With some convincing from a friend, reading that the pamphlet clearly said the event was for both couples and singles, and the fact that there would be some awesome musicians playing, I thought to myself that perhaps spending Valentine's Day at Loved Up in Garden wasn't such a bad idea. I gathered together a safe mixture of couples and single friends, and off we went, not knowing exactly what to expect.
Firstly, the weather was perfect, with not a breath of wind and you could see everyone had a good time enjoying their picnics. The setting against the mountain was, as always, beautiful, and the event organisers added to the atmosphere with bunting, balloons, and fairy lights.
I must admit that I was most excited to be serenaded by the first act - the sultry Michael Lowman! He looks and sounds very much like a South African version of John Mayer, with just a touch less suaveness. Michael didn't disappoint, and certainly brought the romance aspect to the evening. The next act of the evening was DJ Claas Brieler (Jazzanova) & Clara Hill. Clara has a beautiful voice although I don't think that this was the ideal place for their mix of jazz and electronica. Their sound was a bit in-between - not chilled enough to just lay back and listen to, and not upbeat enough to get up and dance to. Fortunately when Matthew Gold came on thereafter, he got the crowd going and some toes tapping.
The true highlight of the evening was definitely the final band, Goodluck. They got the crowd to their feet from the start. With their electro-beat and dance music, the rest of the night was spent dancing away to some much loved songs that I think most people had heard many times before on the radio, but hadn't realised that they were band singing those songs.
Juliet Harding is a talented vocalist, with an amazing stage presence. She interacted with the crowd like we were old friends, and controlled the stage as though she was conducting an orchestra. She had even managed to bring Lisa Kekaula of Basement Jaxx fame to Cape Town, much to the delight of the crowd. Her voice was beautiful and soulful, and she carried herself like a true diva.
Overall, this was such a fun event. There was a diverse mixture of couples, families, and singles in the crowd, along with music that both catered for the fact that it was Valentine's Day, but also got everyone dancing most of the night away. The organisers kept true to their word, Loved Up in the Garden definitely found the balance between romantic and fun.
