A performance at a recent annual cultural event was dedicated to a former Simonsberg Men’s Residence resident who passed away last year.
This was according to Judah Banwell, lead singer from Barbie and the Kens, the band who paid tribute to Ky Rowe at this year’s Simonstock festival. Rowe passed away on 9 August last 2022.
One of the performances at Simonstock, an annual cultural event hosted by Simonsberg Residence at Stellenbosch University, was dedicated to the late Ky Rowe, a friend of the band members who performed. Rowe, a former resident of Simonsberg, passed away on 9 August 2022. This was according to Judah Banwell, singer from the band, Barbie and the Kens, who paid tribute to Rowe. PHOTO: Hannah Theron
Simonstock is a cultural event hosted by Simonsberg Men’s Residence at Stellenbosch University (SU) where bands made up of SU students and Simonsberg residents are given the opportunity to perform for an audience, explained Kyle van der Merwe, organiser of the event and lead guitarist for the band, The Residents, who also performed at the event held on 12 August.
Barbie and the Kens dedicated the song A Sky Full of Stars, originally by Coldplay, to Rowe as it was one of his favourites, stated Erin Havemann, singer for the band.
A community environment
“It’s been quite an emotional week so we’re glad we could do something in his honour,” said Banwell in an interview with SMF News. “He was quite a special person in our lives and he deserves tribute.”
The tribute performance shows that Rowe will always be remembered and that those who loved him still honour him in their own way, said Viljee Truscott, master of ceremonies at Simonstock.
“[The performance] gave me the same feeling I got last year when we had the memorial here. […] It gives me that sense of community,” added Truscott, in an interview with SMF News.
(From left to right) Dan Olivier and JG Wegner, residents of Simonsberg, a men’s residence at Stellenbosch University (SU), who played at Simonstock. Simonstock is a cultural event where bands made up of SU students and residents of Simonsberg Men’s Residence are given the opportunity to showcase their musical talent, said Kyle van der Merwe, organiser of the event and lead guitarist for the band The Residents, who performed at the event. “[You get] to live out your rockstar dream,” said Van der Merwe. PHOTO: Hannah Theron
Throughout the week of the anniversary of Rowe’s passing, Simonsberg residents realised that nothing should be taken for granted, said Christian Timmerman, a fourth year bachelor of commerce international business student and lead singer of The Residents, in an interview with SMF News.
Residents of Simonsberg appreciate the chance to showcase their talents and engage in activities like this, said Timmerman. “This might just be the last time that we all get to perform [together],” he added.
Showcasing talent
This year’s Simonstock recorded the largest attendance since 2014 with over 400 tickets sold, according to Van der Merwe.
The main focus of Simonstock is to showcase the talent that exists in Simonsberg, according to Van der Merwe. “There is so much talent that you would never see if not for something like Simonstock,” said Van der Merwe.“[Simonstock] is 100% the perfect grounds for collaboration and stuff with people that play different instruments, do different things and to give them a reason […] to come together and make something more beautiful,” said Timmerman.
“A lot of these guys are unbelievably talented in music and [Simonstock] gives them the platform to show that to the rest of the res[idence],” said Christian Timmerman, a fourth year bachelor of commerce in international business studies student, and lead singer of The Residents, a band that performed at Simonstock, a cultural event hosted by Simonsberg Residence at Stellenbosch University. PHOTO: Hannah Theron