With Tour players spending a lot of time at home for the first time in a while, it’s allowed them to spend time on alternative interests. In this case, we have a talented musician who has rocked the strings since the age of 14. Erik Van Rooyen has uploaded some videos to social media jamming on the guitar and even started to add some vocals. We caught up with the South African to see where his love for music came from and find out which European Tour players he would have in his ultimate rock band.
“I started playing when I was 14, I grew up in a relatively small town in South Africa and finally managed to persuade my mum to get me some lessons,” said Erik. “I took lessons for about a month but then the old man said he wasn’t going to do it anymore so I went my own way.”
The South African has a huge interest in some rock and roll legends, he said: “My dad listened to rock music throughout my childhood – things like Dire Straits, Neil Young, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, those kind of acts. And that’s where my love for rock comes from.”
“I listened to some punk when I was younger, but nowadays it ranged from anything from Jack Johnson to Foo Fighters to Biffy Clyro. I started getting into some more bluesy stuff in the last year or so and really into Jimi Hendrix. I can’t play anything like him though so I’m definitely glad I’ve got golf,” he added.
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Welcome to #MusicMonday all my quarantiners. Send in your requests… #NOTangusyoung #yesiheadbang
It’s not all about electric guitars and heavy rock music. The talented ‘single figure’ musician released a new video this week playing the acoustic guitar to some soft rock music by Jack Johnson – as well as taking to the vocals with a powerful message in the lyrics ‘no need to go outside,’ for everybody staying safe at home.
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Hope everyone is staying healthy! No need to go outside! #MusicMonday #makesomepancakes @jackjohnson
We ask Erik who would be in his European Tour rock band:
“Ryan Fox on the drums, I know he plays the drums so I’ll pull him in for that. Dylan Fritelli plays a little bit of saxophone so I know he could bring that to the table – I know Bruce Springsteen often has some sax in his music so that could be cool. Lead vocals is a tough one, maybe one of the Italians, they have good opera singers so how about Andrea Pavan – lets have him on board.”
No a bad line up in deed for the European Tour rock band. The question is, if they was performing live in Dubai, would you buy a ticket?
