Gentleman a captivating modern bard

Poet, story-teller and musician, Callum Gentleman is touring the country with his new EP and stops in at the Rogue Lounge to perform. Photo / Michael Flynn

Fresh from performing at Tauranga's Escape! silver-tongued poet/musician/writer, Callum Gentleman is in Rotorua at the behest of The Rogue Lounge for the first gig at its new venue.

Gentleman has a lovely voice and a new EP which he is celebrating with a tour of the country.

That means locals are in for a night of creativity unleashed with his blues/folk renditions - a prism through a bottle of moonshine shared between Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen in the early hours of the morning.

"Callum is quirky, and very true to his art. He has got an essence of satire that pokes fun at serious things," said Karin Vincent of The Rogue Lounge.

Ms Vincent has just come off the back of organising an extremely successful NZ Music Month for the city, which received a fantastic response from Rotorua audiences.

This time, she has organised a gig that has a degree of intellectual challenge as well as great entertainment for the local audience.

"He customises his performance and connects with his audience.

"People at his shows have come up to me and said 'wow, his poetry was amazing'. He is unforgettable."

Gentleman is a graduate of Toi Whakaari, the New Zealand Drama School and lived in Paris for a few years, working as a musician.

Joining him in The Rogue Lounge is 16-year-old slam poet Liam Spooner.

The Rogue Lounge is situated at 1150 Pukuatua St.

Details:

* What: Callum Gentleman

* Where: The Rogue Lounge

* When: Sunday 6.30pm-9pm

* Tickets: $10 from theroguestage@gmail.com Bookings essential