Basson Laubscher

A blank canvas. An empty page. Total musical expression. This is the blues blueprint which forms the creed of the Violent Free Peace, a loose collective of similarly-minded musicians who back the veteran South African guitarist Basson Laubscher.

Laubscher hails from Stellenbosch, continuing the rich musical legacy of the town that has spawned some of the country’s most beloved and critically acclaimed musicians, many of whom have shared a stage, a tent, a kombi and festival stage with Laubscher.

Laubscher’s musical influences and styles are diverse, ranging from Hendrix to Cash, rock to blues, English to Afrikaans. His professional musical career started when he jammed with Bertie Coetzee at school in the first incarnation of what would become Zinkplaat, a road-tested Afrikaans rock band who played hundreds of gigs from the West Coast to London during a decade-long career.

Laubscher has performed alongside countless top names at countless festivals.He has also done session work on numerous albums including for Valiant Swart, Ann Jangle and Ryno Velvet. He continues to play with Swart, both in the full band setup and two-man acoustic performances.

The Violent Free Peace was formed at the end of 2004 and is a loose collective of top musicians who jam with Basson to create his signature sound. The current members are Jan-Hugo Pfyfer (drums) and Gregory Thompson (bass). The roster is not static, at any given show fans can be treated to top guest musicians like Simon Orange or Riaan Niewenhuis.

The first EP entitled shakedown was released in 2014 to rave reviews, and showcased Laubscher’s original compositions, road-tested and battle-hardened on the smoky stages of the South African music scene. The next album is in the works, where Laubscher fans can expect another generous helping of foot-stomping boogie and passion from the renowned Boland gunslinger.