Shine on like crazy diamonds later that night with a Pink Floyd tribute performance presented by Hawke’s Bay-based band Revival at The White House at 8pm. Tickets are available from http://www.eventfinda.co.nz.
Across town, Smash Palace will rock with its annual Big Blues Up which includes guests Lazy Fifty and Rich Alexander. Headline act is Wellington-based Shaken Not Stirred featuring blues legend Bullfrog Rata. Tickets at undertheradar.co.nz.
Shake the Sunday blues with the sweet sound of Honey Jam at Matawhero Wines on Sunday at 1pm. Made up of Jane Egan on percussion, Kitt Higgins on guitar and Anna Marie Fenn on violin and mandolin, the trio create a “mellow, acoustic vibe” with their mix of originals and well-known covers with a twist that ranges from songs such as Frank Sinatra’s The Lady is a Tramp, to Australian folk and indie pop group Angus and Julia Stone’s Big Jet Plane.
Coming up
Touring company Operatunity presents at the War Memorial Theatre next week A Taste of Irish. May contain ballads, fiddle, humour and quirky ditties. Available from http://www.operatunity.co.nz, tickets for the January 18, 11am show include lunch with the performers.
The Irish theme continues that evening when Barleycorn takes its mixture of slow airs, Irish standards, New Zealand folk songs, jigs and reels to the Marina Park Reserve on Friday January 18. Barleycorn’s performance is part of the free Live on the Lawn community concert series. If the weather looks iffy tune into MoreFM after 3pm to find out if it is still going ahead. Get more aroused later that night at 8.30pm with dub-funk, five-piece, Strangely Arousing and DJ Straw Hat, at the Dome Room garden bar. Entry is free.
Serving up grassroots, original homegrown tunes and old-school blues the next day is Wairoa bluesman Doug Snelling. The Eastside Blues man has been a fixture in the East Coast music scene for the past decade A passsionate supporter of musicians from, or visiting Wairoa, Snelling will have a turn in the sun at Wrights Vineyard and Winery from 1.30pm on January 19.
Waikato electro dub collective, Knights of the Dub Table, headline the fifth annual Sunsmash at Smash Palace on Saturday January 19. Starting at 8pm, Sunsmash includes local acts Dion Whaanga, Kings of Kaiaua, and Loop Theorem topped with Knights of the Dub Table who combine elements of reggae, rock, drum ‘n’ bass, dubstep and hip-hop into their “sonic frequencies”.
On Sunday January 20 at 1pm “electronic folk” musician Ben Wilkinson brings his love of blues and jazz acoustic guitar and singing to Matawhero Wines.
To round off the month, American roots music jazz-folk and sharp suits comes back this way again on January 24 when The Frank Burkitt Band returns to the Dome Room. The 2019 NZ Music Award Best Folk Artist finalists draw on eclectic mix of influences — from the double bass and guitar-driven sound of The Wood Brothers to the gypsy jazz guitar and New Orleans groove of Pokey LaFarge, to whatever Burkitt happens to be listening to at the time. Then there are the stories behind the songs . . .
