Rumours of fight at Aardklop
2009-10-01 09:37
Johannesburg – Rumours were running wild at the Aardklop festival after Francois van Coke, lead singer of Fokofpolisiekar and Van Coke Kartel, sustained cuts to his left cheek, forehead and his right hand.
"I slipped on a spot of Jägermeister on the kitchen floor, and fell on my face into a basin full of glasses," said Van Coke about the injuries he sustained on Monday night.
Van Coke needed three stitches to his forehead.
However, informed sources told Beeld that the rumours going around the festival that Van Coke and Wynand Myburgh, bass player of both groups, had an altercation, were true.
Van Coke denied this in an interview on Wednesday. "Never in a million years; we're like brothers," he told Beeld.
Van Coke and Myburgh are both involved with the musical production 2-21, one of the flagship productions of Aardklop and the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival (KKNK).
Still performing
Aardklop festival manager, Marlizé Kruger, said: "We've heard rumours about a difference of opinion between Francois and Wynand."
"We can't control what they do in their free time. As long as it doesn't influence the production, and they still deliver a quality performance."
Van Coke has about ten more performances over the rest of the week. He said his injured hand, which was in bandages, was "uncomfortable, but it wouldn't make me cancel anything."
During the first performance of 2-21 on Tuesday evening, Van Coke had a bad fall against the side of the skateboard ramp, which formed part of the stage set-up. Shortly afterwards, he threw down his guitar, apparently not because he had been hurt, but because it was "out of tune and annoyed him".
Van Coke and Peach van Pletzen from Yesterday's Pupil, who is also involved with 2-21, said at the first performance of the show there were far less people than earlier this year at the KKNK.
When asked whether he thought the audience understood the production, Van Coke said: "I don't think anyone understands the show - I don't even understand it."
