Fokofpolisiekar are definitely one of my favorite bands of all time, mostly because they sing in my mother tongue. I first saw these boys live at Oppikoppi 10 in 2004 and have been listening to their music ever since. These Afrikaans rockers have never disappointed me with a live show.
Here are 13 Interesting Facts about Fokofpolisiekar
1. Fokofpolisiekar hail from Bellville in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.
2. The band was formed in April 2003.
3. The members of the band were formerly associated with acts like New World Inside, 7th Breed and 22 Stars.
4. Their song “Hemel op die Platteland” (Heaven in the countryside) was the first Afrikaans song ever to be playlisted nationally on the SA commercial station 5FM.
5. To date Fokofpolisiekar have released 4 studio albums, 6 EPs, 3 Singles, 4 Live Albums and 2 Compilation albums.
6. 3 bands spawned out of Fokofpolisiekar between 2007 and 2009: Van Coke Kartel, aKING and Die Heuwels Fantasties.
7. The members of Fokofpolisiekar are Francois van Coke (who is also the lead singer of Van Coke Kartel), Hunter Kennedy (who is also in Die Heuwels Fantasties), Jaco “Snakehead” Venter (who also plays drums for aKING), Wynand Myburgh (who also played bass for Van Coke Kartel) and Johnny De Ridder .
8. In 2009 a documentary about the band was released entitled Fokofpolisiekar: Forgive Them for They Know Not What They Do and in 2011 their official biography entitled Biografie van ‘n Bende was released.
9. The band was the subject of a huge media backlash when it was revealed that one of the members wrote “Fok God” (“F*** God”) on a kid’s wallet after a show in Witbank.
10. In 2014 the band announced that they would be launching their own range of craft beer named after their own songs, Dag Dronk, Antibiotika, Hemel op die Platteland and Skyn Heilig.
However, in 2015 they announced that the full range will no longer be produced and that Fokof Lager will be their only craft beer. The beer is produced in Cape Town by Devil’s Peak Brewery.
11. Their 2017 album Selfmedikasie was released after a crowdfunding campaign on Thundafund. This was their first full album release since 2006’s Swanesang album.
12. The band celebrated 20 years in the music industry in 2023. They did this with a show called “20 Jaar Van Fokof” in Pretoria.
13. The band released their 4th Studio Album (Dans Deur Die Donker) in 2023.
So, in case there are some Americans out there who don’t know what Fokofpolisiekar sound like reading this, check out the video below for their song “Antibiotika” and get a taste of some awesome Afrikaans Rock Music sounds like:
Make sure that you catch Fokofpolisiekar at one of their live shows at venues around South Africa. You will not be disappointed.
Watch this space for regular updates in the Music category on Interesting Facts.
Want some music recommendations? Check out Henno's Howlin' Good Song Picks for July 2024 on Running Wolf's Rant.
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