Blast from the past

Debbie Harwood, Sharon O'Neill and Shona Laing. Photo/supplied

What do you get when a bunch of old mates decide to go on tour? A heap of hits.

A touring force of Sharon O'Neill, Shona Laing, Debbie Harwood and Hammond Gamble stop off in Tauranga this month to share their biggest songs, but also to reinterpret and play each other's music in different combinations.

Many of their songs are part of the national lexicon, with Sharon becoming a star of the early 80s with hits Words, Asian Paradise, Let Love Go and Maxine.

"We will be playing the 'tried and trues' but will also play together. I think we will be just enjoying ourselves. That's what's going to come across," says Shona. "There will be no rhythm section, just keyboards and guitars, so that will be interesting."

All four artists have previously worked together in various guises, but The Church Tour is the first time they share the stage together.

"It is a really nice ensemble and we all know each other and have worked together before," says Shona.

Shona was named Best New Artist and Recording Artist of the Year in 1973 as a result of the overwhelming success of the singles 1905 and Show Your Love. Her single (Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy was voted No. 24 in the Top 100 NZ Songs Of All Time in 2001, and she released her last album in 2006.

More recently, she has been playing with Debbie's group Band of Gold. Debbie has accumulated a stack of awards during her long career, including Most Promising Female Vocalist in 1985 and Most Promising Group in 1987.

She draws from an extensive back catalogue for the shows, but also promises to debut new material. Hammond is a long-time fixture on New Zealand's live music scene. His distinctive vocals and guitar prowess have fired a career that has now spanned more than four decades.

Renowned for his soulful blues-inspired performances, the charismatic singer-songwriter is recording new material which will be showcased during the church tour, along with the songs we know and love.

Promoters Brent Eccles and Campbell Smith are delighted with the line-up for the tour, with Eccles saying concert-goers should prepare themselves for an exceptional night out.

"The church tour has a tradition of bringing out spine-tingling collaborative and individual performances and I can already feel that this year is going to be exceptional in that way," he says.

the fine print
What: The Church Tour
Where: Holy Trinity
When: Saturday, September 24
Tickets: ticketmaster.co.nz