Passion – it’s when playing music burns in your blood to the extent that it begs to overflow into the convivial souls of others. It permeates your lyrics and music with both raw rock and raw spirituality. It cuts deep, beyond the veneer to the heart and overflows in unbridled energy as it culminates in a driven performance, leaving your audience demandingly breathless. For Cape Town stalwarts Six Of Nine it’s all that… and more. Although describing itself as a melodic hard alternative band Six Of Nine is not afraid to defy musical boundaries. Their sound blends aspects of metal, rock and alternative laced with enough pop sensibilities to keep the music accessible yet sufficiently aggressive. It’s brooding and energetic, melodic yet passionately intense. It’s this passion that caught the attention of SA DJ Barney Simon as the band made their breakthrough appearance at Rock The Bay 2003. Simon requested a demo, which the band recorded on a shoestring budget and promptly sent to him. The rest as they say, is history. Not only did the two-song demo receive much acclaim on Simon’s 5FM show, but the songs also went on to chart at no 1 and 2 positions on various campus and other radio stations around the country, as well as on MWEB & SAMP3’s downloadable charts, including 2 weeks at no1 for their single “Ravens”. Musical excellence and artistic integrity notwithstanding the band firmly believes in the entertainment value of live performances and as such a Six Of Nine show is unashamedly energetic and engaging. It is therefore not surprising that the band has been asked to play a number of key events on the SA music calendar, including, amongst others, the MFM POOL PARTY, V-TOWN FESTIVAL, WOODSTOCK FESTIVAL and Main Stage at WOODSTOCK FESTIVAL PORT ELIZABETH. They have shared stages with national and international artists such as SWITCHFOOT, TREE 63, CUTTING JADE, 16 STITCH, FEVERTREE and almost every other noteworthy South African A-List band, both past and present. With guitarist and co-songwriter, David Kirkwood’s departure in December 2005 the band took an extended hiatus whilst recruiting new guitarist Marinus (aka “Mars”) De Kok. The band used this time to write a stellar set of new songs that pushes the musical envelope of the band further than ever before, resulting in their self recorded CD, “Fight Back”. The CD is a tantalizing taste of the musical direction the band is currently heading in and promises great things for the band’s future. Taking the cue from their album title the band is heading into 2007 with all guns blazing. Those who have witnessed the “new & improved” Six Of Nine in action all agree that this band is a force to be reckoned with and is guaranteed to make an indelible mark on the South African music scene. With 2008/9 promising a full itinerary of both plugged and unplugged performances by the band it may just be a good idea to join their mailing list on www.sixofnine.com to ensure you don’t miss a Six Of Nine show near you. p>
Eugene - Vocals
Wes - Drums
Mars - Guitar
Geoff - Guitar
Kenn - Bass