Just Chilling Sessions

I think the date was the 3^rd of April 2015. We were getting ready to hit up a new event called “Just Chilling Sessions” that happens in Pretoria once a month. Perhaps it isn’t new, because I’ve always heard or learnt about these events rather late (I'm pretty lame I know). People kept telling me about it and so I told myself that I’d check it out. I honestly have been beginning to feel like all these events are becoming all the same and immensely redundant. I’ve always been about new things which only made sense for me to enter the business of innovation which has been what’s taken the majority of my time for the last 3 years needless to say. I got to the event with low expectations and I must say that what followed was a pleasant surprise that exceeded all expectations I had prior to that.

My mates and I arrived at around 2 which was quite early but I’ve never been about that fashionably late bullshit. I’ve always thought that I’ve never really had to impress anyone and if I arrive early I get to pick a seat which is what late comers tend to miss. Seating & position are of utmost importance when I party and people are somewhat in-cognizant of that but they pay for their mistakes though so hey. 

As always we got a couple of bottles, not to show off but to reduce the logistics of getting up to get drinks and wait unnecessary lines. We lit up the ever so lovely hubbly/shisha and we were geared for the event. As time went on, people came through from all over GP in all shapes, sizes and colours. It was pretty interesting to see the place fill up group group with ugly as well as good looking people (thank the gods that there we more good looking people). 

 

 

 

Firstly I want to say that the event happens on a secluded/abandoned rooftop that is in the heart of the Pretoria CBD. There’s plenty of free parking (well the one I attended had free parking). I mean when last was parking free?? It’s the little victories that count people! Anyway, the event is unlike any event I’ve been to and I’ve been to a fuckload of events. They had a stage where they mostly featured bands playing with some Dj’s. They had two bars with a fast line turnover rate which is either because people knew what they wanted to order or that the barmen were efficient as shit, or maybe it was a little combination of both but it worked. You don’t want people to wait and wait at lines for alcohol because it’s just uncool. They had Jameson and Absolute Vodka bottles going for R700 and R600 respectively. The dash was also reasonably priced which really got away from those ridiculous prices Jhb clubs charge for drinks. That was quite cool. 

 

 

 

When the music started pumping I noticed that they really featured a lot of unknown artists who are on the come up and really wait for someone to take the risk on them to showcase their talent. We take that for granted but I can imagine how epic it must feel to be booked for an event as an unknown artist and see your name on a poster. For me I feel like people keep booking the same old artists to try and push marketing and ticket revenues which is pretty lame. But here was an event that people came to not because of the lineup but they came to experience something, be surprised and support new as well as old acts. The music itself wasn’t that new age “turn up” bullshit that has no soul or meaning. Ya sure maybe there was a song or 2 but the music composition was comprised of music we grew up on man, and by “we” I mean 90s kids. There wasn’t a VIP section and that really killed the need for pretence and gave the event a bit more flavor and less bullshit to worry about.

 

 

 

Being in business from a young age has really made me so much more observant and so whenever I go anywhere, I tend to pay attention to the behind the scenes, the aesthetics as well as the asymmetric of things most people tend to miss. And so I thought to myself, that here were a bunch of kids who had a crazy idea, came together and decided to create something new. Most people don’t know the blood, sweat and tears that go on behind the scenes when people create and everything changes when you have a firsthand experience in creating something. I saw passionate young people looking cool with their walkie talkies, who created employment whether that’s full or part time it doesn’t matter.  I noticed that they got random people to help clean up bottles from the tables to reduce clutter; I noticed that they had caterers there to provide some really GOOOOOD food and took it upon themselves to be a platform for the dreams of people who we’ll hear about in times to come. 

For me it’s in the simple things that I’m impressed. The business plan for the party seemed simple enough; find a few rooftops nobody gives a fuck about and give people a new experience and that was executed to perfection. The event isn’t all 10 stars and shit but there’s perfection in the imperfections. I always love people who simply stop talking and get off their arses and do something. It made me realize that South Africa has an intelligent, aware and energetic youth that it can’t take for granted. 

 

I take my hats off to the guys behind the party for giving me a new experience, something fresh and creating a platform for others. I see this thing being big, I see longevity, I see exhibition stands happening, I see city of Tshwane getting involved and I see an event that has the potential to generate some tasty revenues simply because of a broader and innovative revenue stream. I wish you guys the very best! 

The next one is this weekend (it happens monthly), I sadly can’t attend (because of people & their many graduations) but I urge people to check it out. Go early (it gets full), look fresh, it’s a day event so its an excuse to wear shades, pack hubblys too so you don’t have to bother people and just go experience something new man fuck it…. 31st October 2015. It will be a movie!!