Horisontaal

Valiant Swart

Valiant Swart

This may seen out of place in the timeline but I start with it because in the Introduction to The Story of Rock and Roll I use it to explain just how powerful great music can be and how it can transport you from terrible lows to incredible highs.  It’s all about the big chords coming through all that fucking morbidity. When I saw this movie for the first time I got goose bumps , I still get them everytime The Stones fire up ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ which is exactly why this clip is so important.  Hilton Bennet who was a great mate and has a bit part in TSORR got me into this movie and I am forever grateful for that

I don’t think any of the video clips I have seen on You Tube really do Valiant justice. You have to see him live and be at the show to really appreciate how special he is. In this modern world of fast moving thrills Valiant sits right in the ‘not commercial enough’ middle, too rock and roll for the country guys and too Afrikaans for the rock and metal loving English guys who have a diet of UK and USA bands. He is a South African treasure and without him I don’t think I would have got the deep understanding and love that I have for SA music today. At one stage I was so happy with the amount of good SA rock around that I didn’t even need to listen to international bands anymore.
JAMES DAUBENEY