Molly Pardoe, 81, of SuperGrans will DJ at Rhythm and Vines.
Forget about spinning yarn, octogenarian DJ Molly Pardoe has her heart set on spinning tracks on the turntables at this year’s Rhythm and Vines festival.
The iconic festival will feature special new DJ SuperGran, Pardoe, 81, who has been learning how to DJ and will perform her first 10-minute set for up to 25,000 fans.
Pardoe is the oldest artist so far to perform at the festival, happening from December 29 to 31 at Gisborne’s Waiohika Estate.
She is the chairwoman of Gisborne charity group SuperGrans Tairāwhiti Trust.
Pardoe told the Gisborne Herald she was looking forward to the performance.
“Bit of entertainment, isn’t it? It’s in it for the fun of it.”
Pardoe’s favourite musicians include Elvis Presley and Sir Rod Stewart. However, during the festival she will be playing “house pop bangers – complete with an original track produced especially for the moment, featuring at least one perfectly-timed ‘turn your hearing aids up!’ before the drop," a statement from organisers said.
She has been working on her DJ skills with local DJ Jamil Sabda, who is the son of Gisborne’s Mara and Beto from BrazilBeat.
“Oh, the support will be there beforehand. I’m all good. Bit of practice. At my age, there’s nothing to be afraid of, really, is there?” she said.
“I love all music. I love jazz, I love brass, I love music, full stop. I’m sure I’ll adapt to this modern music. That’s the plan.”
The music is putting SuperGrans in the spotlight.
“It is exciting, but, you know, it’s for a good cause. SuperGrans is a pretty fantastic organisation, so we’ll do anything if we’re going to be able to promote it.”
She was happy to be part of the festival, too.
“R&V is a great event for Gisborne. I love it when they all come to town. You see all the young people around enjoying themselves. It’s a great event for Gisborne and the city comes alive, so, I want to be a part of it.”
Organisers said that SuperGrans will be at the event.
“This year, the SuperGrans team will be on-site for all three days of R&V with ‘The GranStand’, a dedicated chill zone offering non-alcoholic hydration shots, rescued kai chutneys and a crafting area full of beanbags and yard games.”
Pardoe will get into the spirit of the event.
“I mean, I’ve done lots of fun things in my life, but this is probably the most out of my comfort zone, so to speak,” she said.
“We’re absolutely delighted to be a part of R&V, to be partners with them. It’s a magical moment for us, really. And we feel very, very honoured, so we have to do our bit, don’t we?”
The lead-up to the festive season was a busy time for SuperGrans.
“Every time is busy, but this is particularly busy for families that are struggling and there’s some real people who are making a huge effort to take care of their families, but financially, it’s tough at this time of the year.
“We’ll do our little bit to contribute to families in need, like many organisations. So, probably trying to downplay the hype of Christmas and more or less just families being together is something magic, isn’t it?”
SuperGrans is at 2 Pitt St, Gisborne for people who want to help, donate or even volunteer.
“We don’t say no to nothing, except after 5pm, of course. But if people check out our website, there’s plenty of information there that they can make contact," Pardoe said.
Pardoe is a grandmother and great-grandmother. Her grandchildren attend Rhythm and Vines, too.
She had a conversation with her grandson in Auckland recently.
“I answered the phone and he said, ‘Nan, are you going to be a DJ at R&V?’ And I said, ‘How did you know?’ He just happens to know someone in the promotional team that are doing the big promotions. He couldn’t believe it. He had to ring me to check it out.”
R&V head of marketing Kyle Bell was excited about Pardoe’s debut.
“Molly’s enthusiasm is infectious. She’s an icon already and the crowd is going to absolutely lose it,” he said.
“We’re proud to back the mahi they do,” he said of SuperGrans and the contribution they make to Tairāwhiti.