Wonderboom

ABOUT//

24 years on and WONDERboom are still rocking South Africa! It’s no small feat to be hailed as one of South Africa’s longest-lived and most legendary rock bands, and still going strong. Although rock is the fundamental sound of the band, WONDERboom has delved into different genres, ranging from funk through to punk and even afro-dance. None can deny that WONDERboom’s biggest strength is their live performance. From festivals to nightclubs, the band just kicks ass – consistently!

WONDERboom has released 9 albums, headlined many major South African festivals and has been nominated for 5 ‘Best Rock Album’ awards in the South African Music Awards. They also won the South African leg of the 2004 Global Battle of the Bands and came SECOND WORLDWIDE at the finals in the London Astoria!

There can be few South African music fans that aren’t familiar with their hits, like Never Ever, Jafta Rebel, Something Wrong, Green Fever, Africa, Shadows, Charlie, It’s Great to be Alive, Best Side, On The Radio, Karaoke Bar and now, currently on SA stations, Ooh La La, Southern Light, Praying Mantis and Hell.

Cito, Martin Schofield and Wade Williams, the founding members of WONDERboom, have been writing songs and performing together for over 25 years and show no signs of stopping the rocking rollercoaster!

Danny De Wet, co-founder of WONDERboom, played drums from 1996 to 2009 and a vital role in the formative years.

Garth McLeod, Sugardrive drummer, joined 2009 – 2013, unfortunately, taken from us too early in a motorbike accident. May he rest in peace.

Then, in a sort of reinvention, they’ve had to get the WONDERmachine up and going again. Enter Jonathan Bell on drums, and so the process of a new Rock & Roll relationship began…

It’s been a cathartic and introspective journey since, but no one, who has seen them live recently, can deny the sheer magical force that WONDERboom is. Rising Sun, their latest album, captures this story in a dynamic way. The title track suggests what they, as a band, feel – a new dawn. A revival of what was once
regarded as an electric, live and very stimulating music experience, is here!

In early December 2017, the band traveled to Chengdu, China to represent South Africa at the Silk Road Indie Music Festival in a music performance competition and WON GOLD!!! They competed against 14 other countries (including the UK, China, Japan, and Germany) and clenched top prize. WONDERboom are due to return to China for a national festival tour over the next year.

A major highlight for the band is getting the sole support slot for Guns ‘N Roses, at the South African leg of their “Not In This Lifetime” tour, 29 November 2018. A dream come true for WONDERboom! After its official album launch and successful promotional tour around SA and China at the end of 2017, Rising Sun has been keeping WONDERboom very busy.

Singles such as Great Escape, Ooh La La, Southern Light, Praying Mantis, In Place of Something and Hell have already been embraced with loving arms by fans and the South African music industry alike.