Old Timey mountain string music at its finest!  Perfectly blended harmonies, and sweet fiddle and guitar, this music is what makes our hall shine!  Don’t miss it.

Show starts 7:30pm.  $10

July’s club night guests are Chris Priestley and the unsung heroes.  Chris Priestley has written two albums of songs about characters from New Zealand’s history.  Chris is supported by folk stalwarts Nigel Gavin, Claire Robertson and Cameron Bennett.

Doors open at 6:45 for floor singer sign-ups.  7pm show start.  Free bikkies and tea at interval.  $10.

Winter Solstice Celebration

When: Friday 23 June 6.30pm
Where: Whangateau Hall

What: POT LUCK Dinner-bring some kind of savoury or sweet food to share
As members of small coastal community we can together enjoy sharing food, conversation and a small outside fire (in a safe way) to celebrate midwinter, Matariki and the Winter Solstice.

Those with musical talents that wish to entertain are welcome otherwise we will just enjoy sounds from the CD player.

Who: Everyone welcome.

Australian country music recording acts Colin Finley and Will Day are touring New Zealand with an acoustic duo show. They will be playing at Whangateau Hall on Saturday, May 6th, supported by our own Pipi Pickers. Tickets are only $10 for this show. Doors open at 7:15 for a 7:30 show time.

“In a 22 year Career Col Finley has proving his strength as a songwriter and performer by writing and producing some of the best albums of songs and vocals in the industry today.” – Cameron Syrett

Over the Past 6 months, Col Finley has dominated the Australian Music Charts with his latest single “Above The Blue” gaining #10 on the Australian Music Charts, #9 on the Country Music Charts, and #7 Country Music Most requested. His 2nd Single “Rich With Friends” reached #9 on the Country Music Charts, and the Col Finley album “Before The Storm” smashed The Aria Album Charts reaching #3 on the Aria Aussie Album charts and #5 on the Aria World Country Album Charts.

www.colfinley.com.au

Brisbane based singer-songwriter Will Day is the next generation of Australian country music. With the ability to play, write and perform at a level his peers’ rate, Will is one of the hardest workers in the music industry. Performing up to six shows a week, Will is striving for the best life for his young family. His drive and passion for his craft shine through every song and every show.

www.willdaymusic.com

All the way from the US of A come Hungrytown, an acoustic duo who play songs of deep Appalachia, and originals in that old-timey style.

After more than a decade of world-wide touring and three album releases, Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson, have earned a reputation for the quality and authenticity of their songwriting: “It’s great to hear an act eschew sentimentality in favor of honesty and to prove that you don’t have to go raiding the memory of others to find the stuff that really good songs are made of,” writes Jedd Beaudoin of Popmatters.

Lyricist Rebecca Hall is credited with compositions “that sound as timeless as any traditional songs” (Northern Sky, UK) while producer/multi-instrumentalist/husband Ken Anderson is lauded for his “remarkable affinity for instrumental embellishment” (No Depression) and for crafting Hungrytown’s “gorgeous vocal harmonies” (Folk and Roots, UK).

Rebecca & Ken play a delicious blend of acoustic based folk music with harmonies to die for. Often delicate, often reflective their music comes from the heart and the soul. Their latest album Further West is an album of journeys, journeys of the heart as well as the miles.

Hungrytown will be playing at Whangateau Hall as special guests at our March 27th club night. $15 on the door. Show starts at 7pm.

Our originally scheduled guests for January, Pat Smith and Ned Clamp, are unable to travel from the UK to NZ due to health issues, so we have had to make some changes to the calendar.

Frank Burkitt Band

Instead, the fabulous Frank Burkitt Band will be coming straight from their guest appearance at the Auckland Folk Festival to play at Whangateau. Frank Burkitt is well known for entertaining story-telling, tightly arranged songs and delicious harmony and a set list that contains blues, country, bluegrass, swing and some Scottish folk. It is good old fashioned original song-writing backed up by a band that understands perfectly how to add infectious rhythm and groove (Geluk’s bass), varied and skilled solo breaks (Burnell and Jackson on mandolin and fiddle) and endorphin-exploding harmonies (Filbey on backing vocals). $15.

More about the band: The Frank Burkitt Band.

In honour of the fact that our next concert guests, No Bones About It, were our first ever club night guests, we have decided to switch their full concert to a club night concert with floor spots in the first half. So get out the guitar and come out for this special mid-month musical opportunity!

And thanks to Frances Dickinson, who his compiling the “rules of folk club.” First rule is, “everyone come to folk club.” The second rule so far is, “Everyone sing along!” Do you have any “rules” for folk club? Ah, I have one, “never stack a hook-side chair on a smooth side chair!” That one just isn’t as fun as Frances’ rules, is it?

Jenine

In October, Janette Thompson of Local Matters came to folk club with her camera and put together a little feature video about our club. I think it sums it up pretty well! Have a look and see if you can spot yourself!