November Club Night and You, Me, Everybody in Concert

It is time for club night again!  We have a great guest act lined up:

David and Shimna. Guitar. Violin. Voices voices VOICES. Beautiful songs! Entertaining banter! If you missed them last year, now is your chance to rectify that gross oversight. If you saw them last year, then you know how much you want to be there on Monday to see them again! And remember after the show you said you were going to tell all your friends about it, too. Consider this your reminder!

25 November 2024, Monday: November Club Night. Special Guests David and Shimna. 7pm. $15. (Doors 6:45 pm, first half floor singers, email for a floor spot)

Special concert with You, Me, Everybody

You, Me, Everybody is New Zealand’s bluegrass supergroup. These are five of the most talented musicians in New Zealand.  This band made a huge splash with their 2nd album, Southern Sky. Their song “Stranger” even landed them a spot on the Netflix show “Sweet Tooth.” (Season 2, episode 4, filmed right in Warkworth by the old cement works!)

They’ve just completed an incredible Kickstarter to fund their 3rd album and will be going into the studio in January. We are very fortunate to have them visit our lovely hall for a full concert. This will absolutely be an evening of outstanding talent that is not to be missed.

30 November 2024, Saturday: Full Concert with You, Me, Everybody. 7:30pm. $20. (Doors open 7:00pm.)

All inquiries and bookings to whangateaufolk@gmail.com.

“October” Club Night: Monday 4 November


Not technically in October. Monday, 4 November. 7:00pm. No guest. $10.

Hello, everybody!

Just a quick note to say that due to our club night falling on Labour Day, I’ve decided to push it out a week to November 4th. Nat and I will be attending Wellyfest over Labour Weekend, and we’ll be pretty wrecked by the time we get home, if previous years are anything to go by. I hope you all don’t mind the change and will join us for a casual evening of floor singers. No special guest, so this will be a particularly community-oriented social evening.

If you have been working up the courage to put your hand up for a floor spot, this is the perfect opportunity. You can’t ask for a more supportive and uplifting audience, and you’ll never sound better than you do in our hall. You can email me at whangateaufolk@gmail.com if you’d like to reserve a spot.

Half time bikkies and a hot beverage. Oooh, I’ll have some samples of the new Turbo Tonic Latte powder for anyone wanting to try that!

See you at 7pm on November 4th, my friends. Until then, keep that good ol’ music in your heart!

Jenine

September 2024 Club Night with The Mollymawks

Club night this month is Monday, the 30th of September. We have a very special treat for our second half. The Mollymawks, aka Alasdair Baxter and Emily Allen, are making their very first appearance at the Hall! The Mollymawks are an acoustic guitar/vocals/violin duo playing original songs and tunes with a Celtic flavour.

This being our regular club night, the first half will be full of our amazing local musicians performing 2 song floor spots. If you would like to be one of those lovely floor singers, email whangateaufolk@gmail.com to get your name on the list!

Doors open at 6:45pm for a 7:00pm start, and your $15 entry fee includes a half time cup of tea and biscuit!

Toilet Block Renewal Project

We have just received word that works will be commencing shortly for the public toilet replacement and domain enhancement at Whangateau Domain Recreation Reserve.

These works involve;

  • Demolition of the old toilet block
  • Installation of new pre-fabricated toilet block
  • Replacement of hall water tank
  • Installation of additional wastewater storage tank
  • New line marking and wheel stops to car park
  • New timber bollards to domain reserve

Rendering of new toilet block

Physical works will be carried out by M Keoghan Contractors,
Project Management by Hutchinson Consulting Engineers,
Auckland Council Project Manager is Chris Moyne.

Work is scheduled to commence Monday 12nd August and be completed by Friday 27th September 2024. The hall toilet block and car park area will need to be closed for the a short period during of the works. Site fencing and signage will be installed at the entrance.

Whangateau Folk Club Night! Monday, 19 August

First off: yes, this is the WRONG night for a Whangateau Folk Club. But I have a very good reason for this. I’ll be away on a swim safari in Rarotonga for our regular club night and after being away for so long and missing out on so much great music, I couldn’t bear to miss another. Also, I’m so excited to be back in our lovely hall!

Secondly: we have something VERY SPECIAL this month! Bonnie Hurunui and Nathan Boston, of White Chapel Jak, are back up in Leigh, and they have been creating new music together, and working up some duo material. And they have agreed to come debut these new musical delights for us at Whangateau! I cannot emphasise enough how very very much you need to be there for this. There are not enough exclamation points in the world for me to get across how exciting this is. I’m so overcome I can barely string two sentences together.

Bonnie Hurunui

Bonnie Hurunui

Nathan Boston

Nathan Boston

This is a regular club night, so all local musicians are welcome to put their name in for a first half floor spot. Email whangateaufolk@gmail.com to request your spot.

Doors open at 6:45pm for a 7:00pm start. $15 on the door, no bookings necessary, but it would help me to judge the amount of biscuits to get for half time if you email whangateaufolk@gmail.com to let me know you’re coming! See you there!

July 2024 Folk Club Night

Chris "Albi" Dent Whangateau Hall is BACK!  And shinier than ever.  Join us on Monday, the 29th of July for a very special folk club night featuring Chris Dent of Albi and the Wolves!

Doors open at 6:45pm for a 7pm start with first half floor singers. Email whangateaufolk@gmail.com to book. $15 cash or bank transfer only.

This is a guaranteed great night of live acoustic folk music. See you there!

Chris Dent, mostly known as Albi from Albi & The Wolves, is an entertaining and earnest performer who’s been writing songs since childhood. He’s happy to spin a yarn, and open the door to his life experiences. He’s sometimes smooth, sometimes energetic, and occasionally heartwrenching, All in all Chris is a performer that you simply need to see if you get the chance!

Whangateau Hall Renewal Project Update

As many of you will have noticed the Renewal Project was not completed by the end of May as scheduled.  There is still work going on repairing the floors.  But the rest of the work is completed and looking very shiny.

The new handover date with council, when we will be getting access back to the Hall is 15 July.  We will start accepting bookings for after the 16th of July.

– Your hall committee

Delightful preview of Turkey the Bird

Whangateau Folk Club SPECIAL EVENT

Saturday.  11 May 2024.  7pm.  $30

HOT DIGGITY AND TURKEY THE BIRD
double header

Leigh Hall, 4 Cumberland Street, Leigh

Enjoy this adorable video prepared by Turkey the Bird to tease their upcoming single release tour, starting at Whangateau Folk Club this week at Leigh Hall!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6mzP16S3Ci/

Reserve your seat by emailing whangateaufolk@gmail.com now!
Tickets are $30, cash on the door or bank transfer.
Show starts at 7pm, doors open at 6:30.

April Club Night! Monday the 29th. 7:00pm.

Special Guest: Maggie Cocco

Hello, Friends and Neighbours!

Club night is upon us with our very special guest Maggie Cocco from Detroit,Michigan by way of Whangarei. An independent artist, Cocco composes and runs community music programming between tours. When I met her at Hamsterfest, I was struck by the beauty of her voice, her sensitivity in performance and her creative, insightful songwriting. This is going to be a very special night, don’t miss it!

Whangateau Folk Club, April Club Night
Monday, 29 April, 7:00pm
LEIGH HALL!!! 4 Cumberland St, Leigh
First half floor singers, second half with special guest Maggie Cocco
$15 at the door, cash or bank transfer includes refreshments at half time.

May Special Concert!

Hot Diggity will be playing in Leigh in May, along with a second band, Turkey the Bird from New Plymouth. Turkey The Bird will remind you of the famous Margarita cocktail infused with a hint of “Simon & Garfunkel,” 2 ounces of “Mumford and Sons,” a splash of banjo and served on ice on a sunny day. Hailing from the New Zealand left coast town, this uplifting band will hit you with beautiful three part harmonies and toe tapping rhythms. Hot Diggity hooked up with these 3 amazing musicians while both bands were guests at Wellington Folk Festival last year. Put this on your calendar, it is going to be a VERY special evening, and I am not just saying that because I’m in one of the bands!

Saturday, 11 May. 7:00pm. $30
Leigh Hall, 4 Cumberland Street
EMAIL ME to reserve your spot! I expect this show will be very popular!

I’m headed away to the USA for a couple months a few days after this show. Nat and Barry will be running the club while I’m away. There are already a couple great shows on the calendar for that time. I’m sorry to be missing them. But I’ll see y’all when I get back!

Stay safe out there!

Jenine Abarbanel
021 428 458
whangateaufolk@gmail.com