper. Printer. Shoe.

Sean, are you just looking at things and typing them?

bsgj kltgn wewthhhhhwamnwae wwa A4W9TPOUSGWAE WQOUR93UBNFFFFFGsdf;jlghkl

Hey? Management? Are they here?

Sorry I blacked out there for a second and fell on the keyboard.

So where were we? Oooooooh look lettuce!
Via

I was saying something on Twitter the other day that I was excited to see Plush play again this year in South Africa after I bought their CD’s. You’ll all remember their live sessions at Sobhar…the best time of our lives. The very best times!

So there is a charity benefit and I can’t tell you to go to this or not, you just need to know that it’s happening, and that should close the deal:

Click here to buy your tickets, it should be a cracker.

I’m pretty confident writing this, because back in the day there were a few things that would just happen in your life. If you are around my age now, there would have been a few constants in your parents life, well actually your dads life. It was so simple being a man back then, because you had to know nothing. You went to work, came back home, chopped wood and cooked meat. Now you’re probably coming home, lighting charcoal and helping the wife make a salad (This was unheard of in my parents days. If you were a man, you didn’t eat anything with bright colours. You ate meat. You drank beer. You sat with the boys). Krist, you’re probably even getting a foot massage. The only foot massage your old man was getting, was from the cheeky brunette who his friend was dating, and was sitting opposite him at a steak dinner at the holiday house the one year.

You grew a moustache.

When you were growing up, your dad probably had a moustache. Not because it was cool. Or because he forgot to take it off after Movember. He had it because he was a man!  Men grew moustaches. And even if women didn’t like it, they accepted it. Hey…I suppose men had to accept Bush being in power back then, so yeah…Karma’s a bitch. There are three things that men were known for back in the day, and this is the first one. The next two follow.

You wore Ray Ban Aviators.

Mike Ditka: A MAN

Back in the day your dad wore Ray Ban Aviators…not because he thought they were cool, or because they suited him. He wore them because dammit, that’s the only sunglass that existed back in the day! Your dad wasn’t a little girlie man, and he didn’t wait in anticipation for the new limited edition Aviator to come out. Your dad wore the gold frames with the green lenses. And that’s the cool thing about the old days! You never had to spend a lot of money. You had one suit, one pair if sunglasses, one car, one pair if jeans…life was simple. Now we have washes on jeans and shit is getting so complicated that it’s actually a mission just to stay alive.

I however take things back to the old school. I wear one pair of jeans, wear white t shirts and alternate between a linen and a leather jacket. I don’t need a different dress code for every day of the week, what is this? The style network? These people who have fifty jackets and 20 pairs of jeans make me crazy. I wake up and my clothes are ready for me. I slap on Old Spice and I roll. And the cool thing is, I don’t need to worry about looking like a complete tit when my clothing goes out of fashion. Mine never does. Life’s not that complicated, people complicate it.

Learn something from your dad, and buy what you need, the essentials. Keep your life simple and tidy. Advertising has you wanting all that shit…

And you wore Old Spice.

I was reminded of Old Spice when I was watching the Old Spice ads, like this very awesome one:

It’s taken me 25 years to buy my very own bottle of Old Spice, and it has been the most exciting purchase of my life.

Now chilling on my bookshelf

But I mean, that’s the thing, your dad was like a primal man. He shaved against the grain with a cheap single blade razor. And then after that, as if the cuts and razor burn were not bad enough, he would slap on Old Spice and burn the life out of his skin. And he’d be red all day from the burn, but in those days every man had a red face all day. Because they were men. Some of your folks friends probably don’t even look like people anymore, because their skin is as haggard as hell, but they’ve still got hot chicks…and they’re rich! They honestly resemble mummies, but they’re funny, wealthy and their wives gives these youngsters a run for their money, I’ll tell you that much.

I must be honest, if parents didn’t mellow in their age, they’d kill us now. My old man, back in the day, would have killed someone had he known they were using a moisturiser, or using a shaving cream to reduce razor burn. Or heaven forbid, using 5 blades on a razor! (Which to be honest, is ridiculous)

I mean, men in the old days did what made them feel awesome, and that’s what makes them cool. People thought Clint Eastwood was hardcore back in the day, but the fact is, if you were a man, you were exactly like Clint Eastwood. Except you weren’t an actor. In fact, acting would have been considered a little girlie mans job back in the day. So your dad is even more hardcore than Clint. For real. Your dad would have kicked Clint in his nuts back in the day, that’s how girlie Clint was. Realising he was a girlie man, Clint would give your dad a hundred bucks, for the honour of being nut kicked by such a primal man. This is the time your dad lived in. It was brutal and honest and manly.

Look, men aren’t perfect! We cannot multitask. I for one, can only concentrate on one thing. I cannot klap a cow dead while thinking of what salad will go with it. That’s why as a man, I dont eat salad with my bloody steak. I eat potatoes because back in the day as a primal man, we’d moer a cow, chow it, and then when we were sawing up the carcass we’d saw a bit into the ground and find potatoes. Which is why today a steak goes with chips. Although your old man would more you in your bek if he saw you eating chips. Men didn’t know chips back in the day, they had whole baked potatoes. Or raw ones. You’re not a chick, you eat what you find and you don’t think about it. This is also the reason men die so young these days, because we eat what we find. And if we find dinner to be a pie and a Coke at the petrol station, then that is dinner. We don’t care what is in it.

Another thing men cannot multi task at is driving and reading. I also cannot drive and read a magazine, which is why I become ridiculously wealthy and buy a driver to drive for me.

I don’t know how to fly, so I become wealthy and buy a plane and hire a pilot. So we aren’t perfect, but God came damn close to perfection with us.

He is making a couple of cock ups lately though, as drug fuelled bad boys like Colin Farrell and Robbie Williams are being replaced by Justin Wiener little girlie men.

Mind you, I throw out my feminine side from time to time, and I’m awesome. I order hair wax from the UK on Ebay. I moisturise. But who wouldn’t throw out some feminine vibes, growing up with parents listening to the Bee Gees and Rod Stewart?

Of course I’m going to bloody moisturise! Of course I’m going to wear tight pants! Of course I’m going to love my hair more than anything else. One of my favorite comedians in the world was, and still is, the late, great Bernie Mac. Now here’s a man who knew how to roll!

The fact is, you can do as many feminine things as you like, but as soon as a woman smells Old Spice, she knows what she is dealing with. You’re an old school man!

Old Spice never dates, and it’s great to take away with you. Going away and losing an R800 bottle of Gucci is a pain in the nuts, but losing a R99 bottle of Old Spice can be handled.

Just look at photos of your folks back in the 80′s, they didn’t care about style (Evidently), they never posed and pouted for photos, they didn’t own a lot of stuff. But they were there, partying, braaing, listening to insane music and having a good time. And they were in many cases happier than we are today, because they owned less, had less to worry about.

We could learn something from our folks, we really could.

And I think we should…

Your desk is nothing like the chiefs desk at SLXS, it’s like FHM here. Chicks, booze, smut talk, all the way into the weekend. Anyway, my latest product test for SLXS is Green Mamba, which is a ready mix cane and cream soda. Awesome!

This is what we’re looking at:

Review and write up to come next week. Have a philthy weekend, you animals!

Well, this ones for the ladies…and to appeal to a  broad audience…some of the guys!

I’m not a fan of chicks piling on the makeup, ladies, lets keep it natural. You will agree with me after watching this clip:

You don’t want those chemicals in your body because boobs = good. An extra tit growing on your back from chemicals = not so good. Now that you know all of that, go out and get yourself some safe cosmetics from South Africa’s premier online natural store, Faithful To Nature. Click here for Faithful To Nature.

Obviously being a guy, I’d NEVER USE NATURAL PRODUCTS. *Cough cough don’t click that link*

In the past I’ve been referred to as a Facebook Fiend, a Facebook Pirate, I’m going to become an Ebay whore once my new bank card arrives and if Amazon bothered delivering anything meaningful to deepest, darkest Africa, then I’d be an Amazon slut too.

So I like buying things online, only because South Africa is generally useless at stocking anything in it’s stores. Nudie Jeans, Fudge hair products and American Crew hair products are some of the things that keep me alive, but I have to order them online. I’ve used Kalahari.net plenty of times although I find their affiliate program for website owners bordering on useless (Although I hear that will change soon-ish) So the launch of their new trading platform is quite exciting then!

Here are the edited details from the press release:

The new and used platform was launched as part of the kalahari.net website in February this year.  It already boasts more than 500 000 products for sale and the company expects this number to double by the end of the year.  The launch categories include books, CDs, DVDs and games.

“Books, CDs, DVDs and games remain the most popular online purchases for South Africans, probably because they are low-cost items that people have become used to buying online.  Also, people trust the credible websites that they purchase these on, like kalahari.net.  The launch of our marketplace allows online users to sell their new or used products on a platform that has an enormous database of existing customers and that is safe and easy to use. We are really excited about the massive growth that we’ve seen since the launch in February,” says Gary Novitzkas, general manager for kalahari.net.

Not only is kalahari.net offering individuals and companies a fun and almost addictive way to dispose of their unwanted novels, textbooks, cookbooks, CDs, DVDs and games as a way to make extra cash, but it has also created the enterprise tools that allow companies to upload their entire inventory.  This means that a little book shop in the Karoo is no longer hampered by its location and a high-street shop is now able to launch an instant out-of-the-box internet offering.

“It is the perfect solution for creating a successful online business, especially since we already have the customers and their trust,” continues Novitzkas.

How the trading platform works:

kalahari.net has made the upload process really simple.  Sellers register and their banking details are verified.  Once this step is complete, they upload their products by entering the name of the book, DVD, CD or game or by entering the ISBN number on the product.  The system searches for the product and once found, the seller nominates a price that he or she would like to sell the item for, as well as the delivery method (courier or postal service). Once uploaded, the item is automatically live on the kalahari.net website.

A buyer browsing kalahari.net has the option of buying a new item or a new or used item from registered sellers on kalahari.net’s new marketplace.  If the buyer selects the used item, the money paid by the buyer is held in kalahari.net’s escrow account until the buyer confirms receipt of the purchase.  Once this is done, the money is paid directly into the sellers bank account.

What makes kalahari.net’s marketplace different is that it holds the buyers funds in an escrow account until the buyer received the product and confirms that it is in the condition that the seller advertised. Unlike other websites, once a product is purchased it is automatically removed from the website, which means that the only products that customers see are those which are actively available.

Although there are currently no fees charged on kalahari.net, it will introduce nominal success fees on sales in September this year.

I think that’s an awesome idea wjereby smaller shops can upload their entire inventory online. Obviously this is great for local markets, and if you’re keen on selling to the international market, check out Ebay. Think of something that you cannot get overseas, but would want if you were there…with the favourable exchange rate, there is a huge market on Ebay for goods from South Africa. Everything is just cheaper from here, and if you have a good product, you can sell it on Ebay, creating your own online store. Just saying…

It would also be quite rad if we could sell illegal stuff online. Like people. And narcotics.

I mean, how many books do we need to sell to buy a house? CRACK on the other hand…well I suppose we could sell meths and loaves of bread. But our target market don’t really have internet. And you can buy meths and bread around the corner.

DAMMIT why is business so difficult!

Click here for the Kalahari.net Marketplace.

(Thanks Tarryn & Stacy)

So this is just in, and YOU need to know it before your mates. That way you can totally claim it! Your buddy comes up to you and says “Dude do you know Daughtry are coming to South Africa?”

“Listen bugger, please shut up with that old news! I basically booked them for their South African tour dates. Now sit down, shut up, and get me a beer. I said NOW DAMMIT!”

Here is the news you need to know:

Daughtry Announces First Ever South African Tour Dates

American rock band Daughtry will be performing in South Africa for the first time ever during October 2010.  The tour kicks off at the Grand Arena, Grand West Casino and Entertainment World in Cape Town on Wednesday 27th October 2010 and culminates at the Coca-Cola Dome Johannesburg on Friday 29th October 2010.

Daughtry released their self-titled debut album in 2006. A hit in both artistic and commercial terms, the GRAMMY®-nominated album spawned a trio of #1 songs (It’s Not Over, Home, and Feels Like Tonight), sold over 5 millions albums worldwide and was the fastest-selling debut rock album in Soundscan history.  Produced by Howard Benson (All-American Rejects, My Chemical Romance), released by 19 Entertainment/RCA Records, Daughtry earned multiple wins at the American Music Awards, the World Music and the Billboard Music Awards.

Daughtry – Feels Like Tonight
Uploaded by ptibenss2. – Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Daughtry topped the charts with its second platinum release Leave This Town (2009). The album entered at the top of the Billboard 200, making it the band’s second #1 album. Its first single, “No Surprise,” extended the group’s extraordinary streak of #1 hits to four and current single “September” is following the same path. Leave This Town again produced by Howard Benson mixes powerful rock to hushed ballads and emotional mid-tempo rockers. It also includes the country-influenced “Tennessee Line,” a track Chris Daughtry wrote with guitarist Brian Craddock that features vocal harmonies by country-music superstar Vince Gill. In addition to writing with all his band mates, Chris also collaborated with some of rock’s savviest song smiths for the album, penning “Learn My Lesson” with Mitch Allan and “Ghost of Me” with music producer Brian Howes; both of whom co-wrote songs on Daughtry’s debut. Leave This Town also includes stellar contributions from Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger.

Daughtry has made an impressive run of television appearances including NFL’s Super Tailgate Party at Super Bowl XLIV, NCAA Men’s Final Four Coke Zero Countdown and Pep Rally, The Country Music Awards, American Music Awards, Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Dallas Cowboy Thanksgiving Day Game, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve show in New York City’s Times Square and are invited back for the second consecutive year on the Today Show Toyota Outdoor Concert Series.

Tour Itinerary

Cape Town
Wednesday 27th October 2010
Grand Arena, Grandwest Casino and Entertainment World.
Tickets from R221 – R399 including all service fees.

Johannesburg
Friday 29th October 2010
Coca-Cola Dome
Tickets from R221– R399 including all service fees.

(Thanks Tim, Martin)

(I started writing this last week, but my health failed me, so if things say ‘last night’, just know it was last week)

Somehow I managed to get into the 2oceansvibe Radio Media Launch party last night and it’s official…do not let me drink.

I basically completely missed the Jack Parow performance because I was chatting to all the high powered attendees. Publicists, radio DJ’s, singers, bloggers…I was on top form after declaring that an open bar was awesome. It’s funny until Sean has his 10th glass of champers and suddenly I’m Leo and king of the world and high fiving people and generally acting like a rock star. Which, lets be honest, I am.

But with great drinking also comes great wisdom and I invented yet ANOTHER drink from Pussy Energy Drink. Look, Seth might be sponsored by them, but we need to take an honest look at ourselves and agree that I should be a marketing genius for Pussy. Last time we spoke we made the Blue Pussy (HERE for the uninformed)

Last night I created The Edward, for all those Twilight fans. It’s half Pussy/half sparkling wine. So it’s a Sparkling Pussy, just like the one Edward sports in Twilight.

The Sparkling Pussy AKA The Edward

How awesome? EXACTLY.

I can’t remember exactly what transpired but I was outside with Charlie V, Jack Parow was behind us, and then I was chatting to Stacey from KFM. We’ve actually known each other for ages, if you call Facebook ‘knowing’ I have absolutely no idea what we chatted aobut, but it was surely quite a laugh because I pissed myself. Jokes. I mean, not jokes about me pissing myself, jokes about me laughing until I pissed myself. I pissed myself because I forgot where the bathroom was.

I’m pretty damn sure there will be an opening shot of me on Top Billing, because when we arrived there was a camera crew in front of us. They stopped my sexual self and Charlie and Taz and her friend, and asked us to stand on the balcony for the opening shot. I hope they edit it, as I had my first carb that day (EVER – FATTY) and my bum was looking quite fat and my face was bloated.

But other than that carb mishap, if I saw myself from an outsiders perspective, I’d totally do me.

I don’t know why exactly we left, as you never know why you leave these parties but I was fairly hammered and was not feeling too hot. There were some photos, and obviously you’ll no doubt see me on Top Billing. If not, I will see to it that a producer is fired right away.

Some okes jaws were on the floor from all the talent, and I know the girls you were looking at were actually dating other people. Never fear!

I’m sure at least one of these girls are single:

Your average Cape Town girls(See what I did there?)…ungroomed and a little harsh on the eyes. No fashion sense whatsoever.

Again, battling in the looks department and not really most guys cup of tea.

And if they’re not, well then that’s bad news bears! The TBG was in attendance, hiding from my lens:

Han visto el TBG?

And some more photos, Jack Parow mos kief!

Parow: Relaxed

Anyway, thanks to 2oceansvibe Radio and The Little Black Book for an amazing hangover and the feeling of my stomach mixing cement the next day. I think I must have passed out doos dronk in a gutter and a cement truck offloaded into my stomach.

I don’t feel great for 25, but hey, it’s not the worst that could happen.

Bring on the next events, and people…keep the invites and products coming, I love it.

Click here for the rest of the photos on Facebook.

Click here for 2oceansvibe Radio.

Cowley, Ramshackle, McGregor and random(Photo via)

Dammit, that bloody came out of nowhere!

I’m joking, who honestly wants to go spend a months salary on dinner?

I’ve never been a fan of high end cuisine, I’d rather be watching live music somewhere random and then swinging past Barcellos afterwards for a chicken. Call me a plebb, but this high end dining is not for me. I feel too uncomfortable, in fact I generally feel uncomfortable anywhere pretentious and smart, although I do still have another character I pull out when speaking to the who’s who of Cape Town. So I use that character when speaking to myself, naturally. I’m talented and gifted like that!

Anyway, Cape Town is a fairly chilled place and people dig to do chilled things, like hang out at clubs listening to music, chilling on the beach and having relaxed evenings. Something like Maze is not a place we’re going to go to. I want to cruise somewhere in my boardshorts and not have to worry about who hears what I have to say. I don’t want to have to be reserved at the dinner table. I want to play with my food, laugh until I cry and I want to spill food on my clothing. That’s just me though…

My first hint that things at Maze may not go so well over the coming months was when I was charged R110 for a Red Bull and a glass of red wine at the bar at The One & Only. Now I actually don’t mind that they charge this, because you are paying for being in a place like that. All I’m saying is that I don’t care much for surroundings, I care for an atmosphere and good friends. Being surrounded by marble and gold and crystal really doesn’t impress me. Being surrounded by awesome friends and live music in a relaxed atmosphere does impress me. So does the fact that I’m not paying towards some R1 billion establishment. While the height of excess, and while I do appreciate it, it’s not some place I’d go ever day. Or ever.

I’ve never been to Maze because it doesn’t appeal to me, in fact I don’t know of many people who have been there. And if they have, they’ve been once. Once to see it, but they won’t go back, and now they can’t.

Actually I’m tired of writing this piece, I don’t know why I started in the first place!