Musicians give $2000 to charities

190315PBdonation WORTHY CAUSES: Celebrating a successful Pauls Road Live are (from left) Dean Butler, Kerry O'Sullivan, Marian Butler, Fred Loveridge and Kyle Dalton. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS

Eight bands, a lot of organisation, a small army of volunteers, charitable landowners and an audience of music lovers enabled Pauls Road Live to give $2000 to the festival's chosen charities.
Pauls Road Live was held on Sunday, March 8 and featured a variety of bands playing music across the popular spectrum. A good crowd paid at the gate and enjoyed an afternoon in well-behaved weather - after an iffy start - under BYO shelter, spreading picnics on rugs and getting up to dance when the mood took them.
Last week, the proceeds from the event were divided evenly between Wanganui RSA and Starlit HOPE Trust.
Starlit HOPE was started by 12-year-old Gabby Devine who has bone cancer. The charity is her way to help other kids in similar situations. Starlit HOPE does random acts of kindness and produces "boredom packs" for the children at the oncology ward at Starship Hospital and New Plymouth.
Kyle Dalton, RSA manager, says the RSA share is "going toward our services on Anzac Day and toward our welfare vehicles."
Dean and Marian Butler have made the front yard on their country property available to the festival since it started and are pretty pleased with how it has turned out. They invite the neighbours to the event and the audience seems to respect the venue and its owners.
"We don't put any bins out but everyone takes their rubbish away with them," says Dean.
"They're really well behaved," says Marian. "There are two reasons why we hold it on a Sunday. First, the musicians - who perform at the festival for free - earn their bread and butter on a Friday and Saturday night, and second, there are fewer complications on a Sunday."
After all overheads were covered, the organisers were still able to donate $1000 to each of the charities.
Fred Loveridge, musician and organiser says he'd like to thank the musicians - "the Gatshack Project, the Ballydesmonds, the Clazzmatic Boogie Orchestra, the Blues Buffet, Richard Littlejohn and the 6 Twenty 8 band, Dave Rogerson Blues, Heavy Water and Status Update; the Gate Guys - Dean Butler, Blair Grant, Mike Vanderlay, Doug Paurini and Marian Butler; the foodies - Carrie and Brooke Loveridge, Hillarie Nicoll and Kerry O'Sullivan; the sound - Chris Chamberlain and crew; John Steedman for extra sound equipment; Glen Marsh for providing stage drumkit; Murray (Dusty) Loveridge for stage bass stack and Craig Cawley from the Gatshack for his help and support ... and all the punters that support live music and particularly, the 'Pauls Road Live' concert."