History
Thirty years of the Springbok Nude Girls, told through the records.
1994 to 1996
Neanderthal 1
Arno Carstens and Theo Crous met in Stellenbosch. In September 1994 Francois Kruger and Arno Blumer joined them for a first gig at a small venue in Stellenbosch, and they packed it out. Trumpeter Adriaan Brand joined in April 1995.
Mixing punk with ska, jazz and metal, they'd played just about every venue in and around Cape Town within a year, and the crowds kept growing. At the Grahamstown Arts Festival in June 1995 the critics took notice.
“The fivesome offer something for all rock lovers with their combination of proficiency and fine songwriting. There has been a lot of hype around SNG. Believe it all.”
Sunday Times, August 1995
That August the band released their debut, Neanderthal 1, independently. Recorded in just three days, it gave us Bubblegum On My Boots, Stay, Managing Mula, I Am Your Friend and I Know What I Want, which went to number one on 5FM's Modern Rock chart. The video for Managing Mula was shot in a garage in Hermanus on almost no budget and was nominated for an Artes Award.
“The Springbok Nude Girls signal a new wave of brave young independents in the local music scene.”
Cosmopolitan, November 1995
1996 was spent on the road. The Goddank vir Klank tour ran along the coast from Cape Town to Durban, The Missing Fling tour broke the door record at Wings Beat Bar in Johannesburg, they played Oppikoppi, the biggest festival in the country, and the national Bandslam tour took them to six cities and 10,000 people.
“Violently entertaining performances and uncompromising originality.”
Jasser Nattergat, Die Skurk, January 1996
“In live performances, Springbok Nude Girls reek of sexiness, an erotic effluvium of raw power and edgy madness.”
Student Life, February 1996
“SNG have few pretences and no umbrellas in their drinks. Molotov cocktails are the drink of choice. Sorry, 007.”
Sunday Times, February 1996
“The most wanted band in this country.”
Barney Simon, 5FM, 1996
“The Springbok Nude Girls have progressed from a garage band, who were only to play one gig, to one of South Africa’s hottest acts.”
The Star, June 1996
“The Springbok Nude Girls are electrifying and clearly the popular favourite.”
Mail and Guardian, June 1996
“Nude Girls steal the show.”
Cue Magazine, July 1996
“Hulle was die sensasie van die fees. They were the sensation of the festival.”
Beeld, Oppikoppi 1996
“The Springbok Nude Girls have taken South Africa by storm with their ass-kicking, footstomping, brash rock and roll.”
Pretoria News, October 1996
They signed to Epic, part of Sony Music South Africa, and in October shared the 5FM Birthday Bash stage at Kyalami with Tracy Chapman, Youssou N'Dour and Johnny Clegg.
1997
Afterlifesatisfaction
In November 1996 came the It Became A Weapon EP. Genie reached number one on the 5FM Top 40 in February 1997, and the EP won the band their first SAMA, for Best Rock Performance.
“Nude Girls put the riff in ter-riff-ic.”
Sunday Times, November 1996
“This EP contains some of the most astonishingly brilliant music ever conceived by a South African band.”
Personality, January 1997
“The Springbok Nude Girls are that rarity, a truly progressive South African rock band.”
Personality, January 1997
1997 brought the be-vest@iafrica.com EP, with I Love You, and in May their first full album, Afterlifesatisfaction, with 18 tracks. That winter they toured the country with INXS.
“This is one of the most important albums of the year and its effects will be felt for generations to come.”
The Star, June 1997
“This band kicks ass!”
Michael Hutchence, INXS, May 1997
“If The Nude Girls had a free swing, they would have knocked out INXS.”
The Sunday Independent, June 1997
“Just Jinger are huge and hot. The Nude Girls are huger and hotter.”
Top 40, August 1997
“They perform the most energetic, aggressive and visually stimulating set in the history of South African rock and roll.”
Blush, August 1997
“In Arno Carstens, a frontman so sexy that he could cause both men and women to spontaneously combust.”
Sunday Times Magazine, September 1997
In October they took six shows to London and filled every one, including a showcase for Sony UK at The Borderline. At home, Student Life named them Best Live Act and gave them Best Single and Best Male Vocalist.
“West London’s tired airwaves have been given a proverbial kick up the rear by the likes of Jono Coleman, the Springbok Nude Girls and Deni Hines.”
TNT, London, November 1997
1999
Surpass The Powers
The Omnisofa EP came out in 1998 with Blue Eyes, which spent seventeen weeks on 5FM and peaked at number two. That year they played to 16,000 people in Pretoria, headlined Oppikoppi live on 5FM, and played Pukkelpop in Belgium alongside Portishead and the Beastie Boys.
In 1999 they recorded Surpass The Powers with Kevin Shirley, producer for Aerosmith and the Black Crowes, at BOP Studios. It was mixed in New York and released across Europe, and Rolling Stone Germany put Shot on its New Voices compilation next to Korn and L7.
“The Springbok Nude Girls are of the same calibre as bands like Silverchair, the Stone Temple Pilots, or even a Pearl Jam.”
Kevin Shirley
“One of the most anticipated releases of 1999.”
Dianne Coetzer, Sunday Times Magazine, May 1999
“This is not just an album that carries the best rock song to have come out of this country in Blue Eyes. The album of the year by a long way.”
Peter Townshend, Good Weekend, July 1999
“The South Africans do not bore, due mostly to Arno Carstens’ multi-layered voice. Live they are still louder.”
Rolling Stone Germany, December 1999
2000
Relaxzor
Surpass The Powers won Best Rock Album at the 2000 SAMAs. That year they played stadiums with Lenny Kravitz, The Cult and the Goo Goo Dolls, were voted South Africa's most popular rock band, and played Shepherd's Bush Empire in London.
Relaxzor followed in November 2000, mixed by Shirley at the Hit Factory in Manhattan. It won Best Rock Album again in 2001, the second year running.
2001
The Fat Lady Sings
Late in 2001 The Fat Lady Sings tour across South Africa and London kicked off an extended hiatus, and Sony released a best of with the same name.
In the years apart, Arno formed Nu Porn, then launched his solo career with the multiplatinum, award winning debut Another Universe, and won a SAMA for The Hello Goodbye Boys. Theo became one of the country's busiest producers, working with Prime Circle, The Parlotones, Fokofpolisiekar and Karen Zoid, and later shared stages with Chris Cornell and the Foo Fighters.
2004
Goddank vir Klank
Unable to resist, the band came back in 2004 for a ten year anniversary tour and released Goddank vir Klank, a collection of B sides and rarities.
2007
Peace Breaker
The band reunited in 2006, and Peace Breaker followed in March 2007, along with their first live DVD, Live At The Astoria, filmed in London.
In February 2011 they opened for U2's 360 tour at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg and Cape Town Stadium. Later that year they played Shepherd's Bush Empire again, then spent a week on the Isle of Wight writing and recording Apes With Shades, and played the Isle of Wight Festival. The EP came out that December, and Weekend went onto the 5FM playlist.
“The brief was simple, let's get together and see what happens.”
Arno Carstens
In 2014 they played their eleventh Oppikoppi. In June 2016 Michelle Pretorius's documentary, Springbok Nude Girls, built from twenty years of archive footage and partly crowdfunded by fans, premiered in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and in 2017 the band supported the Pixies at Kirstenbosch and Carnival City as Neanderthal 1 came out on vinyl.
2021
Partypocalypse
In January 2018 the five original members got back in a room to write, and recording started at Bellville Studios. The first singles, Beautiful Evolution and Best Friends Best Enemies, came out that April on clear vinyl, with a tour that started in Port Elizabeth.
“Okay, everything still works!”
Theo Crous
The album took shape from 2019 and was finished through the pandemic, and Mongrel Records signed the band in 2021. The title came from the song SA Tan On The Beaches. Artist Lionel Smit made the videos for Rolling Thunder, Emerging Submarines and Crystal Ball.
“Partypocalypse is like nervous energy trying to get things done in an atmosphere of chaos.”
Arno Carstens
Partypocalypse came out on 3 September 2021, their first full album since Peace Breaker, and won Best Rock Album at the 2022 SAMAs. That year they headlined Beefstock and recorded an Apple Music Home Session, ending with their version of Johnny Clegg's December African Rain.
In 2023 Mongrel Records released The Missing Fling Tour 1996, thirteen songs recorded live at Oppikoppi and the River Club in March 1996, the sound of the band where it all began.