the almost perfect podcast Welcome to the almost perfect podcast celebration of fuck-ups failures and falling flat on your face. The sepulchers believes you can learn from experience that experience doesn't have to be your own ha and Bob perfect and I'm a functional fuck up. There's one from somebody else's mistakes. And today we're going to be learning from Matt Allah fear Now Matt along with his brother. Luke is / are the owners of the Winston Pub. You know, what I meant there other way Matt is one of the owners of the Winston Pub and the Winston Pub is a Legendary music venue you're at your in the Durban the or three one and you probably know the one sin. If you're listening to this podcast. You're probably listening to us because you know, the Winston you've been to the Winston you've either played at the Winston as a musician or as a comedian or even a poet there's been poets there. Maybe you've painted at the Winston because there's so much artwork all over there done by local artists. And so yes, you probably know the Winston, but if you don't it is the home for me. Misfits and outcasts in Durban. Basically, it's a place where a lot of rock music has happened over the years, but it's also opened its doors to many other sounds and styles and it's yeah man, it's just it's an institution in Durban. So I decided yeah had to get Matt on the cost because him and I go way back like, we we back probably known him for about 13 or 14 years now, like, I don't know maybe even longer than that 15 years probably now. So it's been a long time that we've known each other. We've got a long history together. And this was a really cool nostalgic catch up whilst also finding out, you know, how the whole thing happened of him and his brother becoming the owners of the Winston Pub because they've been running it for about six and a half years now, but before that, you know, it had a long storied history and we know that history because we went to the pub we used to go to the Winston before Matt and Luke owned the Winston and so it's a really cool poetic. Re you know, Matt's got a long history and music. He's got a degree in Sound Engineering and he's been in tons of bands and he's been a part of the scene for many many years. And yeah, it was really cool that he was the one along with his brother Luke to take over the Winston Pub. So we get into what it's like to actually be the people who have to run it. Now who have to take on the responsibility of you know, the creche follow Durbin artists, I guess. And so we get into the struggles we get into what makes it difficult and we get into the house we get into what it's like to you know, have some of your favorite International acts come and play at the venue that you own. So it's a really cool conversation. Like I think I'm sure many people like listening to this now, maybe not but I've always wanted to own a music venue. It's still one of my goals like to own a venue one day not just music on a comedy and everything else as well obviously, but you know, I've always wanted to have a venue. And you know, it's cool to understand and get it from the horse's mouth what it's actually like to run up when you know, it's very different to what you might think and also very much what you might think you've probably read. Some books. You've probably seen some stories and yeah, man, it's a wild and crazy ride and it's a really cool conversation and Matt and I get into we go through as whole history from Cox dad all the way up till this week, you know, we talked about some of the frustrations he has Literally this week and we also yeah, we talked about our history. We've worked together so much. We've done a lot of cool things together. So I'm really really stoked with this one and it is like it's not that edited. So there might be one or two sections on it that I probably should have taken out and I might regret leaving in a little bit later. But yeah, there's one we recorded it yesterday on Tuesday. It's coming out today on Wednesday. So you're hearing fresh thoughts and you're going to also be finding out about it's happening this weekend. And what's coming up at the Winston Pub over the next few months few years and just the general future of the Winston Pub. So yeah, I'm really stoked about this one. I'm also really stoked that I am chatting to you right now without holding the mac and my hand because thanks to the patrons. Thank you patrons on patreon. I have now bought two Mac stands. So, you know that annoying noise that you used to hear and some of the older episodes where was a people fiddling on the Mac. We shouldn't have that anymore. We shouldn't have that. Anymore and I'm really really stoked about that. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you to all the patrons all nine of you for getting involved with the patreon and yeah chipping in each and every single month. So for those of you who like what the fuck is this on on about what's Patron? What's patreon? Isn't that the same word? Is he saying the same thing? Is he confused? Yes, I'm confused. But also there's just a little bit stoned. But really the truth is patreon is a subscription service. You can pay one dollar or you can pay $5. It's on my particular one different people do it differently and you get different benefits like you so it's the podcast listening you listening to now, you're always going to get it for free always going to give this to you for free free free free if you want extra things, like if you want to interact like if you want to ask questions on the podcast, which I fucked them for this week, and I'm really sorry guys, but Shandra Garth, I'm sorry. I will ask your questions, but the with the next guest because this one was a little rushed I didn't get to the patron question and it's something I'll be Through the Ages but that is an option. Okay, you can also suggest guess which cats have done some of the guests that I've had on this podcast have come from the suggestions in the patreon. You can also win prizes. Yes last week will not last week last month I gave away a Harry Potter's Trading Card Game starter kit because I'm a nerd. I love trading card games and had a sponsorship with unseen shop. And so I had a little bit of extra stock that I figured I would give away to you cats. And so Matthew Cuthbert one that so he's going to collect that pretty a soon and then yeah this month I'm giving away a so I interviewed cam cam Lobster and from black math. I'm giving away one of his shirts his return to worm Mountain t-shirts and a black mouth CD that's signed by him and a little relic of South African music history. I'm going to be giving away a kid of Doom t-shirt. It's a woman's one. I think it's other small or medium sized. So that was something I was meant to give away and open as yours years ago, and I kind of forgot about it and so now One of you is going to benefit from that. Also. I'm giving away a case of poison City logger and we just need one more Patron for that to happen. So if I get to 10 patrons by the end of this month then hey I'm giving away a case of poison City loggers Durban Poison. Yes, I because very first cannabis logger and I will be that's only for South Africans and I can't shapira case of be overseas. If you're in South Africa can Korea that to you, so it's not going up to the patron. It's patreon.com forward slash. - almost perfect. Other than that if you don't have much cash in that's totally fine. I'm not to stress about it. I'm really happy with what's happening at the moment. It's you know, a couple hundred grand a month. And with that I'm going to be saving that and just improving my studio. So I'm going to be getting some soundproofing and I'm going to be you know, eventually getting a mixing desk and then eventually, you know, get like a table and get some chairs and just make it like a real Studio but that's long term plans and that's because of the patrons. So the patreon or the patrons, what do you ever want? The dogs cats it's because of you cats. So thank you very much. But if you don't have cash or you don't want to put in that's totally cool. Just like us that's all you have to do like us on Facebook follow us on Twitter and you know, give subscriptions give subscriptions hit subscribe give stars do all of those things and just interact with the podcast online and I'll be super stoked with it. Any one of you don't do that. I just hope you enjoyed this conversation because here it comes it's the almost perfect podcast with Matt all the fear. How you Livin Matt? I'm good. Thank you. Bob. So good. Thank you. How are you? Loving boy, like how's things going you are the one of the owners of the Winston purpose? I imagine you're quite busy at the moment. Yes. We are. We're constantly busy just it's a it's a lot of work maintaining the venue and doing the marketing and we've got a lot of bookings coming up, which is cool. We've had an awesome year so far. It's um, really Cool bands and some cool tourists come through. Yeah. I've seen you guys have like been putting a lot more effort spending and getting a lot more bands to actually come through to do know we've we we did a kind of renovation in December. We built a Pizza Kitchen and we just cleaned it up the Winston quite a lot and that inspired us a lot to really just get on top of our game, you know, we're six and a half years in now and eventually it takes your tolling I suppose you do get not lazy but tired and place in so we just both look and we just kind of said we're going to this is going to be our year. You know, let's let's pick up our game. Let's put more effort into it. Let's get some cooler bands. Let's actually put on it shouldn't it? You know because for people who don't know the Winston is a legendary music venue and herb and that's been going for 20 30 years at least. Yeah guys bought its what six and a half years six and a half years or so. So, what was that process? How did it come about that? You guys were going to buy this place that you'd been going to for years like as kids like I know you can we went there together. Plenty so you know, how did this all happen? It wasn't part of the plan, but it kind of made sense at the end of the path where we where I landed up, you know, because you had experience in restaurants before yes. I was working at after school. I went overseas and I don't suppose just after I finished school. I also started waitering and working as a bartender and then I studied Sound Engineering And the entire time I was also waitering on the side so actually before we get into how you bought the Winston, let's actually do that. Let's just go back in time. It is there it was a part. That was yeah definitely was and I think it was I was quite lucky how everything just ended up at this at the farm. Is that his like the convergence of everything if you think about it, you know from wagering and bartending managing, you know restaurants and stuff to be Sound Engineering being in bands in that. Yeah it all like I had I had the perfect recipe and eventually out oven pop the Winston Pub suppose. This is an awful joke, but you know what? I mean? Yeah way to that experience. They don't know so let's yeah, so let's start off you grew up in coxed at Griffin Cox dad dicks City. Yeah, and it was that like it was cool. It's a Small Town lived on a farm there with just my brother my mom my parents divorce her young age. So then my grandparents and my stepdad was cool. We had a nice little laugh until I was about 15 we loved the farm but I was I don't really know why my stepdad suggested that I come to Durban but my step brother got into George Campbell and just out of the blue. My parents said maybe you should go to George Campbell. I don't think I was doing anything. Wrong or like in a weird space, but maybe I wasn't you know, I wasn't really into whiteboard. What do you think George Campbell is like a punishment? No, not at all. But what a random thing for like a kid at 15 and his parents just out of the blue. Hey, Matt, don't you want to go to Durban and go to George Campbell? Like I don't know and they're like, you know, it's right near the beach you could Jonathan's going there now and we think it'll be good for you. Now. It's like yeah, may I think it would be and I just add I decided a snap decision to do it. I don't know why I had all my friends and Cox dad a lot of them are still good friends with now that are living in Durban. It was quite cool as present my in like in My Friends crew I was the first to get to do and and then when they all came to Durban after school you bet I was already here. Yeah got sitting around. So yeah, it worked out in the end. And when I when I came to Durban the first friend I made was a guy could Kevin who I think you might know Kevin. Yeah weird relationship. Yeah. I mean we go back a very long time. So as my first probably second year of being in Durban ever standing on I remember meeting you through Frankie. And yeah, so another person so that's the thing you when you're going to George Campbell's kind of like how I know you made all your friends like back then absolutely the people that I met you through went to George Campbell and that was kind of the whole village. So again, the first guy sat next to in science class was a guy Kevin that was in a band and he asked me if I played anything and I was like, yeah I play keyboard. What did you play I did thank you very much of Paris and the keyboard lessons and I wasn't Cox dad just such like, you know, when you're doing it at a young age. You don't think it's going to work out for me the end and it was just so perfect like yeah doing so well, why don't you come to my house and it's the first guy meant and I did that, you know the next weekend and I got to his house and we started a band and that's how I met my first few months went in Durban and was just awesome. I met the school crew of people, you know anyone in a Ended school that age are normally cool kids. They're not into drugs or they're not into sport or fighting like a you know, I don't know you're trying to get good at something. Yeah, like when your when your youngster with a guitar typically like your afternoon spends like, you know going two or three hours just playing scales. Same thing with guys with drums same thing lot of fun. Yeah, exactly imagine, you know the cats, you know like these days with Beats pads and like, you know with Ableton and like different like programs and stuff like that probably the same thing. Thing. Yeah, I suppose you could do more solo nowadays A lot of people get involved with their you had to have a few guys to kind of get a tee. But like something like as you're saying like those kind of people are dedicated to like a thing and like so they're not going to be like fuck up so far as your last style as well. It's like a music a musical lifestyle is quite different to a sports thing a sporting last style. Although they both have the practice and yes, they do and performing in front of people but in such a different way, yeah, absolutely and different scenes, you know, they are Just different and anyway, so I was lucky enough to first band name was inertia. And then after that it was it was. You're gonna have to cut this pause. It was a atomic reindeer. Of course it was and then after that it became flips switch and that's when we like really found our groove and that's where my company I'll flip switch events all comes from let's flip the switch and that was with was like I'm going to imagine flips which was probably a bit numerically know in the day do we're doing a Blink 182 covers. We actually played at Red Dog remarried spur and no dude red dark red. Love the bluff. Yeah. I had the bull. Hey, yeah, I don't know any night and we played a few School shows that S command standing on him a trick the one we got we played with the band called. You know, that gas Koli. Yeah so scoliosis in the band with Fish And with JD's brother. Yeah, I remember Kendall. No, no Kendall wasn't in it James brother Mitch. Yeah, they say I can't remember the Bando in sobriety. So they were they played with us. On this is so long ago, you know 2002 2003 and so I was quite lucky. I just started meeting other people and actually became friends with those people later on in life, which was quite nice and the my friend Aaron for example is just started playing playing guitar for my bank codes. He also joined flips switch. So 15 years later. We're in bands again. It's just such a you know, then I met you guys and after school studying Sound Engineering I made so many more musicians. Yeah, it's me and that's when it also I crunched out when you left school. How soon did you move into that Margaret made some place first year dude. That was the thing. It was like that was our Gap your house. Okay. So do you want to explain the Mario item house? And why you just spoke about it? Like oh, yeah, you know that was our first house Shea of all time, but it ended up being this insane pool mansion house thing in Derby North in more granatum Road. And essentially it is my friend Stuart myself and a few other others of us do is three of us and it was over there was always like 10 people. Yeah ended up being a two-story house behind this Mansion said it was the pool house for the mansion and it was very old couple that lived there. I don't think they knew it. They had we were paying something like I think it was seven hundred Rand each or like below three grand a month, you know for this house. It was we were happy to live in a pool house. Because it wasn't a real house, but it was that had and I didn't know it was a double Storey fucking Mansion little house for us and a white picket fence with the pool that had fountains and it will push through that picket fence and we had I mean we had that started like a three-year insane top Vibe and the I had my hide my twentieth day with and my friend Paul for Gary he had his 22nd, you know poke your he's supposed to play. Way too many bands since then and at the time and we shared our birthday parties and I think we had 400 people through eight bands playing. I remember that night dude. That was Next Level, you know, it was able to do it. Yeah. I just remember collecting almost a thousand courts the next day and taking them to the that's almost it was cool. But yeah, we had a lot of good times but I remember walking but we'd like we used to go to Joe's pool bar like Often yeah, and then some of the walks back with a little destructive. Yeah, you know, we were kids out of school. We're taking son's home have actually in my car right now got the Margaret made some signpost. You should probably which is so weird. I had it in storage. I like yeah, I know I got it from it wasn't my dad's stuff the other day and I put her in my car. I've still got it one of weird. I haven't even thought about that house for so long. What are we a coincidence weird? Because that's one of The things that like yeah, like I associate like with like my earliest memories of you. I'll friendship. Yeah. Yeah just that house and like just believe we've got lots of History together. I mean we do I remember when I came overseas back from overseas you love the first time and I lived on the couch for I think almost three months or maybe it wasn't that long. Maybe there's two months. But yeah, you look you did. The dishes was good. Yeah. Enough then after that I lived with my other friendly my best friend Lee was cool. But your house your flat was also remember times those times we crazy. We are crazy times we've got I think everyone in Durban has been to your flat at some point in their life my everyone but a lot of different people have and yeah, they probably had a weird not like this new this the new spots is not going to have a red lights. No, it's not and it's not gonna have people like lying on the floor. Let's just say that the real life parties will stay very loud parties. And we remember about them that I don't think we'll ever have one of the first ever again. People are gonna yeah, people are definitely going to be going what the fuck did they do and you will never know you will know. Yeah fuck dude, but we've actually just in general like the level of Jaws always been a bit ha like like yeah remember like Mum's house like he used to have like Epic House Parties. Absolutely. You know, I think we were just quite lucky to be in a really nice. So Circle circles. Yeah, and that all brushed upon each other and everyone. I know always really talented creative people around us and very free-spirited and it was cool. We although do you remember? Okay one more like party vibe. The night we were running over cars, I wasn't running every cause just so everyone knows that but I do remember that doesn't think Leann spray painting the cause I don't know but I think we were tagging know I know and I know that memory. I just remembered that we weren't talking cause but they were people around tagging cause I think I do think I'll put a dance or two in a bonnet because we were racing like so they were close. Lined up along the road. This was in Morningside of Devon's house offering David. Yeah, and so like we decided to have a race but you had to run all over the cars to get to the end of the Saudi was there it's ready. Was there an instigator? I think he puts sure on a microwave and turn it on. And yes, I've caught a lot like do not a couch land up in a pool or some shit like so that's just as bad as that Foundation of Of like, you know 15 years worth of being friends at that age from 18 onwards way. You just are having the time of your life. You're studying your but. It's also getting involved. Do you like do you see I mean judging from the feeds, you know, the Instagrams and stuff like that. I don't see kids bucking out like as wild as we did like, you know, like they don't House Parties don't seem to be quite no I think you're wrong. I think we just don't see it. We just don't see it. It's it's not often in our Maybe the kids the musicians and less kids that are musicians and I'll seen these days I think and because yeah, I mean his of crazy stories about slang a kids. Okay, so come on dude, you'll I guess when you can afford cocaine at 18 and I think you'll find there's definitely still a lot of House Parties whether we just don't even okay, so it's just moved up the coast a little bit more. I think so. Yeah away from us. We used to be like, oh, yeah, like Bluff on below house party like these I think those are spotty storm and we're too old to go to this party. Yeah, everyone we know has a flat back but because that was also a cool way though for bands to play like so why don't I mean the Joneses with head they've been having hospitals. They were one of the last few people to live in a house big enough to host bodies of that. So that bodies would never debaucherous know they went through everything all day. Yeah, we absolutely do a more mature by that stage, but I'm sure if we if you interview them and also about sibling rivalry days, they could tell you yeah, I can imagine because that's the way I see it. It's when I was in bands and high school and fluff. So to we were on like the Queensboro side of the room. Owen and we remember there being a band called sibling rivalry and those for me with like the two bands and Durbin even though we would like they were the kids in town the cooler kids. I think definitely we were looking at the inventory, you know, but we ran at the same time and then was quite cool after school and through studying to then meet all of those people and become friends and see how we had literally been in the same scene, but just brushing past each other and I think burn was a big played a big role for all of our for the For all of us now where we all got to meet all the people that were into that in one spot because burners crazy and thousands of people went there every month burned like for lifelong friends were made in Burn over that those years. You know, I think I only attended it for four or five years before it moved across to the other side. But I mean, those were my like Optimum years. I enjoyed both like both burns like quite I like the next and that's what I was a little bit even a little I was you became so old Ben was 17 to 20 was old burn and then you went overseas for know then then then Oldman was don't want thing about yours now, but then it was the next few years and that's when I was really my prom playing and we still snowy and his dying wish that we were like playing a burn all the time. Then you have been the bigger burn and that's when I think most of the days were I've got a lot of fun memories from those years, you know, when Then still happening that burn unit 11 + opened up that was kind of for us the peak of like the devil I think so. Yeah, absolutely. They were I still 30 bands, you know for venues constantly playing awesome. Awesome value could pick where you wanted to go on a Friday night. Yeah, I think maybe for you know people that aren't in the know for the younger kids now, maybe they maybe that's what the scene is for the now but it's not as big as it was then every show is packed out. Out they were shows across the city all the time. A lot of House Parties lot of DIY shows. Yeah, a lot of bowling Park shows. You know GMT was going on at the time. They were using every venue. They wanted we used to throw shows that the will Avail all the time. Yep, and I suppose that's where my story goes to so then I moved overseas in like a peak of those times. I left went to England for two and a bit years. Then State went I actually went to Italy for a little bit. Yes. I remember that. And then I came back and that's when I first moved in with you. I think yeah and then but anyway, I was going with that and then yeah, so that's when I started flip switch events and our started because I knew I remember because I knew all the bands from everyone and I also knew all the venues because I had been in bands and and I'd studied so engineering so I had the skill. So that's when I started flip switch events and we start throwing parties all over the place as well. I got involved with the potty throwing a lot of it a lot it will Avail the and some had Winston and then especially That club called Bob bar, which was next door to the lounge. Yes. I remember when you did say we got like access to that for like six months almost became like our little clubbers pretty cool. Remember you're pushing that like there were some cool gigs. We threw some really cool stuff. Like there's some photos on the Dublin is yours like Facebook like from a party we had there that was just like really really dope. Yeah. I think we had half-priced there. We had a lot of bands that was cool, but the owner eventually kind of screwed. Us over as most venue owners always do. Yep. You always kind of get to a situation where you think you do more for the venue and it's like it's a classic thing and that's where now me being a venue owner. I really look at works from both sides, but I'm really try hard for the artist and for the promoters as well. I think it's something to be as Fair as possible because often venue promoters will change their mind after you bring 400 people to the event. Suddenly the deals tells, you know, suddenly they sitting at the door and they like watching you and they threw all that experience that I think that the Winston Pub is really nice finish to work with. I'll try and make it as easy for bands. It's fair for everyone and I'm often on the band side for other bands playing and I'm very fair when it comes to splitting the door if that's the deal, you know, make sure no and I don't know so from my experience, I mean there is a that's what you want and there's also a history of band screwing each other over. Absolutely. I member getting screwed up about burn New Bern. Oh, yeah and massive label had massive stories about to you know, and it's not often. It's not always the owners fault and you can and on the night and motivate a different story but often managers are involved and musicians involved in as soon as you put a whole lot of money into one place does get complicated. That's why I try to keep it very open booked at the Winston, you know, we use for our biggest shows. We always use the band so that you know, you can count This is the deal. This is Faye. And yeah, so you're getting back to how this long story. So it's not a Flipside your veins and I was throwing stuff all over the place and I started hiring the sound from Joshua Vici. Yeah, and that because here so you heard sound was originally at Unity. Yes, like he had it was still at Unity living during while I was renting but I would rent it or other March when they weren't open or something and one day it was one month. We are through three big parties and had paid him according member daughter was five or six thousand per day for to Frances thing and it was my business partner at the time Andrew bull. Yeah your name Andre. He said why don't we just find us, you know, we can go for a get a loan. We both got a loan and we we got a hundred thousand ran and and I kind of just pushed it to to why do we didn't get the hundred yet? But I just pushed her I said hi. Much Josh, would you sell your system for tomorrow? And he's like what are known as like if I gave you a hundred thousand and it's like, you know, I don't maybe because I and I kind of thought that that's what it was kind of worth it and he you know, you live in was was set to close. So I knew that that was coming to an end and he kind of wanted to leave. Yeah, and and so he the next day kind of sits. Yeah, I'll do that and we looked into it and then eventually I offered him 95. And we talked and I bought his whole system. So now flip such events became not only in events company when I was using venues hours now renting out Sound and Lighting which is cool. And I had the Sound Engineering background so I could do it myself. And essentially I was renting sound to myself at these events, you know, yeah would mean you didn't have to like pay that extra amounts to like and if you were throwing the event yourself and if you were hired, that's yeah put it on the truck. And I was renting it to the Winston a lot at that point. The Winston had kind of it was you could kind of feel it was on its last legs Belinda self. Yeah head and Belinda was quite tired. I told you that my my younger brother and I look and I we we still have energy and your takes it out of us. Do not tell you it's a full-time mad job to run this Vision, even though it's a small venue, but you got a lot of responsibilities shoulders a lot of pressure from the music scene as well. Yeah. And musicians and stuff. I mean that's a thing you dealing with suppliers. It's politics. And so Belinda was tired, you know, and she had done an excellent job. I think at the time she's considered the Wicked Witch of the West like at that place a lot like yeah. She she she had to run she ran it like nails and bones that that's the wind. She was loves it. There was also a lot more like backers and a lot more a lot of Punk's the scene as a punk scene a lot of rebellious lot more five-alarm. Oh, It's you know, she and she's a woman, you know been very strong woman had to hold her own and she did just what the fuck up dude regularly regularly. But yeah, she would greet like should throw you out of self put it. No it locally she ran a tight ship she tried her best. She could you know, yeah, but it ended the the pub was going and it's yeah, I was rinsing sound too one day and third or fourth time in a month or two and I kind of we become good friends and she remembered me from being a kid going there. Are you is and years ago and then I'd always been in the music see my band had played there a few times. So then she actually knew me and then I think through hiring a subjects you got to know me properly and she really liked me and we got along really. Well. We still actually great friends now and I visit her as often as I can and she yeah, she I just said to her one day. She's kind of tied in a bad mood is say that she's over it. She's just want anything else to do with this fucking Pub. And she and I just said to him passing not thinking that I could afford. I just bought the sound three months before taking out my first loan, you know, and yeah as I said to you know, if you are thinking about it won't you give me a call first. If you are serious about letting go to the pub not thinking that I could afford it or that it that that was actually I don't think it was an option. I think I just pitched that at the Right time and maybe made a think and so same thing with like the sounds of yeah. I was just it was just in a mind and it became an option for you and quite a good option because She knew that I would do right by and continue on with the Legacy and that's exactly and yeah, three weeks later. I got a call from her just out of the blue. I was doing another event at Colombo coffee for something and I just remember getting a call and saying hey Matt, it's will endure. I just wanted to find out if you want to come and meet my son Jethro so we can talk about the West not that point. My brother had got back from England and he had started working with us in flip switch over. It's and I said to Andrew look your we can go and have this conversation with Kalinda. Just like ìwow working like a shit blue. Just call me when you guys see and they're like I suppose you can not even because for them as well. No one has thought about this, you know was an option the Winston wasn't for sale. But everything you could like. You know, how many people like no hate dreamed of it. Absolutely if if balloon had made a thing and said the Winston is for sale. I think I would have been an auction would have been a lot of lot of people I don't think maybe not at that time because at that time like look, I don't say a lot of people that are there would have been several people definitely interested in possibly in the the right position to do it. A lot of different people would have liked. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah lot of different people in bands who yeah, a lot of people who had absolutely I just think so. It's kind of lucky that they were with the words other people and how definitely for us, but at the same time, I think it read to the right person because Is I was lucky enough to have had firstly the bar experience and I now had managed ponds for you. So I'd like the that alone is its own job just being an organizing events and I've been organizing advance and I've been in bands and I had a sound system for the Winston Sound Engineering the ready so it's like that's why we're said what all the recipes were they had made absolute sense that are taken over, you know, and as I went to that meeting not knowing went alone. No, I think I went with Luke. Okay in these two weeks. It was quite strange Andrew decided to leave flip such events. He going to study or he went back to Cock stand for something and flip such events was doing all right, but it wasn't crazy and I yeah buying out buying them out. And so we went into this meeting just my brother and I and when I saw Gia through and we had a little meeting with him and he kind of wondering how much he's going to say. No, what is he going to like a million million 1/2 around? Like I don't know. How much do you pay for a fucking club? Yeah, and also, what are you paying for? Because you taking over the lease essentially? Yes, you know I so I Justin and they came I'm not going to tell you how much your board for better but a lot less than people would think absolutely and they were even kind of to offer us payment plan. Like we could pay it off over a certain amount of months give them a deposit and that happened and so although they offer me and I went back and I got another And we we bought into the Winston we both the Winston and that happened. You know, I got literally we signed the papers this week next week Monday. I got the keys. So I knew I was buying a two weeks before that. So I had to save the first part III organizer with swagger heat City one mothers and Durban knots. Yes it is. And so we set up to sing. I got the keys on Monday and we had to renovate and reopen on that Friday and we made it happen. So we put the Astro into the beer. God and I just remember Friday night. Astra was a good girl. We extended the stage. If you remember we repainted everything we read at the bar. We took down a lot of with it a lot of load hanging like wooden beams around. Yes. We took all those down we had to win. We took those down realize there's a lot of stuff behind so then we had to get everything rewired and we did this. All in four days. It was it was crazy. It was awesome. My girl for the time was painting Lucas pain. All our friends were there literally and what was quite called the week before we took it over. I called kind of like a meeting with everyone. I think you were there with everyone that I kind of thought was involved in the music scene and in the bands and I've called everyone to the Winston and we already had a dream and we were like talking about what should we do? What do you guys what would you like to do and so on? I kind of went in with everyone's vision and you know, we pulled it off and a lot of those people came back the next week and helped us and that Friday night. We're still been to record the busiest the Winston pubs ever been. We've never talked that night. It was I don't know we've had some crazy shit. Fuck you like Across stress the universe one. Oh, yeah. That was cool. That was the time. I don't know if that one was big or just necessarily cool because everyone was dressed up so it looked right. I mean it was busy as fuck. Like that was the first time I've got like a solid sponsorship for a gig Yeager gave me 20K like I was able to just pay for the band and was just like super you know it that's a so that's kind of where we are here. We are six and a half years later a lots happened since then. Yeah, like used thrown lows of parties either. I think the whole music scene we've opened it up to a platform for not only bands but also promote us to you. We almost take everything. We happy to work with anyone. Yeah, we would have done just to make it extremely diverse across genres and the Winston's always kind of had that but towards the last few years of its existence before you guys took it up was very metal-based. Definitely very middle and unfortunately like hardcore punkish as well towards the last few years, you know. While you know, that was a time in a place that doesn't necessarily exist in the same numbers that it did before so the winter was hurting because it was trying to appeal to you know, one narrow audience that was dying out almost. Yeah, and it just so happened that as we took it over other than you started closing down. That was also its. Oh, yeah unit 11 closed and but burn closed down eventually live opened it in also closed down. I've just after three years. It's not easy to run the venue first and that just shows. Yeah, but that was a sudden legalities with lava. Tom's Yeah those issues but burn also same thing. Like I would say their biggest issue was also just trying to cater to one time. Yeah. I don't think they I think Boone was still be open if they had changed the people that are marketing to their like it was still the same music that I used to love five years before we'd like, oh, you can't keep listening to that. I've heard enough of this. And it just didn't grow for me and it closed down in it sucks. Dude. It had a big impact. If it's I'm sad at the moment. I think a lot of people have left the city apart more venues in the city right now. Yeah, because I had you know, we are the only music venue. Not only there is Cool Runnings who are also opened up their doors to shows which is cool. Yeah, they're doing a lot of my ways. They're also doing comedy now, that's cool and So but I still think that we need more venues in Durban it it's good for me to have the Monopoly bit in the long run. The actual scene is dying. Yeah, slowly but surely but also kids these days aren't necessarily like they don't have that DIY expert man like that, you know, we used to have because wow, I mean, you're not 11 burn and love existed like and the Winston existed at one point in time. Like it wasn't like they all existed together like before It was even a using that was it and then we were doing sports kids every Sports Club. I mean wistful the chain sprocket wistful with a man and even yeah, that was a Chilton man Dean be looking Gala. Yeah. Absolutely. There's that one on the Bowling Club. Yeah, the bone Club near the real one. No. Yeah. I met in Morningside near Grable Racecourse. Anyway, we used to use every venue we could yeah, we approach sports clubs lat lot of church halls. I remember playing Turtles all the time. Look, you know, it would be Heavy Music like and they would be all right. I haven't really thought about it that much. There isn't a lot of dealing with the scene created itself almost like, you know, it's through kids. Come on, sort your shit out. Awesome. Look it's weird because I think the internet's like galvanized us before and it might be making people complacent now because whereas, you know before that's why we all found each other and we all like found these cool bands that we lacked and like, you know, You we all like would find similar bands that we all like likes and share them with each other and stuff like that. Whereas now you've just got so much different shit. It's hard to have an identity. It's hard to have like a scene necessarily like, I don't know maybe I'm just old as fuck now. I'm like I'm like the kids are going to sit in degrees. I think nothing will be the same as that. But you know, as I said, maybe through our eyes, we don't see that I think through through someone else's eyes like am who you spoke to the last week, maybe it feels a little different for him. They constantly playing Yeah several different but he's an older than he's got like five different bands. Yeah, it's a different and I mean that kind of little crew and that's in the day. They would be five different bands. Now Kevin Justin 5 remember that yeah, like, you know, I mean used to be rare for people to be a multiple bands at one time like yeah, but people would then be in a band break up because of like start a new band with like different people from different bands and like those. Yeah. It's like they're essentially there were like a hundred musicians all the Certainly working and and creating and making should happen is a different. So that was more I guess in the Rock scene and these days like if you look at the Jazz cats, like all the kids coming out and they are doing a hip-hop kids. Like if you look at the stuff like happening is 43 and like the stuff that Ryan's doing and that's you know the cats that he's working with there. Is that kind of scene developing? Yes there is and so it's not be blind to that. I think we're talking more about the alternative Rocky the rock and roll scene. Yeah the Winston's also That's not just a place to play rock music because I was saying like drum'n'bass parties fucking well, that's right. I think it's that's what I'm saying is that it's our responsibility to open up our doors to everyone. I think even it's 43 awesome venue, but like a really expensive venue to do stuff in they can't just open up their doors to you that with your 20 friends where we are happy to do that to a certain degree and literally mold kids from their first show to their their 12th one and then hopefully we can they Move on and start doing even bigger things like a lot of the promoters we have and photographers and musicians that we've worked with. We definitely a stepping stone, but we just don't want everyone to forget about us like we're still here. Actually, let's talk about like some of the international bands you've had their you've had come back kid. We've had Darkest Hour. These are bands we used to listen to it together man, like fully had their t-shirts before the band can still have a lot of Dreams Come True top stuff. And what's some of the favorite like International acts you manage to See you like in your Venue. I mean you just named the two of them. So I mean the this we've had loads of cool. I we've had a lot of kind of hardcore bands from Europe and the last few years. Slando from Italy were amazing Godmother from Sweden. We've had them do we've had them twice now and that is it was just awesome. You know some my favorite shows, you know, go Broncos for last show I watched music Video from that the other day and I want to actually I'm going to share it tomorrow. I'll share that the the shotgun House video which is just the one that Ellie did know it's Brandon Frontier and he stole the last video and it's I mean just it just gives you Goosebumps and it will show you exactly what every show was like every weekend almost almost that show like that show people drove down from Germany. Yeah, that's that was surprising but that's why I say like it was weird because I see I'm kind of mimic to the international scene because he look at hardcore shows overseas at that time. You look at bands overseas at that time. The reverend's people had the it was a it was a time and place, you know, it was a spirit that was General thing that I think like can't be recreated. Like people can still create hardcore music now, but I don't know if it will hit the same way like, you know hardcore shows these days just don't feel the same like they can't feel the same way - I think we've surpassed that there. Looking for those we all remember the golden years. What do you think of the future now of like heavy music and urban is because you look like there's Mouse there's black math, you know like that is on that like more sack garage Rock side. Like there's this metal but metal is like, I don't know they look there's the hardcore bands and doing it. There's no there's none more of those really even laughs laughs below but they've played two shows in the last two years. They don't have anywhere to practice we I'm jamming codes. I think we're not quite hard core like that. You guys are kind of there but with only one, you know, and then but they are some epic metal bands. So so why do you make middle Corey hardcore like with codes if you know that there's it's our favorite style of music play we come from that generation. And when we Pleasures we still feel the energy. I mean people still dig it. So it's still there this still I don't know if it's growing and I don't know if they should 10 bands like us but like Facing The Gallows and that type of thing. They're still pull a crowd. They still there one of the bands that like have liked it stood the test of time. You know, it's crazy. They is it that there's still people out there that that enjoy that music it is fun music to listen to I think that Durbin and we definitely moving into that kind of sock Heavy Music we have Bob, but we've got some Epic epic metal bands so bad on the spot. What we're doing is probably the one obviously vulvodynia, but that's a that's a different that's a different type of thing. I don't and you know, I've always said that Durbin has the talent we've always had the talent and vulvodynia is a clear sign of that that was created by like turbine. They first three shows with the power band now, they're the biggest metal band in South Africa all Slam Band, you know, they just plays the not even the biggest man in South Africa because So Africans don't know them but they the biggest South African like yeah. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely, which is so wild I mean us but unless they videos get a million views like yeah quite often. It's pretty scary good musicians. That's how they do that. Like they were able to create the stuff that they wanted to create like and they knew that it would had an audience outside of South Africa might not have had it like in audience, you know in the direct vicinity, but they knew that they could do that. Internationally, yeah, whereas so that's kind of know what just had the wacken metal battle. Yeah, and that was that was really well supported was really big. I mean last year in December, I'll biggest show that we had at the pub in the same. We had some really awesome shirts was also a metal show. We have four bands from Mozambique come down and wow today at seven o'clock. You could not walk inside the Winston Pub, you know, there's still those the real mail supporters that are out there not so much. The young kids but that mean I think they'll be going to show you three of a certain manner was not dead. What's that band called? I'm trying to remember this it also in terms of other venues that might be contributing to the middle seen as Gasoline Alley a little bit Yeah Gasoline Alley is opening up its doors to bands. There is no metal scene there. Like this is Barker bar and I don't know if they've actually had any middle shows there but they're there I having Rock shows alternative shows like right off played there. Yeah. Yeah, and just play there they've done old fast. And that's also like like New Jersey and the pom-poms. Like there's really not medal at all that type of stuff and offices well support as well, you know hundreds of people going to that's which is really cool. Absolutely that whereas like there is this General perception that you know, the old scene is dead because burn died and because we Winston's no longer just you know for the alternative kid. Absolutely and we had another show we did was the tribute show in December. Oh, yes, I remember and that was so well supported by other people. Yeah and hate that but now no no I was just about to say if you people don't like that, but let me tell you this so bear. It's not only Uses in like a lot of bands like are you know people don't come up to ashes I'm like, okay don't get them people that they like people enjoy watching live music clearly. People don't know who you are. Actually don't be bummed that people don't know I don't come to your show. When did you make a sticker last or when did you put anything out there? How many followers do you have? When last did you post on Facebook? A lot of bands a lot of established bands are lazy as fuck. A lot of them have 400 likes. I'm playing for harbingers recently. I'm putting harbingers down were a great band. I just started playing bass with him Hoffman just have three hundred and seventy lakhs a hundred of those since I got them that bands for years old. No, it's just talking about I'm saying you still have to paint everything about this. What like back in the day when you played in the band you could like God and people would be there to watch you don't have to put the effort in you know, anything with that is also everyone in the band as a musician like they've been in other bands like they've done things exactly dude. Why aren't you doing it the right? There is a way to do it covid Enya followed like a slot recipe and those people have hundreds of thousands of likes on Facebook. They they make merch and that's what a lot of joburg Vans and Caterham bands. Do they have awesome merge every band that comes to determine the basement. Show me a Durbin band in the last two three years that printed most black mouth exist. I don't have a black man. Doing they have to have a fucking match. But what was I going to say that I'll fuck? I can't there's a lot more Mitch back in the day and I just think bands on putting a you like a lot of complacency Within the Music what I like about Durbin though is that people are making music to make music kind of you know, like they're not trying to get rich. They're not trying to be successful. They're not running it as a business. That's also why they don't succeed. This is cool. But then I get bummed when people come and watch like a tribute because Cuz those fans have been marketed for years. And yeah, and we actually put a lot of effort into marketing that and that's why people came out maybe if you put a little bit more effort into your brand and your band people come watch your show that one of the frustrations you have like as the owner is that you know, because obviously for you like, you know, the band's bringing in people matters like, you know, because you're not the promoter your the video, I'm not fitting that's not how it is anymore. I actually have to promote every show now and not in We showed some shows do promote themselves and some of the band some of the bigger ones some of them do but often not a and if I don't do anything no one shows there will be 12 people at that because we are a destination but we're not a bar that people come. So just on the off-chance know we there is something happening and you have to see and that's what we've been doing this year. And that's why the show the path has been really busy this year because we've been running everything six weeks before Or I mean I didn't tell him I don't want to use this as an example, but the on Thursday night, we have a bank called shackles and Bones from cavetown playing and mouse are playing with them and someone called Dave glovis or supplying them now. It's Tuesday today. They are 19 people on the event coming. So I went and checked out the event now. I've already spent a hundred on putting a post on to this. I mean, it's just checked how many people are invited to the show? I invited 354. So these people haven't invited one person to their Facebook event nor shared at once. Like how do you think people are going to come to the Show fact fact of the matter is anyone that comes to the Winston on Thursday night. It's going to go there because what I did because of what I pushed and not to do with the bands at all and it sucks for me because I'm not charging these bands to use the venue. So they're gonna put start costing they're going to make money on the door. Or and it cost me how that you know, I do it with a real venue and it cost me so much to to operate every month and I have a weekly Target that I have to hit to to to keep the door to keep the doors open. I mean, that's the thing like I can't even get that frustration with the comedy scene because you know people would be on the poster and they wouldn't share it. I treat everyone like children Nassau not like children. Don't get me wrong. You know, it's not all bad. But when I do now before every event is a open up a Facebook message in With every single band member on every single in every single band including their managers or whoever's involved in the show and I make a mess thing and I talk to them like children now, I don't talk too much on but I like everything and I remind you I'm like guys it's a week to the show, please. Can you share it? Don't forget to invite your friends and I'll go check the friends and I do a screenshot and send around like you guys haven't invited anyone yet. I don't know who's not putting the weight. But if you could just you know, you just have to enter this, you know, we all have we want all old and we are we are all busy in this isn't a full-time job and I'm efficiency. I'm happy to do that. Why do you think bands don't do don't realize that you have to maybe you know, maybe over again kept out maybe some bands they are spoilt a little bit because there's enough people just to be at the show anytime but I don't think a lot of touring bands. They just assume that people are just going to be at the venue and a lot of touring bands on the never sea You know the words got to get out there. Yeah, exactly. If people did, you know about the show on Thursday, which one this one you just say about now not now you are a prominent person in the in the future. You know, I did I laugh about it so much like just when I was on dyr and stuff and people complaining about not being on radio and I was like, I put my email address out your a million times and you've never sent me anything like that. It looked like it was very easy for people to get their music on di Bao and I was there. Like just send it to me if it was good. I would give it to the music Impala and it would be on it and some people got on and that's how you get an ant guys like people don't come and find you. Yeah, you just have to exactly I mean, I do find certain people and keep my ear to I mean these obviously because I'm not part of the radio anymore like I write about music and so a bit obviously got to stay in touch with what's happening. But yes people pitch like the and stuff all the time. That's kind of my point of this whole thing is that everyone has to put effort To this. Yeah, I don't know why people aren't anymore as you said back in the day people would DIY if it wasn't, you know, you weren't lucky enough to have a venue doing this all for you you are doing it all yourself. You actually printing flyers and asking your friends to come to the show medicine. You've got paid for certain gigs based on the number of Flyers that got brought in for ya. Like I said, I've played one on to those and let me tell you dude. We went out and we handed Flyers out. Yeah and works because people came with the Flyers and you got paid more. Yeah. Yeah. Consider if it flies. Yeah, so that's pretty great because you also got a basic like it was like 500 bucks or something and then an extra 10 ran / flyer, which cool 200 people come with a flyer. That's two grand for your band. That's two and a half Grand you guys were going to make 500. I do do a hell of a lot of marketing behind all the bands and I think we have to I can't sit back and just think I we did that for That a few years ago, you know the senior cigarette. I think you were saying, you know, Matt you need to be more proactive and last year showed us that because a lot of that we had some cool shows but a lot of them weren't really that well supporters are quite a few we've had last year but this year so far has been one of the busiest who has had since the first year we've been so busy and that's just us my brother now being very proactive even stuff like getting you know the pizza and which allows you know people to eat Absolutely. We're trying to get access to early market. Now. We're doing something on Thursdays now cut open stage. So we're really pushing that to University students who've actually printed Flyers know in ruin. Yeah, we've got a street. We've got a small street team in the universities working now so Thursday, I'm good. It's good. Sorry guys. I just dropped a glass. I think that's something And yeah, so we're just being quite proactive and Thursdays are getting better and better and better with kids that I haven't seen it before excellent musicians. So, you know just also believe in consistency, you know, if you throw an event and you want to start doing it monthly just to keep your weekly keep on doing it and people will come if you keep on putting the effort in yeah, I think sometimes eventually as we did with with underground comedy recently. We stopped doing that. I think it needed a little bit of Refreshing up. Yeah, but I copied Urban like, you know, but yeah, like eventually like that had a good time like there's only so long. I think at the same thing happened with GMT like it does happen. But again, I think everything has it like a peak period so Durbin does just have that it's got its like Seasons like everything survives for a while, but the Winston's one of the things that survived the longest now, I think it's the the longest-running venue in the country. Live music venue and possibly more than any of the Caterham places like yeah sure definitely. Okay and fact check it and the only I think Rumors in joburg, but they've moved venues or and changed hands a few times, but I think they may be a little bit older. So I think it's yeah, it's definitely up there as the you need to get those like stat so you can you know claims I'm sure but you're also I guess people don't know how much the Winston change because origin didn't exist like, you know before like when we used to go to the Winston like back in the day, so yeah, we since two stories back and they really had full access to the whole hotel. Actually. Well, yeah, we kind of break into exactly like they were places you weren't really meant to go. But if you wanted to have a good time with someone you could find some dark dark areas up the stairs. But yeah, like the Bought for a long time with powerful Arjun. What was actually the pool bar for Burton for the Winston and like the balcony where you walk in at origin was actually the balcony where half of we have a music scene used to hang out like every like fried and all those rooms down going towards the other side were natural band rooms. And before that. I mean that buildings been the home before that so 80s and 90s that was The ladies bars upstairs. I don't know that Indian boys in the parking lot. Oh, wow. Hey, yes. The colored ball is in the parking lot men's bar downstairs. Ladies bar upstairs. That's the the history of this place carries. Its makes you shaking your skin, but that's all that is. Yeah. I mean my grandfather used to go. It's literally that's one of my favorite things is many people get to be like and you're not only my dad might like my grandpa told me stories about going to the Winston. For something yeah, really ridiculous. I think there is like Friday strip lunches at one point. It's carried a long history and the such I mean it was the argyle Hotel before. Yes. That's what it was called before the argyle. And then it's the Winston named after Winston Churchill. It's named after Winston Churchill. Yes, because and look I accept you ever thought about changing the name. I haven't because it holds such a history of your nose the Winston. You know, I don't think anyone thinks of it as the Winston Churchill but possibly no one does I don't think like I said, we always joked about opening up a second one calling it Churchill's. Yeah, but I'll tell you what I heard and what I was told and I would like to go and get this fact checked but the bars that all the wood that is possible is from the ship that Winston Churchill came to South Africa on I mean, it's not story. That's why I'm it's that's why it was then converted to The Winston hotel after the inaugural, huh? When the yeah, I mean, I'm sure you could get that fact checked and verified. That would be pretty cool to just know that like fuck. It's just had so many different iterations like we used to party in the parking lot. Yeah. Yeah, we see as soon as he's probably a lot and rocked a lot like that used to be a thing and it was such a Precinct because burn was around the corner and then Winston was here. We Ciroc the park. I mean the lot and in the park across the road that's where I met a lot of my best friends in that Park in. Yeah, just smoking weed little slider it as we did. Yeah the Park. Yeah. Yeah, but like there was so much like Shenanigans going on. And since you guys have taken over like What's the culture like in a place? Like do you see it like being calmer than it used to be like Like I would assume like I don't see as many facts or there are still some I mean, I've read a few of them. But like look I'd say in a we my brother and I are just different me personally. I don't like fighting so from day one. We were very anti farting at the pub not even for like jokes like it's not funny get out, you know, we weren't afraid of kicking people out because that used to be the thing was like guys would like play fight. It ain't eventually got more hectic, you know soon as we see See a fight we had quite a cool, you know people believed in what we did and the pub kind of change their the idea, you know from being a pub with 30 people with it every week to being a pub with hundreds of people were coming there and people really loved affected with change that they were now proud of the a new venue and I think everyone's just kept a cleaner for of, you know, they've just respected us. We've had far farts six seven fights in Seven years. I mean wow and that font style of relevance. Like I'm excited. Yeah, three of those are yours out of the and yours weren't even real ones at all. You know 3 add a nice to too little weight. Yeah. There's a quote throwing at one stage as well. I don't know if that counts as a fire. That's the one I can remember like I because I went out and grabbed the guy around the neck and the other one was outside. Hey, we threw a sucker punch. They come in from our region. Also the to be honest. The area itself is gone down quite a bit. So there's a lot of drugs on the street across the road we hide we've got a security guard they all the time and you safe on our pavement and and across the road, but don't go into the park don't buy stuff from people on the street and general don't buy drugs from people on the street. Yeah, if he if you don't have his number don't buy it. Yeah it is. Yeah, I mean because it's very dangerous. You don't know what you're buying. Oh, well, they are trying to sell to Arjun Sergeant getting a thousand people if just a hundred of those or ten of them by those guys are stoked. Yeah, because yeah, they're selling whatever random shit. They've got for it. Yeah, so that's the only thing that's not that cool. That's why we are high secured now is just to watch the people from outside some of the hobos coming inside begging possibly and yeah for any fats from origin of those we not too worried that's dope because yeah used to always have a love that it's a safe Zone. Yeah. I think it's So happy diversity. It could be your first it's so cute act. We were always new kids coming in the yeah. I'm also be noticing and the first few times like their parents would come and drop them off an hour literally introduce myself to the parents the next time they get like greeting me now now that I'm coming when I just dropped their children because they know it's a safe space and I'm proud to be they're still young as well. Like your body's. Yes, so that's what's kind of cool is that you can do that like you don't look like out of place. You don't look too old. Old like, you know, you don't look like, you know a sketchy nightclub owner. Yeah, actually, you know, yeah so you can actually that's really cool that you do that. That should do greet like the parents and stuff and like because yeah, the Winston has always been the place where you know, you go in you're like first starting out in the scene when you're first trying to discover like I remember the first time I watched bands, you know, it was at the fucking when you couldn't get into bent or the time, you know being back in the day. Yeah. And then from there going to other places and finding out like more about music but it's been such an integral part of the Durban seen and it's cool that like you are still we were very lucky as I said and you heard the story to take it over and we are very proud to have taken over and we are working hard to keep it alive. We want to maintain what it's about and and do good and we want to help the Durban music singers total. Yeah. Well That's our plan from here on out. It's because as we chatted, I've Heard lots and lots of different like ideas and stuff like that. So like what are they mediate like future Bob's look at the moment is a Syd. We've upped our game and we're up to our kind of connection with sponsors. We're now speaking to bigger Brands who are looking at getting involved Yamaha possibly reading our stage. Wow, and we just want to get the Winston to and Two more space. I've really been dreaming of opening up something similar to what you got. Yeah, a little radio station. Oh, but maybe not a radio station bit an area at the pub for interviews to happen and to be recording. I think that's very important and we dream of getting some funding, you know, possibly from arts and culture or someone like that and we could quite easily convert our stage into a little day Studio, you know, if you put glass doors across the AJ. Yeah, so Mary imagine we could have a studio free for anyone to come and record because it's funded by the city with over the last ending music video. So we kind of just upping our game and hoping that we could get some sponsorship and get other people interested enough to invest in us and to support us because we are supporting the music scene. I think we're one of the last yeah well for the kind of music, I like seeing that you're talking about because there's a jazzy rainbow like but obviously More focused on Jazz and people who have studied music and in that space same thing kind of rainbow jazz lounge has a bit more of a open like, you know philosophy but also still it's in the name Jazz Lounge, you know? Yeah, like absolutely Jameson's is Tiny and that's hip-hop based, you know, like so I get you like obviously the safe space for the punk got a also like we've been doing a lot of rap reason but that's also the underground pool that crosses over so it's not just rock music. It's also, you know hip-hop. It's also different forms. Electronic I have been there for quite a while like it's you know, they've been trying snots have been drum'n'bass. And as I sold at the venue closing I knew that it was our responsibility to be a home for I think you wrote it down Punk's Misfits and orphans music like off. Yeah using orphans and just and for everyone, you know, so as you said we happy to throw drum'n'bass parties, we happy to throw HIPAA parties. We happy to throw heavy metal parties we If you just throw acoustic parties, we're happy to throw my we could just be carrying a gun any chance of a when he first happening again. Yeah. Absolutely. We are suited for a festival a little while ago and then look we're utilizing the parking lot again with the kefir this year, which is going to be cool. But we definitely want to throw in a bimbo the same but we're talking about it for a while you're threatening to do it and it's got the last second everything. Yeah, and as you keep us going to kind of put us in touch. With all the right people now so we can learn that the easiest way to get it done. So when winners are key for and what's happening to keep those on 24th of May. Okay, so that's next month cool and it's going to be really cool. So basically yeah, so they every year they use a different venues or that's what they'll be doing. So our venue has been selected this year and we are on the Friday night. It's the opening up as a keeper you got like makeovers but makeovers playing which is really cool. So what they doing is They they've hired origin the engine room the Winston Pub and the parking lot. So they activating all three spaces suck. The parking lot is going to be for the really big bands is a band. I mean grandma from music playing there's another band for it that it's kind of I think it's a DJ from Switzerland like a crew and then we've got a mute. Yeah both from Germany, which are Marching Band. I saw some stuff. Yeah, but yeah, they're epic just stuck at the Youngblood Brass Band. Yeah, but even better that I mean their music videos got 18 million views and honors they are huge and what they do they're going to be walking down clock road down the alley playing on to this huge stage. That's all the the entrance is going to be. This is like a it's a 12-piece big band, you know, it's so cool and then makeovers and another band are playing in the Actually, no DJ's names room did they are building a stage in the engine room or we've had bands know they haven't been banned from the know with the fruit and veggies and go go Bronco play. Yeah. So what they doing now is they If the DJ boxes here on the other side they setting up a band where the whether it's with a bar is first by yeah, cool. That's telework. I like that. Actually, that would be a cool be awesome and we're putting a lot of effort into it. I think it's going to be really cool. And then the well, I'm going to be putting this out tomorrow like so This weekend. You've got teenage bottle rocket. Yes, it is. Come a not come out of nowhere. But which is quite a nice surprise. There you go. We've got th bottle rocket for America playing they're hitting South Africa just before they go on the European tour, which is also like a 17 dated show across Europe, which is really cool and look they're quite an old punk band. I think they're making a comeback to just put out a new album and a music video and now they're touring the world have been booked into some really big And in the states anyway, so yeah, we're quite lucky that they coming to South Africa and then we got contacted by them to tr to play at the show and it's going to be a solid Showbiz since you were limiting tickets because I think we're going to limit it to three hundred people only because we've got CNS six bands playing. I mean it's them but as I guess which is going to bring I think they're going to bring a few hundred people just by themselves. Yeah. So if you are listening to this out, Just getting your tickets. Now. It's going to be the coolest show dear father giersch. Mislaid have re well. Yeah, there's the airplane. I know they they were wondering if they were one of my early shows at Mandy and sports club. Yeah, they've made they've made a comeback hunting party. I remember that. Yeah. Yeah, so they playing Monday morning Justice from Pretoria playing. I don't know them. They they're cool band from Pretoria the The guy Conley is organized the entire to okay, and then harbingers are playing as well heard of them. Yes, and it's going to be a fun fun show. It's not often that you get into Nationals coming down and it's always you can feel something in the air and for them often the same as come back it and Darkest Hour these bands haven't played in a venue my size for a long time. Yeah, like they're used to playing big stages and stuff absolutely fail of like getting to like Play yeah that yeah, absolutely where people are literally as your test waiting on your guitar while you play. Yeah, like the last time they play it's like 200 people was a failure for them, you know seen years ago even longer 20 years ago. So it's really cool. It's always a lot of fun. I really I'm really excited for this weekend. It's happening at the same time special Finn, but I don't think many people it's it's fish fins changed Winston light. Yes, I do actually Okay. So yeah, like a few years back we work together on a little stage at splashy fan called an area in a hole Yeah, a whole area whole cordoned off area that people had to pay a certain amount to get into which is still not our decision. Okay, actually just so people know that like as people complain to me about yeah because they have to pay extra. Yeah, you have to pay extra to come into our section of like splashy fan. And this was when the old owner was there. This wasn't the current guys but It did cause a bit of issues for us. But we still managed to pull quite a lot of people into the Winston lot and we booked like this like we booked 25 bands from across the country. Yeah, dude, like I had to negotiate with them had to like organize a tons of stuff. Like that was like my first like big lineup kind of thing that like I was mostly in charge of like yeah, dude, like that was crazy. Like I still remember. Yeah just conquer I like killing it like on that stage and I go to the awkward kind of vibe we do. A wide it's so hard. Like I remember just the the owning or the tenth being a little low. Yeah, you know we had low budget for it. We hired I think it was a twenty by Thirty meter Marquis the biggest we could afford we didn't realize so we delivered was we didn't get poles that were big in there. And so yeah the drummer had to if you stood up he would hit his head on the white plate on the the the the The tent but we did a great job. It was so much fun. We brought down. I approached Johnny's Roddy's there was the first time they ever came splashy and people loved that. Yeah. I actually got to know the the family that owns Johnny's rice and I'm friends with them today. Actually. I speak some old sounds really cool. They went a few years after that. I think that a two or three years after don't know if they doing this year. But there was a lot was so much fun. We had awesome branding, you know, my friends shouldn't cause I remember they had doesn't on the posters and the posters WE wrestlers were booked. I think they couldn't make it unfortunately, but we also need a thing. We also have conquer out. Like I said we had with some people didn't play our stage but they stay Joel did I say that they played main it would be a captain super Captain stood facing get facing the gallery that Sublime tribute. Several sanity played we have the sublime tribute. I mean we had 25 x very neatly put across Thursday to Saturday. Yeah different genres different Bob's. Well mostly on the heavier side of things Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday. Do we have we've or not do we do some? Yeah because we did we had 25 Vans and we had basically six on each. Nah, that's okay. And and I think we had a seventh one on the main Tour on the Friday what those such a long time ago. We did movies like not movies. He's and I remember like I was I was meant to be the staying Wizkid media Wiz kid. Oh, yes radio. Yeah was kid Radia. This was going to be no seats. Yes. I remember that. They did like some love recording. So that was epic. We had such a good year that your yeah. It's a Pity that like, you know, just the people won't let the people the person who was running stuff from splashy sad that you're was a bit greedy and Because I feel because we had the actually works in the whole article about it softer words. So you're the all your afterwards already about what I was going to expect a splashy and stuff and a large portion of it was because of the experience that we had had and you know, like uber cool also had a bad experience in terms of just getting enough funds, you know have it as having to sell our own tickets to this extra part of the festival, you know, maybe very difficult. You know, what happened for me to be honest. The worst thing is that I didn't mind. I knew that we had Think the deal was rude give Splash fan half of the money we made on our tickets and then on the day you could upgrade if you bought a splash of frantic and I think I took us way more expensive. Yeah, if you have graded your special friend ticket at Splash your fin you can pay an extra hundred a hundred fifty year and you get by day pass just very segregated way for me. It made all the sense for us to be a team, especially in just to be another section being open for everyone. We would just a different type a little bit more, you know maintaining that yeah. And stage, but he was just trying to get them all into the problem is that we are always wrong. Is that on the day? We got to splashy fan now, we're here. I had thousands and hundreds of people from Johannesburg and Cape Town coming to the Winston lot stage when they got to the gate. They weren't allowed to buy our tickets. They were we and then they changed the story saying that you guys were told you were only allowed to sell presale. You can't sell your tickets at the gate because then they would lose. He's out of money since you and that would get half of it. That's what happened. And that's why we didn't go back the next year. So I'll budget, you know, we had anticipated we had sold say 300 presale tickets and then told on the day that we couldn't sell out tickets to all these people that were waiting, you know online stores at the time weren't a big thing 2013. There wasn't Cricket not yet caught the way it was, you know, not as easy as now and so we had to remember that we're selling directly held and we have undertaken so it's yeah and but Couldn't sell at the gate and that's what crashed us. And so but that's why we didn't make any profit we made I think it was 200 Grand or so on the other thing, but we had a great everyone got paid as well. Like all the band's got paid. We didn't get any money from it. I think you got I got paid you guys paid me. Did you pay me my fee? I've only made no sense for us and we just couldn't afford to do it the next year and which are sad because I think it really was a grown but now it has opened up. As you've said splash screen has changed there. Yeah, I'd like you could I don't think you could do it Winston like now no not that way no no what the way splashes but we wouldn't we wouldn't be aiming to throne when he first if there was some Lord was still at splash splash. That's the thing like you see a but I just feel like if I hiked it could have taken over even we could be like, we're all competing. We could be having three four thousand people to outside of Splash fin at the maybe like, I mean you look around first is doing well like like Come back this year and they're doing quite well like it. I do feel like a bit of greed caused that issue with splashy fan and what that's what that person is no longer with flashy fan because unfortunately there were there was so much potential with that like the ones tonight's plan. She failed. I'm sorry, but cool. Let's flashy fan. Like it was gonna do crazy things, you know and the next year the third three years and we would have been crazy cool. We would have been bringing down Internationals etcetera, etcetera, but look, But it's not learn to respond. I learned unlearn a Lala gration about contracts about who the work. We've thrown our own little weenie Fest since then which little Day events especially at the Winston, you know as I've thrown and Bob maybe not as much but hundreds and hundreds of events something. Yeah, you know, they've surpassed me now that you're a fucking bitch. I think that we are Next year, I definitely think that could be a Cool vibe. And that would be you know, you mentioned earlier you want to do the recording studio you want to do a radio station you want to do all these different things to like, you know, give people stages to be able to have the music heard and you know, that's kind of the last thing that we don't have any more like is that last thing that you could was provided and you're not providing the radio station or the studio yet, but that would could be the you know, the last thing I guess in the plans for the once it's future I dream of opening. A up a record label even I don't know how much space is for record labels in the world. But you know just a management day, but even to manage The Talented Urban hairs. Yeah, but you're a little busy as as I am very busy now, but that I think we've got two point of the Winston we've been aiming for like a certain recipe and a goal and we're achieving a lot of those goals. We've got food the Winston's looking good at the moment. We're constantly upgrading even more and more and we're at a point where we can start thinking out of the box. Where were right. Not too close to getting some real sponsors involved and just to up our game to a whole nother level. And once with that happens, I think I will have more time. I mean it can only grow from here and let's see how it goes. We're not slowing down so cool. Well, I think that's a brings us to the end here. Thank you very much Matt. Thank you so much for having me weaving long old friends. Yeah, dude. This is we just lock my back off the stand my brand new mic stands shaking hands Shake. King hands, but yeah, it has it is really cool to like just fuck. Yeah, the Euros we've had a very long it's nice to see me ever and is now I love Durbin. I love being involved in the whole scene in Durban the singer everyone's grown and changed lately like and and that's exactly how we're all a part of doing now and we were and that's why I loved bringing up like the early days with things were so wild and crazy and you just look at how like calm and normal I think things are now and like Yeah. Well, yeah well We've gone where we've come and what we're doing and it's exciting. It is exciting man, and I'm really stoked for you. I'm really proud of you and like everything that you - to do with the Winston and I'm looking forward to you like turning it into like, you know what it should be held it together. I think cool awesome man. Thank you.
Matt Olivier, along with his brother Luke, owns The Winston Pub, a legendary Durban music venue that has stood the test of time. Matt and his brother took over "The Pub", as it's affectionately called, 6-and-a-half years ago and it's been a roller coaster ride for them ever since. If you've ever wanted to know what it's like to run The Winston, well, you're about to find out as Matt and I dive into the trials and tribulations of living the dream of owning a music venue. Not only that, but we find how everything in Matt's life lead him down this path. From being in bands from a young age and studying sound engineering, to starting an events company and buying a sound and lighting rig, it's all culminated in one day owning The Winston Pub. We take a trip down memory lane and get nostalgic about Durban's musical past whilst also looking to the future of The Winston Pub. Enjoy. 