Having partied and run a few events with Christo Baas De Beer I can truly call him one of the best chaps that I’ve met via Twitter. It’s a fact that Baas De Beer loves life. That, according to him, is all you really need to know.
However, you might be interested to hear that that he lives in Pretoria, and has been doing so for the last year and a half. Having lived in Johannesburg, Somerset West and Ermelo, he has experienced the bad, the good and the ugly of this country.
Now, he is experiencing the fun. He’s a proud Blue Bulls supporter, but not a jock. Fearless to go where no man admits to go, he can be seen at a theatre watching musicals, ballet or even the occasional opera.
For most of his free time, however, odds are you will find him at home with a braai, or at a place like Aandklas (in Hatfield), where they still play real music. He recently started his own blog and you can follow him on Twitter via @BaasDeBeer.
I recently had the privilege of interview Baas De Beer, this is what he had to say:
What exactly do you do for a living and would you do anything else if you could?
I run an events, music & entertainment company called Up A Tone with my good friend JP van Schalkwyk (@JP_vS) Basically, we provide anything related to entertainment, either to events companies/venues, or to the public. Stages, sound, lighting, musicians and bands, dancers or photographers…anything from a birthday party to a music festival (yeah, I love the diversity).
Aside from booking out entertainers, I DJ and MC a lot myself. I love the stage, so it keeps me sane. If I were to do anything else, I would probably still want to do what I do, just with no admin. I hate admin. Or, mind you, I could be a rockstar too, that would work for me 🙂
Are you a Twitter addict?
If I say yes, will I have to go to meetings? I wouldn’t say I’m (just) a Twitter addict, more like a slave to social media. If it can connect me to other people, I like it. So yes, Twitter is a major part of my life.
What is the funniest thing Baas De Beer has ever experienced on Twitter?
Most recently, I tweeted @Vodacom to bitch a bit. Here’s how it went: Me: Dear @Vodacom : I have twitter, i don’t need your silly news mms every morning. How many times do i have to send STOP to 30699?? @Vodacom: @baasdebeer Hi Baas, please can you DM your number to us so we can check why you have not been removed to which @Mynhardt replied (in reference to them calling me “Baas”: @BaasDeBeer dude, thats so 1987. I laughed out loud (Ok, I found that funny) Furthermore, I love these #Hashtag trends, like the one @Sarinatjie (the Tuks FM DJ) recently inspired: #RugbyMeetsRock, and others like #BraaiLyrics and #AfrikaansBandnames
Who are your favorite people on Twitter?
Damn, there are so many and each for their own reason. Some I talk to regularly, others helped me get into Twitter, other because they are useful and other simply because Twitter would be empty without them. Here are a few: @TuksFM1072 @hennokruger @BraaiBoy @Sarinatjie @TrevorGumbi @BarryTuck @TweetSmarter @ChristiaanKrit. Ok, I will stop now, but trust me, there are many more… (which, coming back to my answer about my Twitter addiction, might probably affirm that I am more addicted than I admit)
Would you say that Social Media has impacted your life? And How?
Oh yes. On a business side of things, it has given me so many opportunities. On another, more important side, I have met so many great friends through Twitter and Facebook, that I can honestly say my life would not be the same without it. I like to know. Not anything in particular, i just Like to know and social media enables me to know
If there were three aspects regarding social media that Baas De Beer wants people to know, what would it be?
No one cares, Let them care (Your tweets can either be selfish, boring and stupid, or it could engage your audience. Your choice) It’s called an inbox / DM! (I hate it when people have really private, or personal business related discussions on FB walls or publicly on Twitter). Think before you click (spam is worse than AIDS. And no, trust me, you will not see Osama licking Obama if you click on that link).
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Baas De Beer for this interview. I wish him all of the best with his future endeavours.
Watch this space for updates in the Technology category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
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