Direct from London - the legendary eVOID is back for a whistlestop jive tour of their homeland South Africa in April of 2024.
When was th e last time you experienced an eVOID gig? Or heard "Shadows"\, "Taximan"\, "I am a Fadget" and more past hits live? Some of you may even remember dr essing up as “fadgets” and queuing up for hours outside the Chelsea Ho tel in Hillbrow\, or recall the varsity tour in 1984 at the Stellenbosch T own Hall when the floor caved in\, from everyone jumping up and down to “Shadows”!
Still bopping to “Taximan”? Well\, you can start jiving for joy\, as eVOID returns to South Africa in April this year for nine (9) shows around South Africa\, including two with 80s lege nds Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Brothers Lucien and Erik Windrich\, still looking young and fresh as ever\, are joined by veteran musicians Peter Cohen (Bright Bl ue\; Freshlyground) on drums and Josh Hawks (Freshlyground) on bass\, the band will be playing all of the hits and much more - get ready to junk jiv e in the aisles because eVOID are back!
Void [without the “e”] was formed in 1977 on the East Rand. They won the local Battle o f the Bands in 1978 and were offered their first professional gig in Zimba bwe a year later. The group consisted of Lucien Windrich (guitar and vocal s)\, Erik Windrich (keyboards and lead vocals)\, Danny de Wet (drums) and Terry Andalis (bass). During an eight-month stint there the band recorded a cover version of the Knack’s current hit “My Sharona”. The B-side “Magicia” took off and reached number 4 on the SA charts.
Returning to South Africa\, eVOID began to build up a strong followin g on the club circuit in the Eastern Cape. In 1982\, older brother-manager Karl Windrich persuaded the trio (Lucien\, Erik and George Voros) to relo cate to Johannesburg. eVOID now upped its image with painted faces\, triba l dances and South African jive rhythms. But it was in 1983 with new drumm er Wayne Harker that eVOID began to produce their most memorable and exhil arating live shows at the Chelsea Hotel in Hillbrow\, when Benjy Mudie sig ned them to WEA Records\, and when eVOID went on to complete a groundbreak ing and highly successful Varsity tour in 1984.
The first single “Shadows” peaked at number 3 on the national charts and remain s a staple of South African rock and pop-oriented radio stations. In Feb 1 984 they released the catchy “Taximan” which got to number 6 on the ch arts. Later that year\, the self-deprecating “I am a Fadget” became th e band’s third single\, consolidating their white African punk-inspired sound and striking New Romantic ‘boy band’ image. By September 1984 th e first album was riding high at the top of the charts\, followed by the r elease of a 12-inch maxi single\, “Kwela Walk” that received rave revi ews.
On Saturday 12 January 1985\, eVOID performed before an estimated 100\,000 people at the Concert in the Park in support of Ope ration Hunger along with many other top South African bands. A month later \, the brothers Karl\, Lucien and Erik left South Africa for London where they performed as a four-piece with Ilne Hofmeyer on bass and Richard Deve y on drums. A second album “Here comes the Rot” was released in 1986 f rom which WEA released the single “Dance the Instinct”. In 1993\, the group recorded a third album called “eVOID –Over the Years”\, availa ble only on cassette for limited distribution.