#FestCrawlers: Playing Hard & Treading Lightly At Rocking The Daisies 2017

142 0

Special Mentions: Khanyi (Amanda), S.E.T, Ntombi, Yolisa, Tash & EnthuseMag

We went, We saw, We danced, We laughed but not all of us returned. Everyone always leaves a part of them at Daisies, Figuratively and or literally.

LIGHT BACKGROUND: Rocking the Daisies is definitely one of South Africa´s  biggest music festivals. Held every year in the first week of October at the Cloof Wine Estate. Festival goers come in their numbers to camp out and party with the biggest and the best local and international artists. Daisies is beyond just a music festival. It is best described by them as also a Lifestyle event, as they also have movie screening, a salon and make-up station and this year, the screening of the Rugby, South Africa vs. New Zealand on the main stage. This and other various activities make what is known as Rocking the Daisies. Now that we are all caught up, let us rewind it a bit a start from the beginning.

OCTOBER 5: We were actually meant to leave at 12pm but you know how it is, school just does not pause cause there is a festival happening. So we were all together at around 4pm. Time was taken to repack the car because, besides the cooler box and an entire suitcase (it was not big but it was still an entire suitcase 🙂 ), we still had tents and bedding, more bags, some road trip food and more drinks to fit in this car. Eventually, we were on our way. It´s probably a good time to note that out of the five of us in that car only one had been to Daisies before. Ntombi and Yo were dealing the directions and Google was just not in the mood that day. After driving what should have been an hour long drive turned into an episode of Lost, we found ourselves stuck in the sand, about 10 to 15 minutes from the Wine estate, with nothing but bushes and sand around us. What had happened was that we took the ´faster route´ (according to google) but what we didn’t know was that you needed a 4 x 4 type of car to get to the other side. In hinds sight, a group of kids had told us to go back but, we were so focused on getting there and we were high-key lost and kinda scared for our lives here, that stopping was a mere suggestion that we were not taking. It now was looking like a scene straight out of horror movie. Everyone, including the people watching the movie, had been telling us to turn back but there is always that group that chooses to just continue. What tends to happen to them?…

After several panic attacks, the vain attempt of digging and lifting the car out of the ditch as well as a short beer break, help came. The gents stayed with the truck to get the car out while the ladies helped Mitch, another victim to the sand, out and up the hill, by pushing this car for at least 1km I promise. wow.! After such a rollercoaster of emotions and events, we finally made it! The energy there was just amazing guys, you completely forgot that you just did a mini-iron man. We set up camp and joined the party!

 

OCTOBER 6: ´Did the sun even rise or it just appeared´[Yolisa]. People did not sleep. We stepped out of the tent at around 10am. When you see something in the evening then again in the morning it is almost as if you are seeing it for the first time. Upon entry, you are greeted by the food court area. Your money is on your wrist and you just tap and eat. There is such a vibe at the food court with a DJ set up in the middle of it and beer pong happening to the left. Amongst the food trucks there was a hub/shisha bar there as well. The main festival had four main areas each providing a different vibe:

 

The Main Stage – Home for all the headliners as well as the rugby game screening

 


The Trap House – Anything and everything Hip-Hop, Rap or Trap

 


Friday was hectic, all of the headliners, notably Joey Badass, Cassper Nyovest, Black Coffee, Flume, amongst others all tore up the stage! You know when people say, we  were never ready!’ Well were at no time, not at any time, not ever, not once, on no occasion; literary ne’er READY. From about 3:45pm till the next day it was just one lit act after the other.

OCTOBER 7: Awesome things I checked out or did on Saturday were the Silent disco, the Electro Dome, obviously the Rugby game screening which was quite tense and exciting to watch. However, Saturday at the Trap House had to be the most unbeaten experience on that day.

 

South Africa vs New Zealand Viewing at Main Stage

 

 

The Trap House was definitely a favourite. Check out some tweets from #Enthused attendees!

 

https://twitter.com/Zipho_Mavs/status/917366537488609280

 

NOTABLE MOMENTS:
Some experiences are best lived than read. However, my few minutes on stage during the Joey Badass performance definitely go done in the books as one of my best moments.

Joey Bada$$, Shekinah, Flume, Snakehips, Cassper, Black Coffee and The Naked and Famous were like my favourite acts.

Us getting lost going to Daisies and coming back from it. #NotableMoment.

Would I go back? YAASSSSS! I had such a great time. I am definitely working on the after movie video so keep a lookout for that. Till then…

Aere Perennius,

Stay Woke, Love Apollo

 

 

 

Leave a Reply