Latest News from Piet's pen

January 2007
We would like to wish all our friends and families a very rock and roll year. The latest news is that the band looks the same as two years ago. Tonie vd Walt has decided to take time out to concentrate on his Honours degree at AFDA, where he scooped up the awards last year with the film "Perana", as was reported in our last newsletter, I think.

We would like to thank him immensely for his hard work and great spirit during his time in the band. We wish him well with all his creative endeavors now and in the future, and of course he will always be a honorary member of Jack Hammer.

We are back to a four piece now. Thank you to Lise Wiid for playing piano and singing with us at some wonderful gigs last year.

Last year was over before it began, I don't know why I never had a plan, but we did manage to play a lot of gigs and that's all right.

This year we have to make a new album and there is currently "work in progress" so we hope to have some real news on this in a month or two.

We would like to thank Annalise for the amazing tours and press and loyalty and patience and more patience. Also to Moonshine Lee my heartfelt thanks for all the sacrifices and the blind faith. Brian Currin has been our friend for a long time and has kept us on the internet without any reward. Brian also knows more about the band's history than anyone (except Maloney and Moon of course but they are like me, they don't remember so well these days).

We could never pay for what we have received. I could not put everyone on my list because I'm bound to forget something or someone but I can name a few, my cousin Mike Joubert who has given so much to South African music, Charlene McKenzie, all the wonderful brothers and sisters that we came to be close to at STRAB who took us to and gave us the song "Mocambique", Richard Jones and Radio 2000, Kalie Kirsten and family and all the people at Goedvertrouw, for safe haven in the material world and the song "Man met kitaar", everyone at Oppikoppi for years of friendship and understanding, Heine and Amanda vd Walt for friendship and rock and roll children, Lanie for making us sound better than we are, Andy Darlington, Neil Solomon, Dan Chiorboli, Josie and Chrisna at Café Barcelona, Johann Rossouw for Zen water, Pierre Smirnoff for bad water, Sony Playstation, Highway 13, Tidal Waves, the Dalai Lama for breaking the rules, Bob Dylan and Neil Young for keeping the faith, everyone at the media who fight for us, most of all, the people who came to the gigs all these years, Dale Collins, all the musicians that we have met or played with, Bob Marley forever, Barry and Jackie Frey, Francois and Pieter and Hendri and Henry and Hannes and Jacques and Hennie and Koos and Anton and Speedo and Christa and Marie and Carlito and Neil and Aneen and Willie and Joe and Simon and Debbie and Annine and Annerie and Jakes and Deon and Albert and Hein Waschefort and Gus and Chris Kreef and Akkedis and Vusi and Sammy and Boet Faber, Andre Buckle, Jackson and Doc, Erns, Jacques Coetzer, Jeffrey's Bay, Ramsgate, Gordon's Bay, Ponto Malongane, Kosi Bay, Bronkhorstspruit, Rustenburg, Beaufort West for Gert Vlok Nel, Ouma Anna and Katrina.

Most of all Duke and Bean and Johno and all the players.

So here's to a brand new year.

Sincerely, J. Hammer.

News

Suitcase Vol Winter

We would like to thank Francois Friend and Softchem for their commitment to becoming a partner in our re-release of Suitcase Vol Winter early this year. You will definitely be hearing and seeing more of Softchem's involvement soon.

Please visit www.softchem.co.za in the meantime!

Great Fanmail received

I am 49, and introduced my two children of 21 and 23 recently to Jack H/Piet B – they thought their dad is real cool! At the moment The Pilgrim and Die Mamba playing in my car cd – I live in the Eastern Cape platteland and the music certainly shortens a long dusty road. I admire Piet as a REAL artist and a legend in my eyes – thanks for all the enjoyment.

Jo Els

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