WORLD RENOWNED blues guitarist, Dan Patlansky, and award-winning pop-electro-hip-hop sensations, Locnville, are set to headline this year’s East Coast Radio Royal Rock Concert at the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, May 28.

Firmly established as one the country’s most popular musical acts, twins, Andrew and Brian Chaplin, who are just 26 years of age, have been at the top of the South African music scene since 2010, when they burst onto the scene with Sun in My Pocket.

The number one album – which earned them a worldwide deal with Sony Music International – was followed by Running to Midnight in 2011, 2013’s The Odyssey and 2015’s Locnville vs LCNVYL – The Hits.

Last year Locnville released their third studio album, Taste the Weekend, which is inspired by the sounds of future dancehall and the deep house scene of South Africa,

Produced with passionate up-and-coming talent like Hendrik Joerges and Durban’s Sketchy Bongo, as well as proven hitmakers Esjay Jones (Selena Gomez), Trey Vittetoe (Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez) and Narinder Singh (Timbaland), the new offering is upbeat, with a cinematic tribal feel.

The album has, so far, produced the hits Grapevine, featuring Sabi, and Cold Shoulder, featuring Sketchy Bongo.

Patlansky, meanwhile, is a genius singer-songwriter, whose music is respected by blues fans all over the world. Since breaking into the local blues scene with the albums Standing At The Station and True Blues, he has been completely immersed in the world of blues rock.

In February 2005, and again in July 2006, Selwyn Miller, the New Orleans based manager of David Gates, Bread, Randy Crawford and Petula Clark (amongst others), took Patlansky to New Orleans to showcase his outstanding talent.

And, in 2006 Fender acknowledged his talent with a guitar and amp endorsement, making him only one of six on the continent to enjoy such a privilege.

Patlansky has gone on to release both electric and acoustic blues albums, including Real, Move My Soul, 20 Stones, the unplugged Wooden Thoughts in 2013, and Dear Silence Thieves -voted the number one blues rock album in the world by Blues Rock Review/USA.

Fans will be able to hear tracks from all these albums, as well as his latest release, Introvertigo, at the concert, sponsored by East Coast Radio, in the Royal Show’s main arena on Saturday, May 27.

Also performing at the concert will be Durban singer-songwriter, Ard Matthews, frontman of Just Jinjer, who have performed with the likes of The Goo Goo Dolls, Annie Lennox, Razorlight, Ludacris, Corrinne Bailey Rae, Peter Gabriel, Live, and Angélique Kidjo.

Matthews released his debut solo album in the winter of 2012 to critical acclaim and recently teamed up with South African folk icon Vusi Mahlasela for the track Umuntu.

He is now playing regularly as a solo act and with many well-known and talented musicians on an ad-hoc basis, most recently at Oppikoppi 2014 and the Rocking The Daisies festival in Darling, Cape Town.

The music line-up will be completed by Durban-based band, The Black Lapels, who deliver slick, energetic shows courtesy of brothers, Rob Warren on vocals and guitar, and Garth Warren, on bass and vocals,, and Gareth Gale on drums and percussion. Luke Wyngaard and Clare Skewis also join this dynamic trio for various shows.

The East Coast Radio Royal Rock Concert, featuring The Black Lapels, Ard Mathews, Dan Patlansky and Locnville, takes place on Saturday, May 27 in the main arena at the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg.

The Royal Show runs from Friday, May 26 to Sunday, June 4. Tickets are R65 for adults and R40 for children under 12 and pensioners.

On the middle Wednesday (May 31) all tickets will cost R40 and on Super Friday (June 2) entry is R50 for everyone. Halls will be open until 8.30pm and for R150 show-goers can enjoy unlimited access to the fairground rides between 5pm and 7pm.