Hard man of music sobs on stage

Midnight Youth at the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust Fundraiser. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

Considering the hard living rock'n'roll pedigree of many of the guests who bought a ticket to the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre fundraiser at the Auckland Town Hall last Saturday night, it was a surprise to see one of them break down in tears onstage.

Click here to see photos from the glittering party.

Campbell Smith, otherwise known as Mr Boh Runga and the chief executive of RIANZ choked back tears during his speech in which he thanked and farewelled the charity in his capacity as chairman. Next year Sean Coleman - who walked onstage to Duran Duran's Notorious - takes up the post.

Smith was presented with a beautifully carved pipe and was so emotionally moved, he raced off stage after accepting it. It was only when a friend joked, "it looks like a bong," that a smile curled up on his face.

The evening was decidedly more sombre than previous years in large part to the Maori King's presence. Te Arikinui Tuheitia Paki was appointed a guardian of the Centre which was started by Hinewehi Mohi in honour of her daughter Hineraukatauri who has severe cerebral palsy. Runga is a patron and her husband joked she is so proud of her role she once introduced herself onstage during a performance "as a patient of the charity."

Also inciting laughs on stage was Graham Brazier who reformed with two of his Hello Sailor band mates - Dave McArtney and Harry Lyon - to perform their classic hit songs. Before belting out Gutter Black he acknowledged Outrageous Fortune and TVNZ for choosing the song for the hit TV show. "It saved our arses," he said honestly, while a heckling Hugh Sundae shouted from our table: "It was TV3!"

Queen's Council lawyers Paul Davison and Stuart Grieve were Spy-ed at a table enjoying the proceedings. One of the Centre's trustees told me Grieve is in a band called TMG which, apparently, "depending on who they're talking to, is an acronym with leading meanings".

Paul Holmes looked dapper in a penguin suit. He sat pride of place at the top table next to the Maori King, who was a former cultural adviser to Tainui before his coronation. Tainui chairman Tuku Morgan and Minister of Maori Affairs Pita Sharples sat alongside.

There was much pomp and ceremony to welcome the royal guest into the Town Hall and Holmes was invited to walk in the official procession alongside the King - an honour and a privilege, he said. Holmesy described Tuheitia as "an extremely charming man with a ready smile. He's a man of few words. He has a wonderful entourage around him who look after him as the true King." The entourage, I couldn't help Spy-ing, upped and left the table trundling behind the King every time His Majesty left the room.



Marcus and the man-perm

He said he would do it if they won and they did, but has Marcus Lush backed down on his promise? The day before the All Blacks took to the field against Bahrain, Lushie declared on his RadioLive show that he would perm his hair if the All Whites qualified for the World Cup. They did. But the man-perm hasn't been forthcoming. No stranger to follicle trends of the 70s, Lush sported a mullet, a mo and a bushy beard in 2006. However, three years later, the frizz looks unlikely to be hid latest look du jour.

The TV3 reporter who went out with TV's Mr Eligible, Simon Dallow

Speculation has been rife that the country's most eligible man was dipping his nib into rival company TV3's ink, but it's not what you think.

One News anchor Simon Dallow, who separated from his beautiful wife Alison Mau in June, has not approached the rival news network for a job in the manner of Sam Hayes. He is instead, the subject of much tittle-tattle with gossip-mongers linking him romantically to young rising TV3 rising star Rebecca Wright.

Dallow was quick to downplay the dating rumour, insisting the couple are just good friends."We are part of an extended card group," he said, that regularly takes place at his friend Mark Sainsbury's inner-city apartment.

"We did go out once, " Dallow admitted, "but that was a while ago. And we spent an afternoon together no so long ago, but there's no romance. I like her as a good friend. We are not dating. She's more of a mate."

Wright, 29, described by a One News insider as "very young, but very gorgeous" is joining Duncan Garner in January in Parliament's Press Gallery.

She will be a welcome addition, according to one media observer, who believes Wright's appearance is a strategy by the network's news and current affairs boss mark Jennings to "hot up his team and tempt all those alpha males into exclusives - it never fails in the Egohive!"

Wright, who bears a remarkable resemblance to a young Mau, is described by a TV3 friend as "a little blonde gorgeous bunch of sweetness". But is she keen on Dallow, the elder statesman?

The broadcaster laughed: "Well, she doesn't call me regularly!"

Wright, who has quickly earned respect for her journalism, admitted she plays 500 regularly with Dallow, 45, at Sainsbury's man-pad, but she said there was no love match.

Party host Sainso said Dallow comes round every week, "but we're boys, we don't talk about things like that. He keeps his cards close to his chest in the romance department." Like Sgt Schulz he's maintaining he knows nothing.

Rachel Glucina

 

Pictured above: Midnight Youth at the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust Fundraiser. Photo / Norrie Montgomery