Our team at Misty Waters thought it would be a stellar idea to do interviews with a few serious festival goers and Misty Waters’ fans. This way we can create a brighter idea of the festival happening at Lake Umuzi from April 30 to May 2, as well as give new Misty comers an idea of what to expect from their weekend at Misty Waters.
We travelled long and far to find these three fans, spread between two provinces and three cities. We include a few of their answers from the interviews in this article, but if you want to witness them on video, please head to YouTube, Facebook and/or Instagram.
The first person who took part in our interviews, was Phillip Grimbeek from Pretoria. He has been at every Misty Waters since 2017. He had the privilege of experiencing Misty Waters from its baby years and watched the festival grow into the teenager it is now. Misty Waters, now a young adult, has grown so much in itself. We have grown with respect to big names such as Spoegwolf, Karen Zoid, Fokofpolisiekar, Tidal Waves, Springbok Nude Girls and many more. We will continue to grow into a mature adult and bring you the best years of your life.
Phil told us more about how each year at Misty Waters has intrigued and inspired him as an avid festival goer. Last year was a big year for Misty Waters with Fokofpolisiekar bringing members on stage and Francois van Coke having them on his shoulders, whilst rocking out – keeping in mind, nobody passed out or “kotsed.” That is quite an achievement at a Fokof show!
Phil enjoying a nice canoeing session on the Hadeda dam, the lake behind the Misty Waters stage.
Phil shared a crazy experience about the Misty Waters couches and how a friend got so comfortable he spent 24 hours on them. Phil and his group of friends were hanging out during the later hours of Misty Waters and a friend of theirs fell asleep on the Misty Couch-chilla (it’s one of the very comfortable leather couches placed around the Misty Waters venue ground). They left him there, only for him to wake up the next day during the late afternoon. Misty Waters not only brings you the best of music, but please come and chill on our marvellous couches during the day.
We then embarked on a journey through the beautiful cosmos flowers to the place where Misty Waters itself will be taking place. We met with Kevin Herbst from Secunda and interviewed him on the actual Misty Waters stage, where Danie from Spoegwolf had everyone on stage last year to rock out with the band. Kevin pointed out how this was one of his best experiences in his whole life.
Kevin and his friend Cooper cheering with Danie (left) and Albert (right) from Spoegwolf, in front of the Misty Waters stage.
We then asked Kevin how it is to have a tremendous festival like Misty Waters in his home town. To which he answered : it lifts the spirit of the town, bringing different and amazing people to the town, as well as a new event to look forward to every year. Kevin, as a local from Secunda, doesn’t stay at his house while attending the festival, but he prefers to camp as he states the festival facilities are much better than at his house.
Finally, we ventured to the city of gold to interview Kirstin. She’s been to many festivals, including the amazing Splashy Fen and Oppikoppi (that unfortunately won’t be happening again this year). Kirstin elaborated on the facilities you can find at Misty Waters that stretches further than just the Misty Waters grounds. Misty Waters is located next to Lake Umuzi, which is a waterfront full of fun activities. She mentions the restaurant EISH!! where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is Panda’s, a pool hall with multiple tables for your entertainment, and don’t forget about the more upper-class Zebra Lounge, where a whiskey or gin can be enjoyed. We are not encouraging you to leave the wonderful Misty Waters grounds filled with fun, food and shopping stalls and diverse music, but let’s say you do need that quick break away – as you can see there are many other things to do.
Speaking of the diverse music one relishes in, Kirstin told us that she is most excited to experience Karen Zoid, Spoegwolf and Tidal Waves. She also mentions how she hasn’t seen Springbok Nude Girls live, and says she loves how Misty Waters always brings different artists to your attention.
Kirstin enjoying a good drink at the Misty Waters stage.
As she currently resides in Johannesburg, we deemed it necessary to ask her about the road trip to Misty Waters and how she feels about it. She said it’s a good drive, seeing as it is only an hour and 45 minutes, which allows you to easily drive after work and still arrive at Misty Waters pumped and excited for the weekend.
It was a lot of fun speaking to these Misty Waters’ fans and hearing more about their love for the festival. If you want to hear Kevin’s CRAZY story about Misty Waters, and the three powerful words Phil uses to describe Misty Waters, head over to YouTube, Instagram, and/or Facebook to see the video of the interviews.
Trust me, you are going to want to see this video, as Dian (Misty Waters’ organizer) puts Phil in “The Hot Seat” where they each eat a chilli and try to get through some questions without completely falling apart. Phil, “…as Misty Waters so warm gaan wees soos hierdie chilli, julle, gaan dit ‘n warm festival wees!”
