They’re not wearing geansaís, and they’re not playing in Maam, Ten Ton Slug is migrating to Africa, to play a music festival in Maun, Botswana, after a warm-up gig in nearby Ghanzi. You heard it here first.
Galway’s sludge metal band, Ten Ton Slug, is a headline act at Vulture Thrust: Anger Management Fest 2025 in the tourist capital of Botswana, on November 1. Their all-night warm-up show in the Kalahari settlement of Ghanzi, Botswana, will be on Oct 31.
The event is organised by Tshomarelo Mosaka (aka Vulture Thrust ), a member of the band Overthrust, and a prominent event organiser in the region.
It runs from 6pm to 6am in Ko Sedibeng bar in The Power Plant complex in Maun, in northern Botswana, and features metal bands from around the region alongside appearances from international bands.
This year’s event (which bears a different name than previous editions ) features the following line-up: local outfits Overthrust, Skin Flint, Dreamslot, Remuda, Samehunduans, and Ras Jesus; with Ten Ton Slug from Ireland; and South African band Hilliker.
The warm-up show takes place on Friday, October 31, in HillTalk Night Club in Ghanzi from 10pm to 6am, featuring Overthrust, Ten Ton Slug, Obligado & Original Stars, and Ras Jesus.
(Never let it be said, that the Advertiser doesn’t let you know what’s going on – Ed. )
This endeavour by Ten Ton Slug to play in Botswana has been made possible thanks to funding from Culture Ireland. Botswana’s currency, Pula, translates as ‘rain’ and this is thought to have attracted the Slug.
The band’s performances are expected to mark the first-ever performance of a metal song in the Irish language in the country, as the song ‘Mallacht an tSloda’ from the 2024 Colossal Oppressor album is entirely in Irish.
Ten Ton Slug will limber up for November’s African shows with an local gig at the Róisín Dubh in Galway city on Saturday, October 11. Support is from Dutch metal and blues merchants Diggeth, Galway-based doom-mongers Genuflection and underground supergroup Noosed.
Tickets €13.50 from www.roisindubh.net
