As the saying goes: Never waste a good crisis. From performing 250 shows a year on average to being homebound, with almost no notice, left South Africa’s Rock Royalty, Prime Circle, with two choices: wallow in self-pity or seize the moment…

Prime Circle has chosen the latter and launched their Celebration of Life tour in January this year, only to be stopped in their tracks when Uncle Cyril revoked all social gatherings over the summer holidays due to a spike in the infection curve (CV19 – not to be spoken of).

This, however, did not deter the band. Resilience meant finding a different way of staying top of mind. They had pent-up energy and songs to share with their loyal fan base. The brilliant initiative of Music In Empty Spaces saw the light on 28 February.

The band returned to the venue that ultimately kickstarted their career when they opened for Live in 2003 at the Ticket Pro Dome in Johannesburg – with a 90-minute international streamed show because the show must go on!

The song that put them on the map then and which still features as part of a “must play list” is Hello. Ross recalls that he wrote the song in high school and couldn’t even play the guitar then. His dad took him to a pawn shop to buy a guitar and he “just messed around and came up with the song.”

The band formed in December 2001 and Hello Crazy World was launched in 2002. The dream was that Prime Circle would stand the test of time and that the music and the band members’ brotherhood, would remain their core focus. 20 years down the line and they did just that!

Amped to see my favourite band live at the Daisy Jones Bar (Orgasmic Music Gallery - OMG) in Stellenbosch, which made me jolt out of hibernation. The energy on stage was electrifying. The playlist covered familiar songs, with a twist, and a few new anthems about love and life.

Here's to the good times, the bad times
The times that could have been
To the wrong times, the right times
I know we'll breathe again, until then...

Suppose that we got older, suppose that we'd begin
Suppose that I stopped running, it could begin again
Suppose in life we made it, I'm never looking back…

Prime Circle, the small-town band from Witbank, continues to fly the Rock & Roll flag.

"I salute you Dale, Dirk, Marco, Neil and Ross – our brothers in music!"

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