Sun City is a legendary casino and resort in South Africa. Hosting some of the greatest artists of all time, it became one of the country’s most revered venues. So who did play at this hallowed of halls?
In Las Vegas, it has always been quite normal for a rotating cast of rock and pop stars to grace the stages of its many casinos. Yet in the eighties, few international musicians ventured to South Africa. Those that did often graced the stage of the legendary Sun City resort. From Rod Stewart to Frank Sinatra, this stage was the place to play and hosted some legendary performances.
Sun City and South Africa’s Casino Scene
Sun City opened in 1979, just as the decade of excess that was the eighties came into being. It was situated in the area of Bophuthatswana. At the time, this had been declared an independent state which meant it was allowed to have its own laws regarding casinos. This was unlike the rest of South Africa where they were banned. However, as it was very close to Pretoria and Johannesburg it was guaranteed a steady stream of visitors.
The gambling scene in South Africa has changed quite dramatically over the last few years. Making bets and visiting casinos online is possible but largely unregulated. That means many people look to offshore casinos for their entertainment needs. When finding them, it helps to use the service of a website that rates online casinos South Africa. They often work off reputation, so recommend only the most trusted and transparent. In addition to this, they will also list the best bonuses along with game selections. This lets players get the right operator for their needs while staying safe.
Originally, the casino was opened by Sol Kerchner, a businessman with a global empire. Today, Sun City is integrated into the larger South Africa and has expanded. It now features several smaller resorts, each catering to different needs and themes. It also has a much more holiday resort-orientated focus.
Black Sabbath ‘87
For fans of heavy metal, Sun City is well known as one of the places where most of the gigs for a very haphazard and short-lived iteration of the band Black Sabbath performed. This was on the Eternal Idol tour, of which six dates were played at the Sun City Super Bowl. A handful of European dates followed, with only one in Athens preceding it. Throughout the rest of the tour, members kept leaving and dates kept being canceled making it a real whirlwind.
From the original band, Tony Iommi and keyboard player Geoff Nicholls remained. Vocal duties were taken up by Tony Martin, who would come and go at various points during the life of Black Sabbath. The rhythm section was created by ex-Clash drummer Terry Chimes and bass player Dave Spitz.
Queen – The Works
As part of their tour for the album The Works in 1984, Queen played nine dates at the Sun City Superbowl starting on the 5th of October and running to the 20th. This was meant to be 12 dates, but the schedule was cut short as frontman Freddie Mercury’s voice was straining.
The gigs were noticeable as the country was under an embargo at the time. The United Nations had asked musicians not to perform there. Queen went ahead with the performances, and this resulted in a fine from the Musicians Union. The band said that they were not a political band, and would play for whoever wanted to come and see them. However, in later interviews, certain members of the band did express some regret at playing.
Very little footage of these gigs remains, but there are some great recordings of the rest of the tour. It was a major part of the 1985 Rock in Rio festival, of which the VHS was released and is available to watch online. They also released the Tokyo dates of the concert on DVD.
Other Notable Performances
There were many other notable performances at the venue, by some of the biggest artists of all time. Legendary pop group of the sixties The Beach Boys had a ten-date residency there in 1981. There were also more, such as Elton John, Shirley Bassey, and Dolly Parton.
In 1980, it even went one step further and hosted a boxing event. This featured American Mike Weaver and South African Gerrie Coetzee for the World Boxing Association Heavyweight Title. In a long-distance battle, Weaver managed to win by knockout in the 13th round.
Sun City is still in operation today. It has an integrated golf course and has held events such as weightlifting, as well as music and other sports. It remains one of South Africa’s biggest tourist attractions and still has the element of luxury it did in the past. Still booking, who knows which big artist will arrive for a residency next?
