The Black Sun:

In Rockey Street, Yeoville, above Scandalos Greek restaurant

According to Hopkins (2006:124), this venue played a crucial role in the gestations of the Alternative Afrikaans Music Movement. The Black Sun was started by George Milares and Chris Christodoulou in 1984 in a small dingy venue on the floor above their restaurant. It was the focal point of protect theatre.

Most notably, André Letoit (late known as Koos Kombuis) and Johannes Kerkorrel performed their cabaret, Ons Het Vir u ‘n Kabaret Gemaak. This included material that made a play on the national anthem and put psalms to a rock beat. Their song Black September, got them banned from the RAU campus when it made a play on the national anthem, something that was seem as a draw card as it was proudly written on their home-made promotional posters for a performance at the Black Sun in December 1987

An example of the material that was performed (translated from the Afrikaans):

Yes life is tough
For and alternative Afrikaner
The city is not my own
There’s a new type of anger
Pedestrians get in my way
Love is in the eyes of strangers
Coffee never stays bottomless
Before 12 whiskey tastes so-so
I’m down and out in Datsun Street
Upper class in Yeoville
A criminal in Marabastad
And Sandton if I choose
Again there is no paper
In High Point’s shithouse
I’m not from around here
The whole world is my package tour

From Bomskok Babalas performed by André Letoit and Johannes Kerkorrel

Insig Magazine wrote in 1988 “Why two people that barely understand Afrikaans would want to give such a boost to Afrikaans experimental theatre has always been a bit of a mystery. May Afrikaans pieces first saw the light of day on the small stage at the Black Sun”
Milaras went on to say “Afrikaners don’t give enough support to the theatre. To present an Afrikaans play is a commercial risk, but we want to give everyone a chance
Kerkorrel said “I have a lot of respect for the Black Sun. No other theatre would have been able to present work like ours. It taught me how important a domestic theatre venue can be, allowing anyone to say anything in any language and the management doesn’t worry. It’s also important that we weren’t part of the ordinary Afrikaner theatre or cultural structures. It was completely alternative. As such it made it an invaluable contribution to the culture of Johannesburg. The actors could drop the mask completely and that was the cabaret.