January 13, 2012. Top pop-rock outfit Watershed, led by the charismatic and talented Craig Hinds on vocals, guitar and keyboards, delivered a pleasing performance for their fans at Krakatoa Nightclub at Sibaya.
A mainly acoustic affair, the “Laying New Tracks” gig found the perfect venue at Krakatoa, the quality of sound meeting the quality of musicianship on offer. Watershed travelled with their own sound and engineering team.
A noisy crowd who seemed up for a party was responsive to Hinds’s regular banter and storytelling between songs, which he clearly revels in. It emerged (when The Ridge spoke to Hinds before the show) that Indigo Girl and Letters are Watershed’s most requested songs at live performances, while Close My Eyes, is Hinds’s personal favourite from a performance point of view. Hinds also spoke about the “Watershed” moment when he decided to opt for a career as a professional musician and recording artist, and move away from a teaching career.
Fundamental
Songwriting is fundamental to the band’s success, and the good news for fans is – based on the evidence of last night – Watershed has some really strong material they are working on for their next album. A few of the new numbers clearly struck a chord, and we look forward to what the boys can deliver in studio. Hinds announced the band’s next single (the video’s already in the bag) as Water, which was one of the new tracks that went down well at Krakatoa.
The band also performed a number of its crowdpleaser classics, including, of course, the hits singles Letters, Indigo Girl and Close My Eyes, each receiving a reception of note.
The band has been touring and working on its new material for the past two years. “There is a perception that we’ve been a bit quiet, but we’ve been gigging, including overseas. We are really keen to put together a quality album, and have been working on that, seeing which songs get a better response. That’s really what this tour is all about,” Hinds said.
We look forward to that new album, hopefully sooner rather than later. – Garth Johnstone