Synergy, what was once a festival for pill popping ravers, has started experimenting with rock and roll and can now only be described as an "emo teenage girl taking drugs for the first time at ‘that' time of the month and just caught her boyfriend making out with her best friend", and we went to see what would happen.

The crowd that made the short trip out to Boschendal wine estate was younger than at most outdoor music festivals but probably due to the proximity to Stellenbosch and school holidays, but this did not deter from the manic festivities leading to the bar being dried of tequila on the Friday night.

Entertainment wise there was something for everyone, the main stage had non stop bands keeping the crowds well excited, with great sets from all the usual suspects expected to be seen, but possibly more of a electro influence with some dancy artists to the latter parts of the evenings, but well done to synergy for putting up something to everyone's liking...

As at most, festivals around the summer months the heat was a major factor to deal with during the noon hours of the days, but a constant flow of ice and cold beers to the bar and a cool river to go and dip into held the body temperatures low enough to recover from the previous nights psychosis. Another big well done to the organizers of Synergy for the preparations, although showers were a non-feature resulting in eerie smells lingering the crowd on Sunday afternoon.

What made Synergy stand out from the other festivals was the electro-dome, with its 20-foot blowup Frankenstien. This provided plenty entertainment for our friends that prefer their beats in the region of 180 per minute, and keeping going untill the sun rises.

Synergy is truly a festival for everyone, from rocking out at the main stage to tripping and dancing your ass off in the dome at 5am, or even just going for a ride on the fun fair, it all was there.

Hope to see this festival become an annual event to every year get us in the mood for the festive season.

By Pierre Hammond