Nostalgics of the big bar boom of the 1970s will be able to turn back the clock as popular Central Hawke's Bay band Sir Duke celebrates its 40th anniversary over Labour Weekend.
Drummer Neil Sloan, who has been with the group since its founding days as a Waipukurau band known as Theme, is expecting five of the originals and almost all others who have performed with the group for the commemorative gig at the River Park Event Centre, east of Waipawa on Sunday afternoon and evening.
The band took the name of Sir Duke from the song of the same name on the Stevie Wonder album Songs in the Key of Life in 1976, and adopted part of the hit as its intro and outro.
Despite being based in Waipukurau, it became one of the most popular pub bands in Napier, where they held a nine-year residency at the Leopard Inn on Marine Parade.
At the peak of summer the band travelled to perform for their hundreds of Leopard Inn faithfuls six nights a week, sticking mainly to cover music.