Durban — The Durban Botanic Gardens’ uMphafa Field stage will be set alight on Sunday in an electrifying concert.
Milky Chance, supported by Neon Dreams and Tanner Wareham, will leave their hearts on stage.
Independent on Saturday caught up with Durban-born Tanner Wareham before his performance on Sunday.
Wareham said he used the stage name Tanner because his real name did not make the cut.
“For lack of a better option: my parents were too lazy for a middle name although my best friend calls me John, which was my late dad’s middle name. I come from Hillcrest and spent five years studying in Stellenbosch. This is where I’ve been.
“I am a mostly full-time live performing and recording artist specialising in loops and one-man band work. Sometimes I dabble in chemical engineering when the opportunity arises,” said Wareham.
Wareham said there was never a straightforward answer for what his style is, but the best effort recently was jungle reggae rock, coined by his friends.
“If I had to describe it, I’d say mostly an upbeat blend of acoustic pop, funk and reggae, drawing sounds from dance and African pop.
“I love to dive into different genres and the songs I work on at any given point will reflect whatever I’m inspired by or enjoying at that time.
“I believe each song is a gift that flows from God so I don’t try to fight it or fit into any specific mould but rather voice what He’s trying to portray. Most of the time inspiration hits while I’m performing live and whatever births from the loops I follow,” he said.
He said on Sunday fans could look forward to the addition of percussionist Mbongeni Makhaye.
“It’s gonna be an upbeat set, no lack of vibe, a mix of languages and styles to suit everyone in the crowd. We’re super amped and aim to spread the joy we get from performing into the crowd.”
Headline act Milky Chance originated in Kassel, Germany, where childhood friends Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Dausch formed the indiepop band and rose to fame with their breakout folk/electronic hit Stolen Dance which reached No 1 on the charts, was certified platinum in multiple countries and became one of the most Shazamed songs of all time.
In a press statement, Dausch said he was extremely excited about their return to South Africa and the tour has a special reveal as well.
“It’s been way too long since we were over in SA. Back then it was so special for so many reasons and we really felt welcomed by the people.”
Independent on Saturday