Everyone knows the words to Proud Mary, Down on the Corner and Fortunate Son and this weekend Mills Reef will host the legendary members of Creedence Clearwater Revisited. Jo-Marie Baker previews 2012's hotly anticipated Stars Under The Stars event.
Few musicians in the world can gaze out at an audience and see four generations of fans staring back at them.
But Doug "Cosmo" Clifford can.
As Creedence Clearwater Revival's drummer, he and bass guitarist Stu Cook are still touring the globe with their new group, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, performing all the hits which saw them inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame almost 20 years ago.
Clifford says kids as young as eight and nine are now belting out their songs alongside their parents and grandparents at their shows.
"That's probably our greatest accomplishment - that we've stood the test of time," he explains to vibe down the phone line from his home in the US state of Nevada.
"I'm used to it now but it's still very humbling and something that we're very proud of. Every bar band and every weekend band knows Proud Mary - weddings, bar mitzvahs, you name it. That's always fun. I still get a kick out of hearing our songs on the radio. We are lucky guys."
This weekend Creedence Clearwater Revisited will headline Mills Reef's annual Stars Under the Stars event - performing the songs which have become American classics, on both Saturday and Sunday nights.
The original band (which featured brothers John and Tom Fogerty alongside Clifford and Cook) imploded in the early 1970s but the popularity of their music never waned. Proud Mary has been officially covered by other musicians more than 100 times, and songs like Bad Moon Rising, Suzie Q, Down on the Corner, Fortunate Son, and Who'll Stop the Rain, are some of the most popular ever written.
After a 25 year hiatus the band's rhythm section returned to the stage with two new guitarists and a new lead singer, John Tristao, and called themselves Creedence Clearwater Revisited.
"We didn't know how it was going to go over and you're always curious but we had confidence in the people that we've surrounded ourselves with and it was amazing right off the bat that the fans embraced it and we embraced them," Clifford says. "We just completed our seventeenth year with this band and that's over four times as long as Creedence Clearwater Revival was around. It just seems to be getting better."
And the fans too are getting more than ever, as the group performs for a full 90 minutes on stage as opposed to 50-odd minutes in their younger days.
Clifford is now aged 66 but reckons he is fitter than most men half his age. "I work out six days a week. I carry an exercise ball with me when I'm on the road and do 400 crunches a day on that, then I hit the gym or if they don't have one I use my backpack and water bottles to do weight lifting. "I burn more calories than anyone on stage. I've never stopped working out. I don't just do it before a tour, it's my lifestyle. I love playing."
This weekend's Mills Reef concerts will be Clifford's fourth visit to New Zealand, but his first to the Bay of Plenty. "Two days in a row in a winery could be dangerous! I like wine so I might just be hanging out there," he laughs. "We love it in New Zealand because the people are so friendly and really enjoy themselves, especially when they're at a concert and the response is fabulous.
"We play 20 or 21 songs and each one is a hit. We take the music seriously but we don't take ourselves seriously. We have as much fun as we possibly can, that's where the energy comes from and that's what rock n roll music is really all about - having a good time. It's a party so that's what we do."
Despite playing the same songs for more than four decades, Clifford insists he isn't sick of them yet. "I constantly enjoy it. In fact I think I enjoy it more as every year goes by. Just the fact that we're able go out and do it is amazing. No, I don't tire of it because there was a huge period of time where we didn't play these songs - over 25 years.
Recently, Creedence Clearwater Revival's original lead singer, John Fogerty, made noises in the media about wanting to reunite following the band's acrimonious split. In 1997 he tried to legally force the new band to change its name - a battle he lost.
Clifford says he and Cook discussed it but were "basically not interested".
"We love what we're doing and we love the guys that we're playing with. Of course there would probably be a lot more money involved but money isn't everything and don't fix something if it isn't broken. We're happy that he's not still carrying a lot of anger around, I suppose, and we wish him well. But we're doing what we like to do and we've done this for 17 years now so it would be pretty hard to change right now."
Stepping into John Fogerty's shoes was a high pressure gig for Creedence Clearwater Revisited's lead singer John Tristao - but Clifford assures fans they won't be disappointed.
"We said to him 'look, don't try to imitate. These songs are made for a high tenor and require an attitude and that's what we want you to do. That's the blueprint. Keep the integrity of the songs at a high level but have fun with it' and that's what he's done for 17 years. He blows me away. He just seems to be getting better. We're going to the winery and wine gets better with age. Well, that's how I would compare John Tristao. He gets better with age, no question about that."
Creedence Clearwater Revisited has been so successful that their own CD Recollection featuring their version of 22 classic hits, has gone Platinum in the US, and Clifford is confident the band still has a long future ahead of it.
Creedence Clearwater Revisited -The Fine Print
What: Stars Under The Stars 2012 featuring Creedence Clearwater Revisited
Where: Mills Reef Winery, Bethlehem
When: Saturday 28th (sold out) and Sunday 29th January
Time: Gates open 4pm, show runs from 6.30pm till 10pm. Main act begins 8.30pm
How: Tickets $89 available from Baycourt ticket office, www.ticketdirect.co.nz or ph 577 7188. Purchase 10 tickets and receive two tickets free. No gate sales available.
On Stage: Iconic Kiwi musicians Jackie Clarke and Rikki Morris will be the support act on the night, performing a range of "Made In NZ" hits from the past 50 years.
No BYO: One significant change this year is that BYO alcohol will not be permitted. Wine and beer will be available to purchase on site at Mills Reef.
International flights returned to Hamilton for the first time since 2012.