Mistletone

“We Intend To Cause Havoc was not just a name, but a manifesto. They didn’t knock politely; they kicked the door in. Draped in floppy hats, bell bottoms, and sending out raw distortion, they pressed Zambia’s first commercial record with their debut album Introduction, and turned every stage into a portal” – Francis Buseko in The Quietus

WITCH TOUR DATES:

MELBOURNE: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 @ MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE with Larry Maluma. Tickets here.
CASTLEMAINE: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15 @ TOWN FOLK FESTIVAL. Tickets here.
SYDNEY: TUESDAY NOVEMBER 18 @ CITY RECITAL HALL with Warbaby. Tickets here.
BRISBANE: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 19 @ WAREHOUSE 25 with Arugula. Presented by Jet Black Cat Music. Tickets here.
BANGALOW: THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20 @ A&I HALL with Arugula. Presented by Jet Black Cat Music + Eltham Hotel. * SOLD OUT
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21 @ STRAWBERRY FIELDS FESTIVAL* SOLD OUT

“It’s pure WITCH: funky, a little mischievous, and unbelievably danceable” – CLASH

Mistletone proudly presents the return of WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc).

Once upon a time, WITCH ruled Zambia, blowing the minds of a generation with their radical sounds. Zamrock wasn’t just music, it was rebellion; a sonic renaissance and a radical act of self-definition, funneled through fuzz pedals, sweat, and spirit.

Drawing from psychedelic rock, garage funk, blues, and traditional Zambian rhythms, it was raw and unpredictable – like James Brown jamming with Black Sabbath in a Lusaka backyard. The band’s electrifying guitar sound is both primal and futuristic: the distortion heavy, the grooves deep, the energy untamed.

“What they created wasn’t an echo, but an origin point. The world is only now beginning to catch the frequency” – THE QUIETUS

WITCH’s epic story begins in the 1960s when the band were rock stars in Zambia, falling into obscurity in the decades that followed, due to rising government authoritarianism and the nation’s economic collapse. The AIDS epidemic devastated the band, claiming the lives of all original members except lead singer Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda and keyboardist Patrick Mwondela.

After nearly 50 years away from the spotlight, the band’s music experienced a resurgence in 2012 thanks to a documentary film, WITCH: We Intend to Cause Havoc, which introduced them to a new generation of fans worldwide.

The band’s superb comeback Zango, their first new album in 39 years, featured collaborator Sampa the Great (who also joined WITCH onstage for their triumphant Golden Plains performance in 2024… see video below).

Now on a roll, WITCH return to Australia with a phenomenal new album Sogolo to follow their triumphant sold out 2024 tour. The album title means “future” in the Bantu language Chinyanja, and reflects the album’s forward-facing themes.

“Sogolo means front or future – of a team with hope, peace, love and entertainment,” said Jagari. “We’re wearing smiles, laughter and joy on our faces; we march and dance to criss-cross rhythms and melodies toward happiness.

“Let’s go friends, let’s go guys – SOGOLO in unity.”

“The band converted a crowd of new listeners into hardcore fans with their signature mix of stoner rock with African grooves – a mix that was impossible not to move to” – THE MUSIC