About this user
Velve is a dark-rock band rooted in Cape Town, South Africa. But where they're form is not important.
This is their story...
Since forming in May 2002, the band has been hard at work establishing their name on the South African underground rock scene. With powerful stage performances, all-consuming songs and eye-grabbing visual imagery, seen-it-all local audiences and the jaded rock media have sat up and taken notice.
Offstage, the band are regular airwave surfers, appearing on 5 FM's World Chart Show, Cape Town's Bush Radio, and are well received on major campus radio stations like UCT Radio, MFM and RSFM.
In print they are as prolific having had their story told in all the right ways by The Cape Argus newspaper, Die Burger newspaper, Blunt magazine, Cape Etc. magazine, Make Some Noise magazine, The Alternative Hole (online), SA Rock Digest (online), Za.Zone (online), Rock the Nation and Studentvillage with many others in the queue.
Visually, their music videos are of a standard that all is too rare in the genre these days, their second music video 'Satin Soul' enjoyed high rotation on leading South African music video programme MK89.
Velve's debut single, 'Fallen', was recorded in 2003 at Street Level Studios (home to James Stewart of that band The Usual). 'Fallen' has received consistent airplay on a number of South Africa's national and student radio stations since then, whilst at the same time topping the SAMP3.com singles charts for two consecutive weeks!
In the 2004 RockTheNation.co.za and zaZone.com Awards, Velve's demo effort 'Wired Angel' was voted 2nd place in the Best Album category by a strong voting public.
Earlier that same year, Velve performed their title demo song live on air for Cape Town University campus radio station UCT Radio. This version would later appear on a well-received compilation of rare acoustic tracks called the Native Noise Acoustic Collection. Available for download from nativenoise.co.za 'Wired Angel' is currently still the most downloaded song on the site!
Apart from the band's many headline club gigs, Velve has played at a variety of South African music festivals including the annual Obs Fest, Wingerdstok, Slash Fest, The Cause Festival, MP3 Festival and the recent Stellenbosch Rock Festival.
During their rise to prominence, Velve have also shared the stage alongside a number of other top SA bands the likes of the Springbok Nude Girls, Karen Zoid, Perez, Sugardrive, Arno Carsten's New Porn & Fokofpolisiekar.
In 2005, Velve won the Doc Martin's Demo Competition (hosted by Blunt magazine), as well as two Oppikoppi Battle Of The Bands competitions.
2006 will see Velve record their full-length debut album, produced by legendary South African rock producer and ex-Springbok Nude Girls guitarist Theo Crous.
It's only a matter of time before the world catches on...
Velve is Trucker on vocals and rhythm guitar, Charles Mulder on lead guitar and backing vocals, Wouter Burger on bass and Dylan Phelan on drums.
But don't just take our word for it...
"Absolutely brilliant" - Zuraida Jardine (5FM rock DJ).
"An excellent, well-executed performance from a tight, experienced band." - Tony De Buys from ZaZone.com on their live performance.
"It's is hard to classify Velve's unique blend of alternative rock, punk and Goth sensibilities." - Gerhard Kotze, The Alternative Hole
"Full marks must go to the band Velve for creating an awesome atmosphere." - Daniel Neville, Make Some Noise music magazine
"Velve have elevated themselves even higher in SA rock, setting high standards for others to come." - Daniel Neville, Make Some Noise music magazine
