The South African skate punks sparking a cultural revolution
- Text by Nas Hoosen
- Photography by Karabo Mooki
Getting every member of Soweto-based punk band TCIYF in one place isn’t exactly easy. Since no one in their crew owns a car, you’ve got to pick them up from the rundown suburban house where one of them lives, give them a ride to wherever they want to do the interview, and then shuttle them between drop-off points.
The band (full name: ‘The Cum In Your Face’) are part of a countercultural movement that’s taken root in Soweto over the last decade or so, bringing together metal and punk acts from across greater Johannesburg and, although the band hates the thought, bringing together the city’s disparate identities, too.
When they do finally assemble, it’s at the parking lot of a local mall in Dobsonville: one of the group’s regular skate spots, where a small crowd has gathered, phones drawn to take pictures. An old man has assumed the informal role of marshal, letting the crew know when cars are coming so no one gets hit.
Hanging out at the Dogg Pound, TCIYF’s skate house. Left to right: Thula, guitarist; Pule, lead vocalist; Jazz, drummer; Toxic, bassist.
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