THE clock rolled back quite a few revolutions as legendary SA band ‘The Bats’ rocked and tickled a packed Umfolozi Casino dome last night for a night of nostalgia and sheer entertainment.
Mellowed with age, this was a vintage performance that went down incredibly well for the 300-odd supporters of the Empangeni Rotary Club fundraiser for Rhino Art.
The group has lost none of its touch, and they mesmerised the audience with their versatile talents, not least of which were the comedy aspects.
Eddie Eckstein is the joker-in-chief in that department and he literally had patrons crying with laughter with his sharp wit.
He’s not a shabby little drummer either, and surrounded by amazing lead guitarist Pete Clifford, multi-faceted keyboard/flute/guitarist Paul ‘every young’ Ditchfield and Derek Gordon pumping the bass and hitting the high notes with a surprisingly good voice, the total effect was brilliant.
Indeed, Gordon’s rendering of the old Staccatos’ hit ‘Cry to Me’ was probably the highlight for most.
With no gimmicks, backtracks or artificial aids (other than those of the medical variety), The Bats showed that local is lekker, and that vintage local is even lekkerder.
