Local boys Passenger opened on Saturday night for the Joburg-based Hokum, which is the new name for the well-known guys previously called Marlowe.

Passenger had a really smooth gig, and looked superbly comfortable on the Burn stage. Smaller gigs often suit a band more than big ones, and I think this is definitely the case with these guys. They can’t really make use of the large space available when playing on the Splashy stage, because being a three-piece means both guitarists have to stay in range of their mic stands and can’t jam around as much. The only opportunities to go off are inbetween verses. So for that reason, I always prefer their performance on the small Burn stage, where it doesn't look too sparse.

I’ve been listening to the CD so much now that I sing along with every word, and it’s great to hear a track or two at a live performance that you don’t recognize. Especially if it’s an awesome song, because it means either they are working hard and writing new material, or they have such depth that they were forced to leave songs off the album that could easily have been included! Either way, Passenger rocks!

Although the instrument abuse is a bit over-the-top... c’mon guys, is it really worth breaking guitars to prove you’re rock stars? We all know you kick ass...

Is this necessary?Hokum were also really impressive. You may have heard of their previous band, Marlowe, who formed in 2001 and have been a staple in the South African music scene for years. They lost their drummer recently, but instead of replacing him, the bass player decided to give drumming a crack and he is supremely good at it.

Then, instead of getting a new bass player, they simply pre-record the bass as a back-up track and do the live performance with perfect timing! Which apparently is really difficult... you gotta keep up else it’ll just run away without you! To make this possible, the drummer has to wear big-ass headphones so he can keep perfectly in time.

The only drawback to this approach is that their songs will always be played with exactly the same tempo. It’s sometimes cool to have improvised parts in a live performance that you’re not expecting... it keeps things interesting.

I haven’t heard much of them previously but I was very impressed with their style. Will definitely be checking it out as much as possible in future.

Sorry no Hokum photos, I tried but didn't get any decent shots. Just the way it goes with night photography I guess.