McGlashan, who released his fourth solo album, Bright November Morning, last year, said he had been friends with Gonville Town Hall owner Frank Stark for years.
Stark, McGlashan and Geoff Chapple co-wrote the single Don’t Go, released in 1985 as a protest against the proposed All Blacks tour of South Africa.
“I knew about his plans to renovate the hall and the swimming pool. They’ve come to fruition and the hall is a beautiful little venue, it’s perfect,” McGlashan said.
“It’s very exciting to go to places that have a bit of history and are cool in themselves.”
He has played in Whanganui a few times over the years.
“I remember coming through town with the Blams [Blam Blam Blam] and playing somewhere down by the river in a sweaty bar that probably isn’t a bar any more.
“I’ve certainly come through and done solo and duo stuff. Shayne Carter and I did a tour where we curated each other’s songs and played at the Opera House.
“It’s a town I feel gets missed off the touring circuit too often. Hopefully, that’s in the process of changing.”
McGlashan said he still enjoyed playing his iconic songs.
Over the years he has penned Kiwi staples such as Anchor Me and Dominion Road with The Mutton Birds, and Bathe in the River.
“I was very lucky that I never wrote something I didn’t like but other people did.
“I don’t think anyone is particularly shy at my gigs. They seem to yell out for all manner of obscure things.”
Don McGlashan with his euphonium during a concert on the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi this year. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Even though a seated venue like the Gonville Town Hall would be slightly less rowdy than The Powerstation in Auckland, McGlashan said he didn’t discourage requests.
“Who knows, they may have pre-loaded before they got there. They might be seated but only just.
“I’ve had amazing gigs in some of the smallest places.
“There is something about traditional halls. Imagine everything that’s been said or sung in that room. It’s all gone into the timbers.”
It was an honour that people around the country had a deep knowledge of his back catalogue, McGlashan said.
On smaller tours, he stays behind afterwards to have a chat with punters and do signings.
An instructional tea towel — Bridges and Culverts of New Zealand — is a new addition to the merch table.
“The main thing that happens is people want to tell me something about a song.
“It’s really cool. Tom Waits used to say you kick songs out of the nest and you’re not sure where they’re going to fly to. That’s exactly true.
“Someone will come up and say ‘You know the best couplet you’ve ever written?’ They’ll tell me something and it’s nothing I would have ever expected.”
McGlashan said it was harder to come up with song ideas while touring with a bigger band.
He needed “a bit of solitariness” and travelling as a duo presented that opportunity.
“It could be something someone says to me, or you arrive into a town and see something or read something in the paper and it will start me off.
“Sometimes I come back from these tours with a sketchbook that needs to turn into another album.”
He said a lot of side projects were also on the go, including an EP with a former inmate from the Songs From the Inside project on Māori TV.
“One of the guys has been out for a while and he’s put a band together,” McGlashan said.
“He’s a crane driver called Lops. He’s a really energetic guy so I have to make sure he’s not on his crane when I call him.”
For now, though, “all roads lead to Gonville”.
“It’s me playing guitar, horn and all my loops, and Anita is playing violin, mandolin, keyboards and all her loops,” McGlashan said.
“It can be quite a full, rich sound, but there are no drums so it doesn’t have that neighbour-irritating aspect.”
He was keen to get to know Whanganui better.
“Earlier this year I drove up the River Road to Jerusalem.
“You see the history unfolding and the years drop away. It feels like you’re going back in time.
“We tried to find James K. Baxter’s grave. We may have, we may not have. There’s a sense of mystery about it.”
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
