Hey Hey In Rockers and Welcome to The Lobby! I’m back in Buffalo for a couple of days after a crazy long trip to South Africa last month! I believe when last we spoke i was about to leave for the first of 2 sold out shows in Cape Town at a place called The Kirstenbosch Gardens, a beautiful botanical garden on the side of a mountain that holds about 6000 people on a sloping hill that provides an amazing natural amphitheater for those attending the show! It was a picture-perfect night for a rock show and the local promoters treated us like visiting dignitaries, it was an awesome day in general. Andy the promoter gave John and I a gift made by a local artist who modifies and paints guitars in a very “South African” style, mine was a painted bass covered with stickers and wrappers of classic SA products and modified with all sorts of hardware, and Johns was a guitar made from a old oil can which he actually played at the Cape Town shows. After the first night’s performance we returned the next night to the venue and the energy was equally as impressive for the second show.

The next day we were off and travelled to Durban for a show which was unfortunately cancelled due to severe weather by the local health officials. It was especially disappointing because this entire tour was cancelled back in December when John got Pneumonia and was hospitalized for a couple of days back in the States. We rescheduled, got ourselves back to Durban but in the end, I guess it just wasn't meant to be this year, as a result we enjoyed some local cuisine with the local promoters and made our way to Pretoria, a city right outside of Johannesburg, to prepare for the next show.

The last show of the Sout African run in Pretoria was at a place called Voortrekker Monument, i sort of equate it to being Johannesburg's version of Red Rocks, a beautiful 15,000 seat amphitheater cradled in the mountains high atop a slope that overlooks the entire city. It was a perfect way to end the tour, a gigantic sing along that made us feel at home so, so far away from where it all began.

Before we ended our South African adventure we were treated to a visit to a safari park outside of Johannesburg with the local promoters, we got to spend some time up close and personal with some elephants and got to see some lions and other native creatures at this game preserve that rehabilitates and rescues wild animals in the region. After lunch we made our way back the the airport and spent 24 plus hours getting ourselves back to North America!

After arriving home, I spent some time in NY with our producer friend Gregg Wattenberg working on songs for a new Goo Goo Dolls album we’re hoping to have out in time for our 2025 US Summer Tour. We also performed an acoustic set for our 2nd straight year at an event called Fido Fest, a fundraiser for organizations that support animal charities in Vail, CO; as well as another fundraiser put on by Major League Baseball’s Christian Yelich at his annual charity event in Milwaukee performing alongside the band Nicotine Dolls, a pair of dolls and a great event raising funds for people who need the help!

Ok, that’s it for this month’s visit here in the lobby, hope to see you next month, I’m headed out west to perform at the Stagecoach festival in Indio, CA alongside Sammy Hager, Backstreet Boys and many, many others, more details on all of this next month as we catch up here in the pages of the Mighty in Rock!

Peace

Robby

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