Funny old Bat still keeps rocking

The Dixie Hillbillies, who can be seen at Potter’s Place tonight, perform a huge variety of music, from laid back instrumentals – during the dinner set – to up-tempo "party hits” during the dance sets.

The band includes Andries Botha on vocals and guitar, Johan Scheppel on vocals and violin, Jerry Gruven on bass guitar and Roy Schoombie on drums.

Many genres of music are covered by the band: commercial, bluegrass and hillbilly, rock, country, reggae, jazz as well as cultural heritage music from the likes of Brenda Fassi, Johnny Clegg, Mango Groove, Bright Blue and the Soweto String Quartet.

The "party songs” include Have You Ever Seen the Rain, Proud Mary, Paint it Black, Duelling Banjos, Sweet Home Alabama, Blue Suede Shoes, Hard Day’s Night, Hey Jude, Brown Eyed Girl and Thunderstruck.

The show is at 8pm tonight and tickets are R120.

Tomorrow at Potter’s it’s the turn of Eddie Eksteen who you might say is a well-rounded entertainer – and you would be correct on two counts.

This time round Eksteen is flying solo with a show that will incorporate not only stand-up comedy but also buckets full of music and song.

He has been entertaining South Africans for over 50 years and most people associate him as the drummer of The Bats, but his CV reminds you of all the other facets of his long and diverse career.

If you’re old enough you will remember him as a member of the Biltong and Potroast comedy TV show.

In the late ’80s and early ’90s he was one of the hosts on the Telly Fun Quiz Show.

He acted in a number of farces with well-known actors Rex Garner and Tim Plewman and his favourite role was when he was cast as Seymour in Little Shop of Hor rors.

More recently Eksteen was cast in a movie The Seven of Daran.

He performs at Potter’s tomorrow at 8pm with tickets at R80.