Crosscurrent Kills It

On Saturday evening I made a spontaneous decision to watch Crosscurrent perform live at the Café Roux in Noordhoek, and I could not have been happier with my decision. I didn’t realize that I had needed to buy a ticket and thus had difficulty sneaking my way inside, but believe you me, the struggle was worth it.

Crosscurrent is an Indie/Folk band that was founded in Cape Town in 2016. It consists of three members: Milo Williams on the drums, Owen Franke on the keyboard and trumpet, and David Franke as the lead vocalist and guitarist. Their music is inspired by local groups such as Beatenburg and Prime Circle, and although certain elements from these groups shine through, Crosscurrent have an incredibly original and personal sound to them.

I can’t quite pinpoint what I enjoyed most about the set on Saturday – there were the constant interactions with the audience, the jokes and the genuine enjoyment, the vibe of the crowd and the pure talent that erupted from these young artists. Owen, although staying constant at the keys, played the trumpet and harmonica as well as sang back-up vocals like an absolute professional. Milo banged on those drums with such passion and, from what I could see, was having a proper party. What came out of David’s mouth was the most beautiful, strong and warm voice – I truly felt as if I was watching George Ezra perform.

For the second half of the evening, the group had changed their outfits into tennis gear to perform their 2018 single called Run Away. These outfits matched those worn in the single’s music video, and I thought this was a fun and clever touch to their set. It certainly wasn’t needed, but the extra effort made an impression on me as well as everyone else in the audience. Crosscurrent weren’t simply playing their music, but they were performing it – and with great zest, too.

Crosscurrent are playing again on Friday the 15^th of March 2019 at The Raptor Room in Cape Town for an event headlining Ben Dey and the Concrete Lions. The event begins at 19h00 and tickets can be bought on Quicket for just R50 per person. I cannot recommend seeing this band more – they are interactive, fun, passionate and ridiculously talented. (Don’t even worry about the hassle – I have been so kind as to insert the link for you to buy your tickets right now! Simply click here.)

You’ll probably find me at the front of the crowd having a time to their tunes by myself – come and party with me!