Fellowship of Rock and Roll

Ponta Malongane and a Rock Festival

- 6 September 2013 -

One morning when we were at Neptunes in Ponta do Ouro we met some guys who told us about this rock thing happening in Ponta Malongane, Fellowship of Rock and Roll or FORR. I have heard about this before but thats about it.... turns out coincidentally we were in Mozambique at just the right time. I searched google and we soon had the lineup of bands from Thursday through to Sunday.

Scott, Mike and myself inspected the band lineup and decided that Friday would be the best day to go... so that is exactly what we did after breakfast on Friday morning. I tried getting some information on ticket prices and how it works on the internet but with little luck, so our only option was to drive out there on the day to see what was happening.

Ponta Malongane is the next "point" up the coast, the one that I would have reached if I continued walking north on one of my morning walks (my previous post). Malongane is primary a dive camp, mostly made up of campsites but with some chalets, nestled between the trees right on the beach front. Although it is possible to walk to there on the beach it is more efficient to drive there on some very sandy back roads.

After getting a bit lost we found the camp entrance and enquired about the prices and other details, we discussed it briefly and decided we would purchase the tickets and go sit at the bar in the camp until things started happening, we didn't want to drive all the way back to Ponta do Ouro and then an hour later head back again.

The bar was pretty busy, but understandably so, most other attendees of the festival were staying at the campsite, so unless they went deep dea diving, snorkeling, or laying on the beach,  there isn't much else to do other than hang out at the bar. 

We had a drink or 2 and then decided to go explore the rocks and the beach.

It was a beautiful day, nice and warm, but with a cool sea breeze blowing in. 

The first band was about to appear but it was someone we didn't know so we decided we would first go find some food outside the campsite. 

When we were looking for the campsite earlier we stopped at the pizza joint run by Alex to get some directions, but in the process were told to come back and get the "best pizza in town", so we decided to try out "Alex's Pizza". This wasn't the first time we saw Alex's pizza around, he has a mobile pizza oven which he moves from one location to the next depending on where the crowds are and we also saw his van parked at the market one morning which reads "If you can't Rock n' Roll, then don't f***ing come", so clearly he has reputation.

We ordered some pizza and a beer and waited. Soon there were other FORR goers joining us for the best pizza in town.

Turned out the pizza was damn good, a perfect thin based crust and an awesome sauce to compliment it. Anybody who knows anything about pizza would know that the difference between good and an excellent pizza is the base and sauce.

We polished off the pizza and then drove back to the campsite, we popped round to the bar again, but then soon after decided to relocate to the main concert area just off the beach, which has it's own mobile bar.

There was a band performing and some people making massive bubbles.

The sun was setting and the bands were now heating up, it was time for some rock and roll.

"Hoot and Anny" finished off their set and then "Johnny and the Bomb" did there thing, next  was "Soil 7t7".

By the time the sun was totally gone, Soil 7t7 was rocking the stage up and I started to really enjoy the evening photography.... and the music.

The 2 bands I was eager to see what Scicoustic, we knew the drummer and therefore have seen there act a couple of times, and after them was The Black Cat Bones, which I have never seen live before.

The bad news is that after Soil 7t7, we had to leave for reasons I'm not going to bore you with.

Either way we got to check out Ponta Malongane, plus experience some excellent live music and the interesting people that go with it. Maybe next year I will attend FORR properly, but for the remainder of this evening we went back to relax further at the chalet in Ponta do Ouro.