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Formed in May 1999, Saron Gas emerged onto the South African rock scene and rapidly established themselves as one of South Africa's top emerging bands. Comprised of three talented musicians - Shaun Welgemoed [vocals/lead guitar], David Cohoe [drums] and Dale Stewart [bass/backing vocals] - Saron Gas share influences in International bands - Black Sabbath, Deftones, Creed and Silverchair.
Fragile
Fragile, the Saron Gas debut album, released in South Africa November 2000 under Musketeer Records. Conceptualized and recorded at The Farm Studios, Fragile was produced by Brian O'Shea and Chris Tuck. The album consists of 12 tracks, and is a dynamic mixture of rock and ballad material. The 2001 reissue includes 3 bonus tracks. "69 Tea" peaked at #2 on the 5FM Top 40 in early May 2000. Fragile also peaked at #2 on SA's Rock Digest Chart, and maintained a Top 20 spot for 24 weeks.
Saron Gas - the name emanating from a sound effects CD, with Saron being Spanish for Music of God - has charted at number 1 on various regional and campus stations with previous demo singles.
Demos & Tracks
Various demos and early renditions have been archived under the Demos page. However, many demos have not been publicly posted online, including tracks Raggedy Anne, An Ode To A B*tch, and Sand. Copies exist only on a few CD's.
Articles
SARON GAS @THE JAM: "Saron Gas seemed to have mastered the elusive art of combining the energy and attitude of nu-metal with superb tunes and even sing-along choruses ("don't tell me that you're trendsetters..." from 5FM #2 hit '69 Tea' for example). They recently signed to US label Wind-Up and they could just topple some US bands from their pedestals."
Saron Gas Says Goodbye!: "Saron Gas will be leaving South Africa on the 7th January 2002 to begin work, in New York, on their new album. The album will see release on the Wind Up Records label in May/June 2002. The band will be working with internationally acclaimed producer Ulrich Wild. Ulrich Wild has previously produced and engineered for bands such as: Deftones, Incubus, Static X, Taproot, Sting, White Zombie, and Pantera to name but a few. Saron Gas will be leaving from JHB international airport on the 7th Jan at 11:45PM. The band will be doing a last meet and greet for fans from 9:30PM."
Saron Gas, Levi’s And Bondi Blu Easter Tour: "Working in conjunction with Levi’s and Bondi Blu – both premium South African and international brands – Saron Gas will tour South Africa, visiting music venues across the country in April and May 2001. Tour dates are listed below. 'The Levi’s brand sponsors music bands and events globally and we are very excited to be associated with Saron Gas as we have only ever been involved with Kwaito bands in South Africa' says Patricia Motswenyane, advertising and promotions manager for Levi’s in South Africa. Bondi Blu is a dynamic, high fashion company that has become the leading supplier of middle market fashion sunglasses and accessories in South Africa. The company was established in 1992 and is South African based and owned. 'Bondi Blu is proud to be associated with Saron Gas – a South African Band with such a strong youth following,' says Ian Schoeman of Bondi Blu. ‘It’s great to be a part of their Easter Tour!'"
pre saron gas
Originally, Shaun Morgan was part of a five-piece, that included a female vocalist on keyboard. Shaun recalls their vocalist sounding like "the old lady in church, real nasally and whiny. But she desperately wanted to be in a rock band". Shaun Morgan would eventually met Dale Stewart through a girl he was dating at the time (her brother was in Dale's band). Dale Stewart (bassist) was a member of a band known as "No Offense". Shaun, "instantly impressed" by Dale's "row of ice-cold beers", began spending time with Dale. Around January of 2000, a spot opened up in Shaun's band, and Dale was the perfect fit. Their first gig was in front of David Cohoe's (drummer) wife, her sister, and the bartender. The band would tour in Cohoe's pickup truck, and perform at bars, clubs, and house parties. Eugene, Shaun's brother, was guitar/sound tech for the band."69 Tea" premiers on South African radio, and almost immediately traction began. Barney Simon, an impressed DJ, was paid by the band with McDonald's cheeseburgers, and finally suggested the band pick a name. Shaun and company picked random names from a sound effects CD, placed them in a hat, and so "Saron Gas" was born. In June of 2001, U.S. music label Wind-Up eventually calls Saron Gas' manager, Ingrid Roding, with an offer to fly the band out to New York for a showcase. The rest is history.
"We had guys in South Africa spin in their executive arm-chairs and just tell us 'it's not what we're looking for' and skip through the songs as fast as they could"- Shaun Morgan
"I was a young guy and I was ready to do whatever it takes" - Dale Stewart
pre seether
"They've [Wind-Up] already got us now" Shaun Morgan jokingly recalls.
Almost immediately upon arriving in New York City, the band is forced to move to Los Angeles to record with producer Jay Baumgardner. It was around this time that drummer David Cohoe leaves the band. Information on Cohoe's departure can be seen on the "Seether School" page. Eventually, the band is suggested to change their name, and end up with "Seether" (derived from a song by Veruca Salt).
More info, pictures, and more coming soon! Check back later!