Rocker Francois van Coke answers random questions that aren’t about his music
· Citizen
Sometimes reading about an established artist who keeps answering the same old questions about inspiration, what to expect from a performance or their pet rock can be a little droll and dull.
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Rocker Francois van Coke, who will take to the stage alongside Spoegwolf at the Sunset Music Series at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden on 28 June, has spent years answering those questions. Yet despite a career that has seen him front iconic bands, launch a successful solo career and become one of South Africa’s most recognisable rock voices, he was happy to segue into answering random questions that have nothing to do with his music.
If you were at ground zero in your life, someone gave you R200 to start afresh, what would you do?I think I will buy some boerewors and bread rolls and sell them outside a rugby match in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. Rugby and boerewors rolls in Bellville (my hometown) will always work!
What do you think the future of social media is about? Will it become a platform for bots and human observers or will people return to posting human content?I hope and believe social media is gonna die in the near future. We can only hope. There is nothing social about it anymore; they are advertising platforms. I create content from time to time, but would prefer to make music! I make content so that more people can hear my tunes or come to my shows. And if I make cool videos, I would prefer to put them on a platform where people can access them whenever they want. Bots already rule the social platforms, unfortunately.
South Africa is a hot mess, or is it really not? What is your take as an artist?I love South Africa. I love the diversity, the beauty and the chaos. SA keeps us on our toes and vigilant, and there is so much to write about, its beauty and ugliness.
Your music is all raw emotion. What are your own feelings like on the inside when not committing them to tune?I am happy and content, more than I have ever been. I definitely used songs to get to this point.
Sasha Baron Cohen imagined a role reversed life where women ruled and men assumed the feminine role in a new Netflix movie. What do you think your life would have been like if the balance of power was decidedly female?Go girls. I think life would be great. My wife and daughter have the balance of power in our house.
Spoegwolf will play at the Sunset Music Festival. Picture Supplied If you had to write a song about Phala Phala, what would the chorus read like?There are dollars in the couch! x 8
If life was not a box of chocolates, what confection would it be and why?Truffles and bonbons, you never know what you are gonna get. Forrest Gump is one of my favourite movies and I love the soundtrack.
How much cash do you have in your wallet at the moment?R270
The 2026 Sunset Music Series at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden will feature three major concerts, beginning with Lloyiso on 31 May, followed by Matthew Mole and Will Linley on 14 June, and concluding with Spoegwolf and Francois van Coke on 28 June. All events run from 1pm to 5pm, with tickets starting from R195, excluding booking fees.