It's been four years since South Africa's premier blues outfit, the Blues Broers, entertained Gauteng audiences. The band was formed in 1990 by five Cape Town blues fanatics and they've been spreading the gospel ever since. During live performances they're known for swapping their regular instruments for bizzare items such as a washboard, a bass made from a tea-chest and beer-bottle slide guitars. Recently they've performed with Chicago based 'Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women' and had several sold-out shows at the Klein Karoo Kunstefees. The Gauteng shows will also feature performances by BB side-project Frosted Orange.

The band have produced four albums over the years including the aclaimed "Cellar Tapes", a live recording of a series of shows at the legendary Hidden Cellar in Stellenbosch and they've worked at the jazz and rock festivals held across South Africa and Namibia. Although they play mostly original material, it's not uncommon to find them slipping in a BB King song or a Ray Charles composition because they just love to play the tunes.

'Dr' John Mostert hails from Durban and joined the band after reading an advert they had placed in the personals column of the Cape Town Argus. It is true that his first audition was held over the telephone, however, rumours that he once performed a show via fax-machine are unfounded. John is a veteran performer, having played most of the grimy, sleazy, live music dives in the country as well as a couple of the nicer dives as well. The sound of his voice has been likened to the taste of a cheap brandy fermented in barrels made from chip-board.

Rob Nagel (a.k.a. 'Big Bob' ) has an encyclopedic knowlege of the blues backed up by an enormous vinyl collection. His extravagant facial hair hides the face of a true aficionado of live music in all its forms as long as those forms are blue.Favourite topics of conversation amongst the other band-members are; whether Rob can play the bass guitar as well as he can the harmonica, how he manages to do both at the same time and why doesn't he sing that song he did on the first album?

Dave Lewarne was recently hired to play the part of a drummer in a Vodacom TV advertisement. At the end of the ad he's chased out of town by the locals, persued by the police and farmers in bakkies. It's strange how art often follows life because rumour has it that Dave has been thrown out of several European countries and it was with some trepidation that he was hired to fill the drum chair left vacant by the untimely death of Broers stalwart Frank Frost. Needless to say, his excelent playing far more than compensates for any nervousness felt by the band at border posts and road-blocks.

Albert Frost was recently asked to be the official endorsee of Fender products in South Africa. Such a prestigious association with a the most famous guitar manufacturer in the world might cause a guitar player to re-consider his life, perhaps become more responsible, more respectable and dignified. Happily, with Albert, this hasn't happened and the stream of wild women and tequila still flows strong . Although he is often seen playing in the company of musicians like Valiant Swart and Koos Kombuis, his first professional engagement was with the Blues Broers and they are fond of reminding him that he owes them.

Simon Orange's English accent aludes to a happy childhood spent playing in the verdant fields and sun-lit meadows of that tiny island. Wrenched away at the age of twelve and sent to a South African boarding school he at first tried to swim back but was later convinced to stay and learn how to play the piano. So began years of study, self-instruction and tutelage. Unfortunately these were alternated with years of drunkeness, depravity and shameless bad behaviour. In retrospect there could have been no better band to start a musical career with than the Blues Broers and he has found his true calling in their company. He also carries his swimming costume wherever he goes.

Cape Town trio Frosted Orange play a blend of blues and spacious indie rock. Simon Orange formed the band with Albert Frost in 1995 and they performed as a duo until meeting drummer Jacques Schutte in Stellenbosch in 1999. Simon and Albert are both members of the Valiant Swart Band and the Blues Broers. They've toured and recorded with many local artists over the years but public interest in Frosted Orange grew so much in 2001 that they decided to bring out their own album. My Love Is A Leopard was recorded at Sunset Studios in Stellenbosch in September last year. Though echoing the bands’ strong blues background, it features a variety of styles. From the smooth Pink Floyd-ish Hey Ray to the hard-stomping Electric Train, it's an experiment in deep blue sonics.

Latest news is that My Love is a Leopard spent two weeks at No.1 on the influential South African Rock Digest album chart. The band also recently performed on a "live in studio" session on 'Wired', SAFM's music programme hosted by Michelle Constant.