PREVIOUS CONCERTS & REVIEWS
CONCERTS OF 2021
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July 23rd - PHILIPPA BOY with her hurdy gurdy
The concert will include a set of contrasting traditional Irish and French tunes, songs will range from Picardie region of France at the time of the third crusade (1189-1192) to contemporary New Zealand
Phillipa has a particular love of harmony singing and she will be joined by Sue Rose. Together they perform as 'Simple Gifts for a diverse range of traditional and current songs with hurdy gurdy and dulcimer
Philippa provided a delightful evening of music ranging from the 12th Century up to very recent times. Initially accompanied by two Folk Club stalwarts, Beth on fiddle and David on uilleann pipes and later joined by Sue Rose as lead vocalist. A delightful evening of ancient and modern. Philippa played hurdy-gurdy, dulcimer, recorder and Kawakawa, while Sue sang lead and harmony and on occasion played guitar. The songs were of timeless subjects, love, loss and work with the occasional myth. A real mixed bag; for me one of the highlights was their interpretation of a Sufi poem 'A Strange Affair', a real eye opener and so beautifully delivered by Philippa and Sue.
The concert will include a set of contrasting traditional Irish and French tunes, songs will range from Picardie region of France at the time of the third crusade (1189-1192) to contemporary New Zealand
Phillipa has a particular love of harmony singing and she will be joined by Sue Rose. Together they perform as 'Simple Gifts for a diverse range of traditional and current songs with hurdy gurdy and dulcimer
Philippa provided a delightful evening of music ranging from the 12th Century up to very recent times. Initially accompanied by two Folk Club stalwarts, Beth on fiddle and David on uilleann pipes and later joined by Sue Rose as lead vocalist. A delightful evening of ancient and modern. Philippa played hurdy-gurdy, dulcimer, recorder and Kawakawa, while Sue sang lead and harmony and on occasion played guitar. The songs were of timeless subjects, love, loss and work with the occasional myth. A real mixed bag; for me one of the highlights was their interpretation of a Sufi poem 'A Strange Affair', a real eye opener and so beautifully delivered by Philippa and Sue.
May 28th - JO SHEFFIELD
Jo originally hails from Northumberland, England and although she has been in New Zealand for some years, recently moved to Upper Hutt from Levin, where the vibrant local music scene provided plenty of opportunities to play!
She started singing at Levin Folk Club in 2013, and hasn’t looked back, taking every opportunity to play whenever she can at the various Folk Festivals, Folk Clubs, Open Mic’s, markets and house concerts. Jo mainly performs as a solo artist, where she enjoys sharing a selection of her own original songs together with a diverse range of different covers.
She enjoys collaborating with other musicians and loves working on close vocal harmonies and plays guitar, mandolin and a ‘little bit of banjo’. Combining a passion for travel, Jo traveled to Ireland in 2018, taking the opportunity to play with a former singing partner and friends. She has been part of The Ea-Gals (an all-girl Eagles Tribute Band) since 2019.
Jo is also currently working on her first Album “Gypsy Mind”, which she says will hopefully be available by the end of 2021 and will be a collection of originals. You can expect to hear plenty of variety, from contemporary acoustic originals and covers ranging from Americana to more traditional folk.
Jo originally hails from Northumberland, England and although she has been in New Zealand for some years, recently moved to Upper Hutt from Levin, where the vibrant local music scene provided plenty of opportunities to play!
She started singing at Levin Folk Club in 2013, and hasn’t looked back, taking every opportunity to play whenever she can at the various Folk Festivals, Folk Clubs, Open Mic’s, markets and house concerts. Jo mainly performs as a solo artist, where she enjoys sharing a selection of her own original songs together with a diverse range of different covers.
She enjoys collaborating with other musicians and loves working on close vocal harmonies and plays guitar, mandolin and a ‘little bit of banjo’. Combining a passion for travel, Jo traveled to Ireland in 2018, taking the opportunity to play with a former singing partner and friends. She has been part of The Ea-Gals (an all-girl Eagles Tribute Band) since 2019.
Jo is also currently working on her first Album “Gypsy Mind”, which she says will hopefully be available by the end of 2021 and will be a collection of originals. You can expect to hear plenty of variety, from contemporary acoustic originals and covers ranging from Americana to more traditional folk.
CONCERTS OF 2020
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13th November @ 8pm– Dr Blue (aka - Mike Mckeon)
A versatile and talented internationally touring Blues & Roots singer-songwriter from the UK, now based in New Zealand.
Mike 'Dr Blue', brings you old classics, original songs, guitar, harmonica and a 'swinging bluesy pulse to accompany his raw edged vocals' - Adelaide Advertiser.
Expect to sing along, tap your feet, and maybe even dance in the aisles as you enjoy an evening of 'Authentic Blues... mesmerising' - *****Broadway Baby.
Sample the songs at www.mikedrblue.bandcamp.com, and then come and enjoy him live.
If it ain't the truth, it ain't the Blues.
Here is a link to his video of Silent Man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grZs_0ko0yo
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A versatile and talented internationally touring Blues & Roots singer-songwriter from the UK, now based in New Zealand.
Mike 'Dr Blue', brings you old classics, original songs, guitar, harmonica and a 'swinging bluesy pulse to accompany his raw edged vocals' - Adelaide Advertiser.
Expect to sing along, tap your feet, and maybe even dance in the aisles as you enjoy an evening of 'Authentic Blues... mesmerising' - *****Broadway Baby.
Sample the songs at www.mikedrblue.bandcamp.com, and then come and enjoy him live.
If it ain't the truth, it ain't the Blues.
Here is a link to his video of Silent Man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grZs_0ko0yo
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16 October 2020 @ 8pm - Wandrella
Gill and Kate, known as Wandrella. They play a mix of clever “covers with a twist‟ and original songs which reflect their classical roots and eclectic musical influences. Kate has played solo Celtic and classical guitar and has opened for the Arizona Smoke Review in the UK and Paul Urbana Jones in NZ. She was influenced by the finger picking styles of Stefan Grossman and Gordon Giltrap. She also plays in the duo "String Fusion‟ with Bill Nicholson, recording an album in 2015. Gill recorded her first album “Colour Outside the Lines” in 2004. She has played and recorded several songs with local musician Kevin Watson and in 2016 teamed up with local musician Simon Burgess Concert Review What a wonderful evening of folk music from Wandrella (Gill Allen and Kate Ward) two very accomplished musicians with fine voices to boot! Those who attended the Theosophical Hall last night, were treated to a mixture of covers and originals with fine silky harmonies and skilful playing. Kate playing guitar and Gill on keyboard and guitar. We learned that both musicians had classical training which showed in their polished playing. Kate showing some dexterous guitar licks and Gill’s keyboard playing provided some wonderful accompaniment to many of the songs. Covering artists ranging from Dougie MacLean, Joni Mithell, Paul McCartney and Fleetwood Mac and a number of artists both near and far, Wandrella provided a rich tapestry of music that one could relax and just let it wash over you. A beautiful evening of music. If you get the chance go and see them. Mike O’Regan |
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JULY 31st @ 7.30pm - Good Habits
Good Habits are an eclectic indie-folk band from Manchester, UK creating immersive, multimedia gigs and projects.
Formed of Singer-Cellist and Songwriter Bonnie Schwarz & international Klezmer accordionist, Pete Shaw, the band take their recent venture as a duo, touring new Zealand Jan-March 2020. Sitting between folk and pop, the eclectic duo present an upbeat yet intimate sound-world of musical storytelling.
As an award winning composer and sound designer, Bonnie has worked with Manchester and London’s most established theatres, creating new and innovative sonic experiences.
Pete is an experienced performer who bases his style around many different folk influences; from Irish to Klezmer, Pete has performed around Europe and the United States of America.
Concert Review: What an enjoyable concert we had at the Palmerston North Folk Club on Friday evening. The duo ‘Good Habits’ consisting of Cellist Bonnie Schwarz and accordionist Peter Shaw were touring in NZ before the Covid 19 lockdown. Following our lockdown they managed to seek shelter down on the Kapiti coast while the cold winds of Covid blew over. The duo are now attempting to recover some of their lost gigs.
At the Palmy Folk Club a good crowd was in attendance and we were treated to a rare fusion of jazz, folk/pop and indi musical storytelling with some light humour to brighten up our winter evening.
The duo played mostly their own compositions, Bonnie being the primary source of their musical inspiration and also with some well know covers thrown in.
Peter demonstrated his virtuoso on accordion whilst Bonnie showed her classical background to great effect on cello and her melodious vocals held the audience attention throughout the evening. Bonnie’s vocal style reminded me of a younger Cleo Laine or Millicent Martin. For my taste I felt the accordion was a bit overpowering in the early stages but that didn’t spoil the enjoyment of the evening. A very enjoyable gig, I look forward to their return to our shores with the full band one day!.
Michael O'Regan
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FEBRUARY 21st @ 8pm - Joel Fafard
Joel is a Canadian finger-style and slide guitarist from Saskatchewan.
Award-winning guitarist Joel performs Southern roots and blues classics with the soul of a purist and the showmanship of a seasoned entertainer.
He sings with the sexy, sandpapered-sounding vocal style of the new-generation bluesman. He tells his hilarious between-song stories with the confidence of a late show host delivering his monologue. And when he lets rip a solo on his resonator guitar, it’s easy to hear how he once earned both a Juno nomination and a Western Canadian Music Award for his skills on the axe.
As he closes in on 20 years as a professional musician, Joel has traveled down several distinct paths: folk singer-songwriter, roots rocker, acoustic instrumentalist and now interpreter of Southern roots and blues. But regardless of which direction he goes in, his fans seem happy to follow, because Fafard has a few key attributes that remain constant. First, he is one of Canada’s most tasteful acoustic guitarists and one of the funniest and most personable entertainers on the circuit today. He is also an artist so brimming with authenticity that he’s not afraid to play exactly the style of music that feels most real to him in the moment.
Concert Review: “I’ve always thought I would buy a resonator guitar. They have such a great sound that projects like no other. Our guest this past Friday was Joel Fafard, an exceptional player who really understands this style of music and slide guitar. He was a wonderful instrumentalist and fingerstyle player accompanied by a bluesy voice that compliments his playing and visa versa. He had a twangy blues and country sound to my ear with a strong bass and foot stomp.
With a mix of traditional folk songs, blues, gospels and originals, it was a fantastic night of music and story telling of his homeland and family in Canada. Lots of laughs between songs made the night truly enjoyable. What a great way for the folk club to kick off the new year!”
James Greenblatt
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Joel is a Canadian finger-style and slide guitarist from Saskatchewan.
Award-winning guitarist Joel performs Southern roots and blues classics with the soul of a purist and the showmanship of a seasoned entertainer.
He sings with the sexy, sandpapered-sounding vocal style of the new-generation bluesman. He tells his hilarious between-song stories with the confidence of a late show host delivering his monologue. And when he lets rip a solo on his resonator guitar, it’s easy to hear how he once earned both a Juno nomination and a Western Canadian Music Award for his skills on the axe.
As he closes in on 20 years as a professional musician, Joel has traveled down several distinct paths: folk singer-songwriter, roots rocker, acoustic instrumentalist and now interpreter of Southern roots and blues. But regardless of which direction he goes in, his fans seem happy to follow, because Fafard has a few key attributes that remain constant. First, he is one of Canada’s most tasteful acoustic guitarists and one of the funniest and most personable entertainers on the circuit today. He is also an artist so brimming with authenticity that he’s not afraid to play exactly the style of music that feels most real to him in the moment.
Concert Review: “I’ve always thought I would buy a resonator guitar. They have such a great sound that projects like no other. Our guest this past Friday was Joel Fafard, an exceptional player who really understands this style of music and slide guitar. He was a wonderful instrumentalist and fingerstyle player accompanied by a bluesy voice that compliments his playing and visa versa. He had a twangy blues and country sound to my ear with a strong bass and foot stomp.
With a mix of traditional folk songs, blues, gospels and originals, it was a fantastic night of music and story telling of his homeland and family in Canada. Lots of laughs between songs made the night truly enjoyable. What a great way for the folk club to kick off the new year!”
James Greenblatt
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CONCERTS OF 2019
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NOVEMBER 8th - Pat Higgins
Pat Higgins is an Irish musician from Galway who moved to New Zealand last century, he plays Irish traditional music on whistle, guitar and wooden flute. Pat has guested at music festivals, in New Zealand, Ireland and Australia. He is a co-founder of Ceol Aneas, and has previously taught whistle at that event. Pat is sought after as an Irish traditional music teacher.
Concert Review: This was a very relaxed evening of fine music and good stories. For a solo performance it was nice to have music played on different instruments and not just vocal and guitar. Pat's guitar fingerwork was really nice to listen to and his arrangements of some familiar songs I found to be quite refreshing. It was lovely to hear the Irish flute and the tin whistle played to give a different flavour to the evening. His voice is easy to listen to and I really enjoyed it when he sang in Irish. We were treated to guitar accompanied songs, a capela songs, Irish flute tunes (including a Bb flute), and whistle tunes making it a good mix of music.
David Newman had played the uilleann pipes as the support act at the beginning of the night - and Pat asked David to join him opening the second part of the evening while Pat played along with the Irish flute - it was a real treat!
Lesley van Essen
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JULY 19th : NIELS GEDGE -
All the way from Greytown, this singer-songwriter draws from country, blues, folk, Appalachian and gospel traditions. Many of his songs draw on the landscapes of Aotearoa and tells stories of life, and the echoes of lives past.
“Niels voice is mostly as gentle as the caress of his fingers on the guitar strings, a laid-back vibe being the name of the game.“ NZ Musician
Concert Review: I’d not heard Niels before and his deep sonorous base voice carried well to the back of the hall, I suspect Niels could do many a concert without the use of amplification. He sang a well balanced medley of covers and his own compositions throughout the evening.
Niels demonstrated a really wonderful picking style across all his songs, using a strumming pattern on only a couple of numbers. He also did a couple of nice bluesy numbers before the break, which were well received.
Some highlights for me were, (in no particular order), Highway Home, particularly the line, ‘I hear the voices calling me home’, also the well know New Zealand tune, ‘The Call of the Bell Bird’ which Niels tells us is originally from Australia. Also, his ‘Southern Land’ a story about his wanderings in the South Island.
On a personal note, I felt Niels needed another voice, perhaps a female vocal to harmonise with to provide a counter to his deep base and provide a bit of light relief, for want of a better term. For myself I thought nearly two hours is too long for Niels performing on his own without another voice. But, non-the-less an enjoyable evening of mainly New Zealand folk music.
Mike O'Regan
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JUNE 28th; NATHAN POWER -
Coming to us from Australia and borrowing inspiration from artists such as the Tallest Man on Earth, Bob Dylan, and Leonard Cohen, Nathan Power explores a love of folk music to communicate stories loosely based on life experiences. Armed with a parlour guitar, this is folk music at its finest.
“Laid back tales of an old soul with a guitar. Really delightful listening…” – Nkechi Anele (Triple J)
Concert Review: Nathan gave us a night of interesting music and we were treated to a clever guitar style. He is a very personable man with some interesting stories and he involved his audience throughout the night, he even had us whistling during one song! Most of Nathan's songs were originals and were quite well written, but after a while there comes a sense of 'sameness' about them - this is not uncommon with singer-songwriters and is a pattern that is easy to fall into.
He put some of his own style on the covers that he did which kept them interesting.
We were a small but attentive audience and we had a really good entertaining evening out on a cold frosty night.
Lesley van Essen
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MAY 10th; PETE TITCHENER -
A familiar name around the Australian folk scene, due largely to his work with Colcannon, Munro O’Callaghan Titchener and the great man himself, Eric Bogle.
Audiences can expect a well balanced mix of self penned, thoughtful and humorous songs mixed with dubious witty banter.
Concert Review: On Friday the 10th May 2019 The Palmerston North Folk Club was very happy to host Pete Titchener a folk musician from Adelaide in Australia. This act had been advertised as “Mildly amusing”, but before the end of the first song it became apparent that this was a massive understatement. Pete kept us entertained from start to finish with a variety of covers and originals both serious and very funny, all supported by absolutely highly accomplished guitar playing.
It wasn’t a large audience but my guess would be that all would be back again if and when Pete Titchener returns. A truly entertaining evening.
Nigel Beedell
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A familiar name around the Australian folk scene, due largely to his work with Colcannon, Munro O’Callaghan Titchener and the great man himself, Eric Bogle.
Audiences can expect a well balanced mix of self penned, thoughtful and humorous songs mixed with dubious witty banter.
Concert Review: On Friday the 10th May 2019 The Palmerston North Folk Club was very happy to host Pete Titchener a folk musician from Adelaide in Australia. This act had been advertised as “Mildly amusing”, but before the end of the first song it became apparent that this was a massive understatement. Pete kept us entertained from start to finish with a variety of covers and originals both serious and very funny, all supported by absolutely highly accomplished guitar playing.
It wasn’t a large audience but my guess would be that all would be back again if and when Pete Titchener returns. A truly entertaining evening.
Nigel Beedell
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March 29th: PAUL WALKER & KAREN PFEIFFER -
With their unique onstage-chemistry and their widely praised harmonies, the Anglo-German duo Paul Walker & Karen Pfeiffer entertain and engage thier audiences "in a likeable, humurous style". Combining their original material with a fine choice of folk favourites Paul & Karen craft a show of "songs with groove and goosebumps guaranteed", as the Stuttgart press put it recently.
Karen's voice, clear and yet so powerful, leaves audiences mesmerised. She also adds with alto recorder, tin whistle and percussive instruments to Paul's vocal and individual guitar style.
Concert Review: This duo were amazing, they were so entertaining, amusing, very professional and great musicians. I think this is the best night I have ever had at the club. There was such a variety of music including many original songs which were well written and we were encouraged and able to sing along with many, even though we had never heard them before. Their voices were clear and strong and they harmonised beautifully and there was a lot of great banter between the two of them which kept us well amused. Paul's guitar work was sensitive and very skilled.
Karen had us mesmerised with her expressiveness and her infectious sense of humour.
An amazing evening, it was such a pity that it had to end!
They are hoping to return to us in 2021 - this is a definite MUST SEE when they come back
Lesley van Essen
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With their unique onstage-chemistry and their widely praised harmonies, the Anglo-German duo Paul Walker & Karen Pfeiffer entertain and engage thier audiences "in a likeable, humurous style". Combining their original material with a fine choice of folk favourites Paul & Karen craft a show of "songs with groove and goosebumps guaranteed", as the Stuttgart press put it recently.
Karen's voice, clear and yet so powerful, leaves audiences mesmerised. She also adds with alto recorder, tin whistle and percussive instruments to Paul's vocal and individual guitar style.
Concert Review: This duo were amazing, they were so entertaining, amusing, very professional and great musicians. I think this is the best night I have ever had at the club. There was such a variety of music including many original songs which were well written and we were encouraged and able to sing along with many, even though we had never heard them before. Their voices were clear and strong and they harmonised beautifully and there was a lot of great banter between the two of them which kept us well amused. Paul's guitar work was sensitive and very skilled.
Karen had us mesmerised with her expressiveness and her infectious sense of humour.
An amazing evening, it was such a pity that it had to end!
They are hoping to return to us in 2021 - this is a definite MUST SEE when they come back
Lesley van Essen
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February 22nd: RAMBLIN' ASH & DENNIS DUIGAN -
Coming to us from Australia -
With both artists deeply rooted in the folk and old-time scenes in Australia, they have requested that the tour encompasses as much of the NZ folk scene as possible in their travels.
Both artists have been performing solo across Australia and in Bluegrass and Western Swing bands - this tour will see them join forces as solo artists to create an act that highlights the best they have to offer. The two artists will also both be promoting new releases at the time of the tour.
Concert Review: An evening of soulful blues, catchy swing, a bit of bluegrass, some good ol' toe tapping mountain music, then add a few traditional spirituals and you had a night of enjoyable music from Ramblin' Ash and Dennis Duigan. The evening started with some slow soulful ballads from Ramblin Ash supported by Dennis. As they hit their stride the tempo went up and their musical virtuosity became apparent, particularly with Dennis displaying his ability on mandolin, banjo and guitar. They engaged with their audience and played a mixture of genres. When they sang in support of one another their voices blended to produce some lovely harmonies. A very enjoyable night of music.
Michael O'Regan
Coming to us from Australia -
With both artists deeply rooted in the folk and old-time scenes in Australia, they have requested that the tour encompasses as much of the NZ folk scene as possible in their travels.
Both artists have been performing solo across Australia and in Bluegrass and Western Swing bands - this tour will see them join forces as solo artists to create an act that highlights the best they have to offer. The two artists will also both be promoting new releases at the time of the tour.
Concert Review: An evening of soulful blues, catchy swing, a bit of bluegrass, some good ol' toe tapping mountain music, then add a few traditional spirituals and you had a night of enjoyable music from Ramblin' Ash and Dennis Duigan. The evening started with some slow soulful ballads from Ramblin Ash supported by Dennis. As they hit their stride the tempo went up and their musical virtuosity became apparent, particularly with Dennis displaying his ability on mandolin, banjo and guitar. They engaged with their audience and played a mixture of genres. When they sang in support of one another their voices blended to produce some lovely harmonies. A very enjoyable night of music.
Michael O'Regan
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CONCERTS OF 2018
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CONCERTS OF 2018
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October 26th: Maire Ni Chathasaigh & Chris Newman -
This celebrated partnership of “one of the UK’s most staggering and influential acoustic guitarists” with “the doyenne of Irish harpers”. A breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, spiced with striking new compositions - along with Chris’s delightfully subversive wit! “Their stagecraft was masterly and their introductions informative and funny” THE CHRISTCHURCH PRESS (New Zealand)
Concert Review: Oh what a NIGHT! An amazing feast of musical mastery along with interesting, informative and often witty introductions. The music was fabulous and had us all spellbound. Maire was playing on a brand new harp, borrowed for the duration of their tour of New Zealand, and Chris was playing on a brand new guitar, made for him by luthier Davy Stuart from Richmond. What a night of fantastic music, it is so great to have such world-class musicians come and play for us.
Lesley van Essen
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This celebrated partnership of “one of the UK’s most staggering and influential acoustic guitarists” with “the doyenne of Irish harpers”. A breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, spiced with striking new compositions - along with Chris’s delightfully subversive wit! “Their stagecraft was masterly and their introductions informative and funny” THE CHRISTCHURCH PRESS (New Zealand)
Concert Review: Oh what a NIGHT! An amazing feast of musical mastery along with interesting, informative and often witty introductions. The music was fabulous and had us all spellbound. Maire was playing on a brand new harp, borrowed for the duration of their tour of New Zealand, and Chris was playing on a brand new guitar, made for him by luthier Davy Stuart from Richmond. What a night of fantastic music, it is so great to have such world-class musicians come and play for us.
Lesley van Essen
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September 21st: Jed Rowe -
Acclaimed singer/songwriter, Jed Rowe walks the line between folk, blues and country, telling stories of Australian life in rich and vivid detail. Having toured extensively throughout Australia and Europe, he's also performed at a long list of Australian music festivals, including the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival and Cygnet Folk Festival.
His current album A Foreign Country was recorded by ARIA award winner, Jeff Lang and was nominated for Best Folk / Roots Album in The Age Music Victoria Awards in 2017. Rowe’s sublime slide guitar playing and emotive vocal delivery have earned him a reputation as a standout live performer.“Heartland alt-country shot through with nostalgia” - Rolling Stone Magazine.
Concert Review: Jed Rowe took the stage and his first selection of tunes were accompanied by his skilled playing on his Weissenborn slide guitar and later he played both it and a conventional acoustic. During the evening he sang and played mainly his own compositions and just a couple of covers. He definitely lived up to his promotional material and was enthusiastically received by the audience. Another performer to welcome back in the future.
Nigel Beedell
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Acclaimed singer/songwriter, Jed Rowe walks the line between folk, blues and country, telling stories of Australian life in rich and vivid detail. Having toured extensively throughout Australia and Europe, he's also performed at a long list of Australian music festivals, including the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival and Cygnet Folk Festival.
His current album A Foreign Country was recorded by ARIA award winner, Jeff Lang and was nominated for Best Folk / Roots Album in The Age Music Victoria Awards in 2017. Rowe’s sublime slide guitar playing and emotive vocal delivery have earned him a reputation as a standout live performer.“Heartland alt-country shot through with nostalgia” - Rolling Stone Magazine.
Concert Review: Jed Rowe took the stage and his first selection of tunes were accompanied by his skilled playing on his Weissenborn slide guitar and later he played both it and a conventional acoustic. During the evening he sang and played mainly his own compositions and just a couple of covers. He definitely lived up to his promotional material and was enthusiastically received by the audience. Another performer to welcome back in the future.
Nigel Beedell
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July 27th: John & Susan Sutherland -
Highly regarded on the folk club scene, John and Susan regularly sing at clubs and festivals and together they will provide an evening of heart-warming songs, old and new, sure to delight and entertain. John Sutherland has been singing and playing for more years than he cares to remember and has long been called on for his mastery of guitar and harmonica. When he is joined by Susan his particular talent for harmony and arrangement is evident.
Concert Review: John and Susan’s concert was a real treat, with a good crowd enjoying John’s clever guitar style, and Susan’s fine singing. They had a variety of material from John’s native Scotland, Gillian Welsh compositions, and songs from the UK and those with an American folk flavour. An enjoyable performance and we look forward to hearing more from them in the future.
David Newman
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Highly regarded on the folk club scene, John and Susan regularly sing at clubs and festivals and together they will provide an evening of heart-warming songs, old and new, sure to delight and entertain. John Sutherland has been singing and playing for more years than he cares to remember and has long been called on for his mastery of guitar and harmonica. When he is joined by Susan his particular talent for harmony and arrangement is evident.
Concert Review: John and Susan’s concert was a real treat, with a good crowd enjoying John’s clever guitar style, and Susan’s fine singing. They had a variety of material from John’s native Scotland, Gillian Welsh compositions, and songs from the UK and those with an American folk flavour. An enjoyable performance and we look forward to hearing more from them in the future.
David Newman
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June 29th: Thomas Loefke -
Thomas learnt his trade in Dublin from Ireland's leading harp players and since 1984 he has been playing professionally and has won several international prizes, including first prize at the O'Carolan Harp Festival in Keadue.
Islands in the North Atlantic, like Tory Island - the Irish island of legend and myth, the Hebridean Island of Staffa or the wild archipelago of the Faroe Islands situated between the Shetlands and Iceland - these are the places where Thomas spends a considerable amount of time every year to compose music. The tunes are accompanied by photographs Thomas took during his island travels.
Concert Review: OH WHAT A NIGHT!!! Sublime harp playing accompanied a magical slideshow of amazing photos.Thomas took us to the landscapes that inspire his music and gave us a glimpse into another part of the world. Along with his often humorous introductions, Thomas had us spellbound with the lightness of his fingers and the clarity of his photos. Most of the tunes were his own compositions and they truly suited the images we were watching. It was nice to have a few well-known tunes scattered through as well. I’ll say it again........ OH, WHAT A NIGHT!!!
Lesley van Essen
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Thomas learnt his trade in Dublin from Ireland's leading harp players and since 1984 he has been playing professionally and has won several international prizes, including first prize at the O'Carolan Harp Festival in Keadue.
Islands in the North Atlantic, like Tory Island - the Irish island of legend and myth, the Hebridean Island of Staffa or the wild archipelago of the Faroe Islands situated between the Shetlands and Iceland - these are the places where Thomas spends a considerable amount of time every year to compose music. The tunes are accompanied by photographs Thomas took during his island travels.
Concert Review: OH WHAT A NIGHT!!! Sublime harp playing accompanied a magical slideshow of amazing photos.Thomas took us to the landscapes that inspire his music and gave us a glimpse into another part of the world. Along with his often humorous introductions, Thomas had us spellbound with the lightness of his fingers and the clarity of his photos. Most of the tunes were his own compositions and they truly suited the images we were watching. It was nice to have a few well-known tunes scattered through as well. I’ll say it again........ OH, WHAT A NIGHT!!!
Lesley van Essen
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May 4th: Wilde Taylor -
Wilde Taylor is an Auckland acoustic duo which performs it’s own exciting brand of original and non-original ‘Americana’ music.
Wilde Taylor consists of vocalist and multi instrumentalist Jesse Wilde, and guitarist, Ed Taylor .
Born in Auckland, Jesse Wilde has been a professional musician for over 20 years throughout N.Z and USA.
Ed Taylor ( originally from Ohope Beach ), is a guitarist who has been playing professionally around Auckland and Melbourne for over 20 years.
Concert Review: Twenty folks were entertained by a night of ‘Americana’ Wilde Taylor music – a mixture of Folk, Blues, Bluegrass, Countryand Western, and even some Pop! Jesse (Wilde), did most of the main vocals, on rhythm guitar, mandolin, and harmonica: Ed (Taylor) harmonised vocals on lead (Ibanez) guitar, harmonica, foot drum, and foot cymbal. Jesse’s slightly raspy ‘American twang’ gave that extra edge to their Americana-style
music. Ed’s classical guitar background came to the fore with some scintillating instrumentals. They mixed their own compositions from their recent album DON’T BLAME IT ON ME with covers. The audience enjoyed singing along to many well known tunes. Foot stomping music enjoyed by all!
Craig Ross
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Wilde Taylor is an Auckland acoustic duo which performs it’s own exciting brand of original and non-original ‘Americana’ music.
Wilde Taylor consists of vocalist and multi instrumentalist Jesse Wilde, and guitarist, Ed Taylor .
Born in Auckland, Jesse Wilde has been a professional musician for over 20 years throughout N.Z and USA.
Ed Taylor ( originally from Ohope Beach ), is a guitarist who has been playing professionally around Auckland and Melbourne for over 20 years.
Concert Review: Twenty folks were entertained by a night of ‘Americana’ Wilde Taylor music – a mixture of Folk, Blues, Bluegrass, Countryand Western, and even some Pop! Jesse (Wilde), did most of the main vocals, on rhythm guitar, mandolin, and harmonica: Ed (Taylor) harmonised vocals on lead (Ibanez) guitar, harmonica, foot drum, and foot cymbal. Jesse’s slightly raspy ‘American twang’ gave that extra edge to their Americana-style
music. Ed’s classical guitar background came to the fore with some scintillating instrumentals. They mixed their own compositions from their recent album DON’T BLAME IT ON ME with covers. The audience enjoyed singing along to many well known tunes. Foot stomping music enjoyed by all!
Craig Ross
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April 13th: Mark & Cindy Lemaire -
Mark and Cindy Lemaire come all the way from San Francisco, U.S.A. While Mark and Cindy have toured the US, Sweden, England and Scotland over the years, this is their first visit to New Zealand.
Mark's unique guitar style incorporates fingerpicking, slap-and-tap harmonics, hand percussion, and a delicate touch that goes straight to your heart. While the solo guitar pieces stand as complete statements, Mark’s harmonies with Cindy are so perfectly matched that they seem like two people with one voice.
Concert Review: WOW!!!! What a fabulous night of music that was!! For those who were there it was a delightful and extraordinary night.
Mark is an amazing guitarist and was an absolute delight to watch and listen to. He plays a variety of genres and does a great mix during the course of a song. Most of the music was original with a mix of song and instrumental. Mark and Cindy’s voices blend beautifully and they are very easy to listen to. All in all a really great night.
They are hoping to tour New Zealand again in a couple of years, they are a real “must see”!
Lesley van Essen
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