Urban Creep

Urban Creep were a seminal South African rock band. The band was formed in 1994 and recorded two critically acclaimed albums, `Sea Level` and `Tightroper`. `Sea Level` was nominated for Rock album of the year 1995 at the South African Music Industry awards. `Sea Level` and `Slow Thighs` both got to number 1 on the 5fm top 40 in 1995 and 1997 respectively.

According to well known musician and critic Dave Marks: “Chris Letcher’s finger-picking acoustic & electric guitar style, unique vocals & song writing abilities combined with the classical & maskanda strains of Brendan Jury’s violin, keyboards & rock vocals, made the Creeps the urban legend & sensation they were”.

The band members were: Brendan Jury (viola and vocals), Chris Letcher (guitar and vocals), Ross Campbell (2) (drums) and Didier Noblia (bass).

After a year of touring and living out of a V6 Ford, the band committed 15 songs to disc. The title track “Sea Level” is born out of a fondness for their home-town of Durban, and this is where the journey begins. It passes through the wildness of the Karoo, the rhythm and blues of urban Johannesburg, township jive and the Goema frenzy of the Cape flats.

“Fly”. “Revolution” and “Changes” are songs that voice the hope and despair of the individual caught in South Africa’s struggle for peace and prosperity. At the same time songs like “Noah” and “Curious” expose a more personal kind of existential searching. “Sea Level” is a wild ride. Sea Level was nominated for Album of the Year at the South African Music Industry awards in 1996.

Most of the material on this second full-length album was written on the road in 1995.

The band was busy following the relative success of their previous album ‘Sea Level’, trying to forge a future in our new democracy. Tightroper is a darker album, reflecting the mood of a band at battle with themselves as well as the relentless tour schedule needed to survive financially.

Songs like Easter and Stop Thinking were written by Chris at the Rustlers Valley festival. Others such as Seven Depths of Skin and Tightroper reflected a new collaborative writing effort.

Shot Down was recorded as a tribute to the late great James Phillips who inspired and supported the band. Therese Owen wrote at the time “Urban Creep, you deserve tumultuous accolades. Tightroper is brilliant. It is the crowning achievement of a long hard struggle.”

Sea Level` was nominated for album of the year at the South African Music Industry awards in 1996. Tracks `Sea Level` and `Slow Thighs` both got to number 1 on the 5fm top 40 in 1997.

Members went on to be in a variety of top bands: Fetish, Ohm, Van Der Want / Letcher, Arno Carstens, Chris Letcher (band), Benguela, Simon Van Gend, Transky etc