Bombshelter Beast bring some madcap energy to SA music

What do you get when you mix an Afrikaans opera singer, a 60-something accordion-playing Polish refugee and a UK-born kwaito star?

The Afrobalkan-skadubhall band Bombshelter Beast, that's what.

Yes, they are as zany as they sound.

No, they don't only consist of four members.

The group was formed by South African jazz legend Marcus Wyatt in 2015 and has grown to include a real mengelmoes of musicians. There are 15 members, but new voices and musicians tend to make unexpected appearances during live performances. No trumpeter? No problem - let's replace him with this French horn player I met last night.

Jol-burgers were treated to the launch of their digital album Dance of the Chicken at the Good Luck Bar in Johannesburg a few weeks ago. It features collaborations with Pitch Black Afro, Mapaputsi, Zolani Mahola, Jitsvinger and Miz Gray.

WATCH the music video for Bombshelter Beast's track Maputo Drop-Off

In true Bombshelter Beast style, the band progressed towards the stage by weaving through the crowd, playing their go-to intro song Spottie.

The attendees - of which there were many - had to make way for musicians brandishing saxophones, sousaphones and guitars.

Their rap aficionado, Pule, was spewing staccato lyrics/sayings/onomatopoetic sounds. Vocalists Dionne and Mihi were swaying their hips, tapping their feet, clapping their hands and moving and shaking like only they can.

This was Mihi's first live performance with the band. What did I say about unexpected faces? And woman, oh woman, she owned that stage.

Once the musos had reached the stage, the sensory experience doubled.

Our auditory senses had been treated to a healthy dose of the musical wonderkids' talent; the time had come to fully appreciate the combination of sound and sight.

Firstly, the costumes: onesies, springbok loincloths, Afrocentric skirts and skimpy dresses abounded (and that was just the men ...)

Second, the stage: besides the array of colourful international flags draped from one end of the stage to the other and a huge yellow banner featuring a big black cockerel reading ''Dance of the Chicken", the combination of the musicians in their outfits and variety of instruments - from a double bass to a drum set to a vuvuzela - made for a mad-cap image, truly representative of Bombshelter Beast's free-spirited nature.

The absence of the band's token NSFW dildo, which is usually attached to sax-player Janus van der Merwe's old-skool army helmet, was tangible.

They played Madam Bliss, My Boyfriend's a Hustla, Dance of the Chicken and Skadubhall, followed by Carmen's Habanera by opera singer Erica Louw.

The crowd went bossies for this combination of classic Bizet with an Afrobalkan twist.

Fire, Maputo Drop-Off, Poppedans, Futi More and Shake were met with equal enthusiasm, which resulted in more than one foot-stomping fan spilling a drink.

But no Bombshelter gig would be complete without a raucous rendition of Taka Takata, or an encore. And they provided both. With gusto.

The band dispersed during their encore - a Bombshelter version of Brenda Fassie's Weekend Special- by melting into the crowd, playing on the tables, and dancing with the audience.

The beast was unleashed.

• Bombshelter Beasts will be playing Kitcheners in Braamfontein Joburg on Saturday, June 17, at 7pm. See facebook.com/bombshelterbeast

• This article was originally published in The Times.