Here I sit in Hola Cafe in Plettenberg Bay and look back over the last few weeks, with an impossible-to-hold-back smile on my face. Those of you who have been a part of this tour have been so amazing, I can’t even describe!

I’ve played so many shows, starting with an incredibly excited and warm -think fireplaces-  show at Butterfly’s Bistro in Hogsback, then rapidly on to East London (in South Africa) for the Murambi Country Kitchen show.

At Murambi I was met by the host James and my new album Home, which had been sent to meet me there by Sharon of One Stop CD (best cd printing place ever). Opening that box and seeing all of those copies of my beautiful new album was an incredibly exciting moment for me! And it got even better when I sold so many copies that very night at my first ever East London show! What a lovely bunch of people! Thanks James and everyone who came out, you’re amazing!

The next day it was on the road again to Coffee Bay, where I stayed at Sugarloaf Backpackers for two nights. While there i got to go and see Hole In The Wall for the first time, and wow it was WORTH the scary road:). On the second night I played to a group of just-arrived Americans and they were such an awesome bunch of people! They all got super involved and listened intently, then purchased heaps of copies of both The Wild Land and Home! We chatted all night about awesome music and other fun things (one of them had even listened to our own Guy Buttery, which made me proud of South African music making it overseas). It was also here that I reignited my massive love for their dogs, especially the ridiculously beautiful Chocolate! HE STOLE MY HEART!!!! Judy, Brian and everyone else at Sugarloaf, you never cease to amaze with your awesomeness, thank you!

After coffee bay it was a long drive up to Durban, where I arrived to warm welcomes from my beautiful friends Iain and Melanie! I stayed with Iain the first night, and dived happily into the dinner his wife Charlotte made (Iain is one of the owners of theBOMBsurf magazine, go subscribe immediately, SUCH a rad surf mag). They cooked vegetarian expecially for me, which was sweet (although I’m not actually veggie, EVERYONE assumes I am…perhaps a hint from the universe?).

Which brings us to Tuesday night, and my show at Melanie’s The Bean Green Coffee Roastery. This was one of the first places I played as a professional musician on tour last year and it will always be one of my favourite. What was amazing about this gig was how many people knew all the words to the songs from The Wild Land. For the first time ever, people cheered when I announced a song from the album. I don’t think I can explain how lovely it is to know people have been listening to and loving my music for almost exactly a year now! Wow! THANK YOU ALL!

A few nights of hanging out with friends around Durban and it was time to play at Rock Bottom Pub on the South Coast, in a place called Umzumbe. I had never been there before and was so warmed by the positive reception I received. The show went incredibly well, the venue was lovely and I had the most delicious veggie burger afterwards (again they assumed my veggieness). After the show I went and hung out at Mantis & Moon Backpackers, which I can HIGHLY recommend as a real-life neverneverland hidden away right inside the forest, with winding footpaths and teepees! A very special moment after my show, was when a tall quiet man walked up to me while I was eating dinner. He said he was not usually into my kind of music but then he looked into my eyes and said, “Your song Learn To Pray…it will stay with me.” I felt what he said and it was deeeep! So awesome and humbling!

Sadly, I woke up on Saturday morning feeling veeeery flu-ish, but pushed through and went to my friend’s house for a house gig in Durban. I will say nothing more about this than it was an experience I will never forget as long as I live. I’ve never cried in front of an audience before…but then I’ve never had an audience crying along with me…ok, the rest is between those of us who were there, but THANK YOU WHO WERE THERE:).

On Sunday I very very sadly had to cancel my show at Amapondo Backpackers (thank you for understanding Marianne) and spend an extra day recovering from flu in Durban. I still went past Amapondo and stayed there on Monday night. By Tuesday was back in Hogsback and feeling well enough for a gig at Away With The Fairies Backpackers, which also went wonderfully. I do love Hogsback (plus I FINALLY got to use Away With The Fairies incredible outdoor bath)!

I then drove to Plett and here you find me, after last night’s show at Surf Café! Thanks to those who came out last night, great fun hey!

I still have some AMAZING shows to go! Tonight at Wild Spirit Lodge, tomorrow night at Cocomo Restaurant in Wilderness and finally at Scarab Sedgefield Market on Saturday morning!

I want to sincerely thank every one of you who has been a part of this tour, including everyone who helped to bring Home into being! It has been and continues to be a wild life, walking the wild line!

Special thanks to Soaring Free Superfoods for providing me with the best superfoods in the world for my smoothies, they keep me going! Also to Yerba Mate SA for the incredible Mate which also keeps me going, yummy! Thanks as well to Lila RIchter Millinery for making me such pretty hats and also to The Little Hattery for my most recent hats. You all rock my world and I thank you for that!

HUGE LOVE AND GRATITUDE TO YOU ALL!

love
Nate

PS: CLICK HERE for a lovely writeup on the Bean Green Website and CLICK HERE for a really fun interview I did with Shannon Mclaughlin for her new Cape Town Surfers Website!

PPS: You can listen to and download both of my albums from this address, go check it out!