Ramfest 2023: 5 Artists You May Not Know But Shouldn’t Miss

Ramfest is almost here and the announcement of the big name international artists had many music fans clambering for tickets. This year’s festival promises an unforgettable experience as Ramfest welcomes Enter Shikari and The Ocean to grace its prestigious stage.

While the international acts are of course a huge drawcard, I also like to read the fine print on music festival posters to learn about some acts I may not already know. I usually start checking out the lesser-known (to me at least) acts a week or two before the big day and after some research, I usually become excited to see them. After a few years of using this method, discovering new bands is my favourite part of most music festivals. Plus, I’m always guaranteed to get a little more bang for my buck on the ticket price.

Here are my 5 ‘small-print-on-the-poster’ acts that I think you should catch at Ramfest this year.

CAPE TOWN

We Kill Cowboys

This Cape Town-based, four-piece, psychedelic punk band is the brainchild of tattoo artist and singer-songwriter, Alex Muller. The initial project was born out of the 3-month lockdown of 2020 when Alex had the time to rediscover her musical roots and put together a collection of songs for her first solo EP, entitled Let it Burn.

Following this project, Muller was compelled to seek a bigger, more electric sound and reached out to a few good friends to form what on the surface seems like a hodge podge of musical characters. We Kill Cowboys draws on varied influences, spanning Metal, Punk, Rock ‘n Roll, Country, Western Classical, Indian Raga, Folk, Blues and a host of other genres. If you love music that is all about flipping the bird to conformity and the establishment, then you’ll love what this female-fronted band is serving up.

Tracks to check out: We Kill Cowboys latest single; ‘Pink Codein’ is now available on streaming services and will get you hyped for their upcoming live performance.

Da Beach Boyz

Da Beach Boyz is a South African hardcore punk band. But, they’re quick to point out, only one of them actually surfs. The foursome is made up of Thomas McWilliam on vocals, Richard Staub on guitar, Pieter Jordaan on bass, and Graham Pitouton on drums. The band’s sound is a bold, nostalgic blend of old skate punk and hardcore and their 4-track EP is everything your inner teenage dirtbag has been waiting for.

Expect punchy, catchy, melodic tunes with a surf-culture undercurrent. These tracks will have you reminiscing about days spent in your childhood bedroom thumbing through CD case booklets of your favourite punk bands, like NOFX and the like. Catch the band at Cape Town Ramfest and get ready for some classic punk tunes that will have you moshing your little heart out.

Tracks to check out: “Locals Only” is a fresh, classically fast-paced punk song that pays homage to the blend of pop culture references and humour often explored by 90s punk rock. For fierce punk vocals and riffs that will give you goosebumps, check out “Holy Power”.

Ill System

This Cape Town-based, ragga-infused groove metal unit is sure to appeal to rock fans who love the likes of Limp Bizkit and even Linkin Park. Their music is a hard-hitting politically charged mix of groove metal, rock, reggae and more recent hip-hop and electronica. Even cooler, their music has a unique African influence, with tracks often leading with Djembe and Bongo percussion.

The band originally formed in 2001, and after a stint living in Wales, they returned to South Africa to rock our shores and released their praised single ‘Holy War’ in 2017. Since coming back to the Republic, the band supported Attila on their South African tour in 2018, and featured on the same bill as Black Dahlia Murder at Ramfest 2019.

Tracks to check out: Check out “Rock Bottom” a track heavily influenced by the band’s groove and hip hop roots. This track is groovy, hard-hitting and to the point.

PRETORIA

Man as Machine

The alternative rock band from Johannesburg was founded in 2008. Their debut album “Nothing But A Thing” was released in 2011 and their follow-up album “Patterns” was released in 2015. After a short hiatus, the four-piece crew released a blazing new single and video in 2020. The track, “4 BDs” was released to celebrate their ten-year anniversary.

Their sound digs at the core of rock ‘n roll music while also dabbling in country and blues. Think the Foo Fighters, but heavier, and with less arrogance and more grit. Catch Man as Machine at the Pretoria Ramfest on the Ram stage.

Tracks to check out: For a taster of what to expect from the band’s live performance, check out “4 BDs” on Youtube. The video showcases Man As Machine’s live performance energy and the thrilling atmosphere of their stage shows.

Worsie van Wyk

Worsie van Wyk is the voice of South African heavy metal. The artist is known for his energetic live performances and unique witty lyrics mixed with African heavy metal. He recently released a new EP “Rouwors”; a stark but tongue-in-cheek look at modern South African society, government entities, and the current social climate.

His lyrics are filled with clever wordplay and biting social commentary and you’re bound to have a great time raging against the machine to his hardcore tunes.

Tracks to check out: “Rouwors” features the powerful track “Stage 8 Loadshredding”, a hilarious track that provides a sharp commentary on Eskom and perfectly captures the frustration and anger that many South Africans experience as a result of the ongoing load-shedding crisis.

Ramfest 2023 Event information

The festival will take place over two days on 1 September at Van Der Stel Sports Club in Stellenbosch and 2 September at Loftus in Pretoria.

This year’s festival will boast two stages with Cape Town’s Ram Stage featuring Enter Shikari, Facing the Gallows, Set for the Sky, Ill System. and We Kill Cowboys and the Metal4Africa Stage boasting The Ocean Collective, The Fallen Prophets, BulletScript, Ohgod, Doom Trigger, Peasant, and Da Beach Boyz.

In Pretoria, the Ram Stage will host Enter Shikari, Jack Parow, Shadowclub, The Tazers, Straatligkinders, Acid Magus, and Man as Machine while the Emalyth Stage will feature The Ocean Collective, The Fallen Prophets, Sunken State, Facing the Gallows, Middle Grounds, Human Nebula, and Worsie van Wyk.

Tickets

Tickets for the Cape Town RamFest are available online on Howler here starting from R199 (sold out) to R400 for general admission and R800 for VIP tickets. Tickets for the Pretoria RamFest are available online at here.