23 years on and WONDERboom are still rocking South Africa! It’s no small feat to be hailed as
one of South Africa’s longest-lived and most legendary rock bands, and still going strong.
Although rock is the fundamental sound of the band, WONDERboom have delved into different
genres, ranging from funk through to punk and even afro-dance.
None can deny that WONDERboom’s biggest strength is their live performance. From festivals to
nightclubs, the band just kicks ass – consistently!
WONDERboom have released 9 albums, headlined many major South African festivals and have
been nominated for 5 ‘Best Rock Album’ awards in the South African Music Awards. They also
won the South African leg of the 2004 Global Battle of the Bands & came SECOND
WORLDWIDE at the finals in the London Astoria!
There can be few South African music fans that aren’t familiar with their hits, like Never Ever,
Jafta Rebel, Something Wrong, Green Fever, Africa, Shadows, Charlie, It’s Great to be
Alive, Best Side, On The Radio, Karaoke Bar and now, currently on SA stations, Ooh La La,
Southern Light and Praying Mantis.
Cito, Martin Schofield and Wade Williams, the founding members of WONDERboom, have been
writing songs and performing together for over 23 years and show no signs of stopping the
rocking rollercoaster!
Danny De Wet, co-founder of WONDERboom, played drums from 1996 to 2009 and a vital role in
the formative years.
Garth McLeod, Sugardrive drummer, joined 2009 – 2013, unfortunately taken from us too early in
a motorbike accident. May he rest in peace.
Then, in a sort of reinvention, they’ve had to get the WONDERmachine up and going again. Enter
Jonathan Bell on drums, and so the process of a new Rock & Roll relationship began...
It's been a cathartic and introspective journey since, but no one, who has seen them live recently,
can deny the sheer magical force that WONDERboom is.
Rising Sun, their latest album, captures this story in a dynamic way.
The title track suggests what they, as a band, feel - a new dawn. A revival of what was once
regarded as an electric, live and very stimulating music experience, is here!
In early December 2017, the band traveled to Chengdu, China to represent South Africa at the
Silk Road Indie Music Festival in a music performance competition and WON GOLD!!! They
competed against 14 other countries (including UK, China, Japan and Germany) and clenched
top prize. WONDERboom are due to return to China for a national festival tour over the next year.
A major highlight for the band is the latest news of getting the sole support slot for Guns
‘N Roses, at the South African leg of their “Not In This Lifetime” tour, 29 November 2018. A
dream come true for WONDERboom!
After its official album launch and successful promotional tour around SA and China at the end of
2017, Rising Sun has been keeping WONDERboom very busy.
Singles such as Great Escape, Ooh La La, Southern Light and Praying Mantis already been
embraced with loving arms by fans and the South African music industry alike.