Crowd-pleasers Sweet Chilli Jam are the resident band at PJ O’Reilly’s. Abu Dhabi Week caught up with the super group to learn more about the five musicians.
How did Sweet Chilli Jam come to be?
Most of us have played together over the last eight years. Some of us even grew up together. So you can call us a little family. The band is made up of Johan du Plooy on lead vocals and guitar, Illana Stassen (vocals), Neil Schoeman (lead guitar and vocals), Neo Monheti (bass guitar) and Martin Jacobs (drums).
How did you end up in Abu Dhabi?
We have been in and out of the UAE since 2007. We did a contract at Sun City together for three months and then decided to base ourselves in Abu Dhabi in Feb 2012 after falling in love with a little Irish pub called PJ O’Reilly’s.
You do a diverse range of music- what kind of music do you mostly listen to?
After playing such a wide variety of styles, for so many years, we have been exposed to all kinds of music. Everyone’s got their own favourite, but we listen to, and enjoy anything from Metallica to Michael Bublé.
What’s your most requested song?
Hotel California, Zombie and Waka Waka.
Does the band have a favourite song to play?
Each of us has got our own favourites. Neil likes to play Free Bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd). Martin likes to play Come Together (The Beatles). Mr vocalist, Johan, loves to sing I’m Yours (Jason Mraz). As a band, if we have to pick one song it’s got to be… Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin).
Where do you hope Sweet Chilli Jam will be in five years?
On the cover of your magazine! Five years from now we’d still like to be playing the music we love. Possibly still at PJ O’Reilly’s – seeing that they are renovating during Ramadan. They are planning to double the size of the venue, keeping the Irish pub feel; bigger stage, private booths, more bars, big outside area next to the pool, upstairs dining and downstairs live entertainment. It’s going to be the place to be in Abu Dhabi and we can’t wait for the opening after Ramadan.
