Fokofpolisiekar at Shepherds Bush Empire

Before moving to the UK full-time in 2008, I worked with Fokofpolisiekar in South Africa and they quickly became one of my favourite bands.

They were unlike anything else at the time. An Afrikaans rock band with an energy and honesty that connected deeply with a generation of young South Africans, they created something that felt genuinely important and culturally significant.
Afrikaans was my second language at school, and while I’m definitely not fluent enough to understand every lyric, that never really mattered to me. Their music has always been something you feel as much as you listen to.

Fast forward all these years and the band recently headed out on a run of shows across Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK. They invited me to join them for their London show and it was a real privilege to be back photographing them again.

What struck me most was that the energy hadn’t changed at all. The performances were just as intense, the connection with the audience was still there, and the community around the band felt every bit as passionate as it did all those years ago.

It was nostalgic, inspiring and a reminder of why live music matters so much.

These are a few of my favourite images from the show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

Looking for a live music photographer? If you’re planning a tour, festival appearance or headline show and want photographs that capture the energy and connection of your performance, I’d love to hear about your project.