Live band for festivals, corporate events, concerts, and private functions
Music festivals, corporate entertainment bookings, brand events, and audiences seeking contemporary, high-energy live music.
The Graeme Watkins Project is a dynamic South African band known for its dirty, edgy, and refreshingly unconventional take on pop, indie, rock, and electronic music. Fronted by Graeme Watkins, runner-up of Idols South Africa, the project represents a confident return to the stage on his own creative terms.
More than a solo vehicle, the band is a tight-knit unit of highly respected musicians, including Ryno Zeelie on lead guitar, Rudo Pieterse on bass, and Matthew Marinus on drums. Together, they have broken away from the predictable mould of South African pop rock, creating a sound that is raw, contemporary, and globally relevant.
The Graeme Watkins Project burst onto the national scene in 2011 following the release of their debut album, Corridors of the Mind. The album quickly became a standout on festival and event circuits, producing five Top 10 singles within a single year, an exceptional achievement that signalled the band’s broad appeal and commercial momentum.
The Graeme Watkins Project brings a dirty, edgy, rough approach to a medley of pop, indie, rock and electronic genres!“Runner Up” in Idols, Graeme Watkins has returned to the big stage on his own terms, with his highly successful band, “The Graeme Watkins Project”.
But this band is not only about Graeme. It consists of phenomenal musicians who can be individually recognised – Ryno Zeelie (lead guitar), Rudo Pieterse (bass) and Matthew Marinus (drums).
The unit has managed to break the ‘cookie-cutter’ mould of the stereotypical SA-Pop Rock sound by producing fresh sounds!
Their success led to an invitation to perform in Los Angeles at A+R Worldwide’s Musexpo, where they showcased their music to global industry heavyweights including Larry King, Seymour Stein, and Michael Chugg. During this trip, the band caught the attention of renowned producer and A+R specialist Jeff Blue of Atlantic Records.
In 2012, the band’s rise was cemented with nominations for two South African Music Awards for Best Rock and Best Video, an MK Award for Best Newcomer, and a YOU Spectacular Award for Best Music Act. Today, The Graeme Watkins Project remains a compelling live act, del
Their music has an ADHD inspired beat, which is designed to get the crowd into the mad-capped mind set of the band members – with the intention to get the audience to break out of their comfort zone and to rock out to the all-encompassing movement of this group’s melody!
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