English Pop Rock

aKing`s debut album “Dutch Courage”(all the bandmembers are Afrikaans) was launched in Cape Town at The Assembly on 13 February 2008! The album contains 12 original English rock tracks, co-written by Laudo and Hunter. A video of the first single “The Dance” was first screened on MK89 in December 2007 and the track hit national radio stations by mid January 2008. National media was sampled with a copy of the album to assure extensive publicity and media coverage, and the band hit the ground running by the time of their launch in Feb.

The music:
aKing is a melodic Pop-Rock band. Sing-along alternative country-inspired songs and Classic Rock anthems are at the order of the day. Their tongue-in-cheek and cynical, yet sometimes sentimental lyrics, are mixed with an infectious, positive energy to accurately describe the strange contrast of their unique socio-political situation. aKing is a band with unlimited aspirations, but totally aware and in-tune with where they come from. ”Dutch Courage” is what they’ve got and flaunt it they will.

The bandmembers:
Being members of Fokofpolisiekar, Hunter Kennedy and Jaco Venter need no introduction to the South African Music scene. Fokofpolisiekar has revolutionized Afrikaans rock music by challenging and shifting rigid Afrikaans mindsets.

Controversial as they are perceived to be, Fokofpolisiekar has written themselves into the history books of Afrikaans Music with their fiery reign of excellent musicianship, relevant intelligent lyrics and larger than life live performances. FPK has won numerous awards including a SAMA for Best Afrikaans Rock album for “Swanesang” and they have opened commercial doors for Afrikaans rock music by being the first Afrikaans band to have tracks play-listed on national commercial radio station 5fm.

Hunter, who wrote most of the lyrics for Fokofpolisiekar, co wrote 8 of the tracks on the aKing album with vocalist Laudo Liebenberg.

Bassist Hennie van Halen has known the rest of the band since high-school. He studied for two years after school and worked in the sound industry for a while before leaving to spend some time overseas as an English teacher in China. On his return from abroad he lived in the Fokofpolisiekar house while the band was away on tour – and it was in this time that he started jamming and writing songs with Laudo.

Laudo Liebenberg studied Drama at the University of Stellenbosch and is best known for playing the lead role in Marthinus Basson`s acclaimed production of Romeo and Juliet and Broers.
A King is scheduled to do a nation wide tour in March 2008 to promote their debut album ‘Dutch Courage’.

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