An exciting new addition to the line up for the Umhlanga Carnival Castle Lite Chill Zone Street Party on December 23 has just been confirmed – Idols favourite, the Graeme Watkins Project. This year, the Umhlanga Summer Carnival has featured a line-up with 14 days of fun-filled beach events which also includes Carols by Candlelight on December 20 at the Granada Centre, Chartwell Drive.
With his unique personality and edgy song-choices, Watkins soon became a fan’s favourite in Season Five of the Idols. And despite achieving “Runner Up” status, Graeme vowed to return to the big stage, on his own terms, as a fully-fledged musician … and that time is now!
Graeme has since teamed up with some of the most highly regarded and accomplished musicians in South African music to create his new initiative – The Graeme Watkins Project (GWP). Lead guitarist Ryno Zeelie (famed for playing with Danny K, We Will Rock You and Rent); Rudo Pieterse on Bass (having played for Karen Zoid, amongst others) and Matthew Marinus on drums (known for his work in Fever tree, Zebra & Giraffe and Skouspel shows).
Despite being a simple “three-piece band”, GWP produces one of the biggest sounds around. GWP brings a dirty, edgy, rough approach to a medley of pop, indie, rock and electronic genres. Channelling influences such as The Springbok Nude Girls, Boo!, The Killers and even a hint of Depeche Mode, this unique sound is bound to inject a splice of energy into every listener.
The Graeme Watkins Project’s dedication and commitment has seen the fan base rise by 1,500 after GWP’s first televised performance of an acoustic version from one of the new original tracks, Light That Shines. Since the performance on Kyknet’s Glitterati – Valentines special 2010, GWP’s YouTube upload has far surpassed any other artists that have been uploaded on the Glitterati You Tube channel.
Watkins and his band will perform at the Umhlanga Summer Carnival in Chartwell Drive on December 23 at the Castle Lite Chill Zone Street Party which starts at 18h00. For more information visit www.umhlangatourism.co.za or www.graemewatkins.com
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