Thanks to our resident insider T., we'll be able to track the progress of Durban's own beach rock 'n punk band, The City Bowl Mizers, as they make themselves heard in London!

Here's their first update:

So.. the City Bowl Mizers touched down in the UK almost 2 weeks ago now. We decided to move across here to see just what we could make of ourselves. Having received overwhelmingly positive responses to our music and live performances around the country back home, we decided (with a fair bit of encouragement from our amazing manager, Andrew!) to take our sound to international audiences.

Of course, it's all a rough 'n ready venture but it's rock 'n roll, and you might as well chuck yourself in the deep end - no-one likes 'safe' music do they? So here we are, already one show down (the Fighting Cocks pub in Kingston), and by Lemmy's warts did it go well! As they say over here, the audience was 'well impressed!' So that was a huge confidence booster.

So we are booking gigs left, right and slightly off-centre - I mean, we are jamming at a strip club soon! We are also playing at 12-Bar in Denmark Road, where the ceiling is so low in comparison to the upper level of the club that the people on the ground floor can't see your heads! But then if you go upstairs apparently you get a really unique and cool view on the action. Stupid architects!

So life is hectic here... bru. We're missioning for jobs, as you really do have to be set up soon after arrival to get by and have a bit of a life. There's so many shows to go see, all your favourite bands, one after the other, so to not have an income is just, well, you know... We're loving it though. thank God everyone speaks English (well, in one form or another...) even if syllables such as 'th' are replaced with 'ff' (case in pont: 'with' becomes 'wiff,' go figure) and most sentences end in 'innit?' or 'noaw wo' oi mean?' Things work really well here, the sound at venues is good, and the bigger the venue, the better the sound, unlike certain 'renowned' spots in SA. The public transport is such a bonus too.

More on our progress soon! We hope to make you guys proud at home.

Luv
The Mizer Massive

And… here is a review done on their first gig...

City Bowl At The AirportSurfs up in the UK - The City Bowl Mizers debut UK show

Last night, 29 July, saw The City Bowl Mizers play their debut UK show. The venue was the punk rock bar called the Fighting Cocks in Kingston. With the temperature rising, the venue began to fill up, the first band of the evening were belting out their brand of Bouncing Souls meets Dropkick Murphys punk. Meanwhile, the five members of The City Bowl Mizers prepared themselves. Twenty minutes later they would breathe a breath of fresh air into this small venue.

From the first chord strummed, The City Bowl Mizers grabbed everybodys attention with their patented Beachboys meets The Clash style rock complete with the 50s look and feel. Their second song saw more people filtering into the band area, by song three, feet were tapping, and heads were bobbing. The crowds appreciation grew after every song, the applause getting louder and more drawn out. The cheers gathered more power. On the frontline, the Mizers were playing their heart out, and sweating in the sweltering London summer heat. The light hearted sound of surf citys champions mixed with their overwhelming stage presence ensured they were the stand out band of the evening. They offered the pop sensibility, the easygoing vibe, a sense of punk rock spirit and threw a great party for the thirty minutes they graced the Fighting Cocks stage.

If this debut show is anything to go by, The City Bowl Mizers have started down a road that will see them become a band that will keep people coming back for more. More good times and plenty more feel good shows are in the future for this unique five piece. Surfs up in the UK!

For more about The City Bowl Mizers, please visit their myspace page at:
http://www.myspace.com/thecitybowlmizers

- words by Tim Drunk (myspace.com/deathdestroy)