Blues rock quartet in town

A foursome that boasts the grungiest blues around is coming to play in Wanganui next Saturday night.

Performing at Rosie O'Grady's bar at The Grand Hotel will be The Blue Grizzly, a Palmerston North-based band with two Wanganui members.

One of them, Aaron Smith, said he and fellow Wanganui-ite Dan "Big Poppa" Hoyle met their two band mates while the four were studying music performance at UCOL in Palmerston North.

About eight months ago they formed The Blue Grizzly and now play a brand of blues-rock heavy with guitar solos.

They have opened shows for Anika Moa and The Thomas Oliver Band, and are now the resident band at Palmerston North pub Murphy's Law.

"We normally pack it out just about every time we play there," Smith said.

The four are recording a debut EP, and aim to have it out by May.

Smith, Hoyle and their mates have already played in Wanganui twice, at Whanganui UCOL events. They decided it was about time the band had a proper gig in their home town.

"If all goes well we will return," Smith said.