George van der Spuy
Taxi Violence
Music has always been an integral part of George’s life. From starting bands, to sound
engineering, managing events and successfully running Kill City Blues Studio for thirteen years.
George is the vocalist and frontman for the well-known band Taxi Violence and his new solo project Crawling King Snake.
Taxi Violence formed in 2004 when Rian Zietsman, Loedi van Renen and Louis Nel invited George van der Spuy to join a jam. The group liked van der Spuy’s performance and the vocals he provided which led to the formation of the band.
The band’s first release was a self-titled EP in 2004 and by the following year they had already built up a big following.
In 2005 Taxi Violence won a national battle of the bands (RBF Studios Emerging Sounds Competition) and turned down the subsequent prize of a record deal as it did not allow them creative control over their music.
Untie Yourself was recorded and mixed by Richard Harriman at RockitDog Sound Production. The opening track “Unholy” contains a Bill Hicks clip which was used by permission of Arizona Bay Production Company Inc. The album was released in 2006 to critical acclaim. Untie Yourself was voted GQ Magazine’s ‘Album Of The Month’ in January 2007. The following year the album received a South African Music Award nomination for Best Rock Album.
South Africa’s first really original rock record since Nude Girl’s Neanderthal.- GQ magazine
The first single “Untie Yourself” reached number four on 5FM’s Top 40 – 2007 and earned the band a slot at My Coke Fest (2007) which saw them share the stage with 3 Doors Down, Hoobastank, Staind and Evanescence at My Coke Fest 2007.
Live is where one gets to experience the energy of Taxi Violence, so much so that it earned them ‘Best Live Act of 2007’ by Media24.