TA L E S O F T H E C I T Y
AC C ORDING TO SHA RON WRITTEN BY JOHN BRISTED | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHALEE FITZSIMMONS
INSTRUMENT
MUSICIAN
BOOKS
WEAR
A RT I ST
Piano accordion
Patti Smith
Alla fine del mondo by Paul Elenio
Isabella Blow
Milan Mrkusich
Enthusiasm is a great attribute to have and musician SHARON GREALLY’s got it in spades. Listening, you get the feeling that her intention is to make everything she does, fun.
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haron “used to be a nurse back in the olden days” but now she earns her keep not only playing piano accordian for the Balkanistas, Rose Road and The Martini Club, “Loads of fun times”, but also teaching at Inverlochy Art School, freelance journalism, and she’s a practising artist too. She’s quick to add, “Luckily I have a wonderful partner who brings home the bacon.” Does being a mother count as a living, albeit unpaid? “It should, and I am the very lucky mother of four beautiful children.” It’s hard to keep up with a woman who has so many favourite things but included are: “Bands at Meow, Rogue and Vagabond; Paramount Theatre for their great range of films; Five Boroughs for the best coffee in town; and Slim Davy’s friendly Neighbourhood Saloon where you can pop in for a cheeky dirty martini on your own, and everybody knows your name... which may or may not be a good thing.” Back at home “Fritz the Hungarian Vizsla is a constant source of wet sloppy kisses and unfettered love. My adored cat Princess Tallulah Trixiebell keeps me on her own adoration leash.” She rattles off her favourite outdoor spots “The bushtrack up Mt Victoria, where there are myriad bird sounds and wondrous dogs – and their owners, Lyall Bay or up on another of the amazing town belt walks we are so lucky to have; but always with a wine bar or cafe nearby. Not necessarily in that order. I love going away, but it’s always good to come home to the vibe that is
Wellington… the clean air, the hills and the constantly changing colours of the sea and sky. And the wind… maybe not. “My most inspiring artist is probably Milan Mrkusich for his innate sense of colour and space. I can get lost in his works. One day I will win Lotto and own one... “I have always loved Patti Smith. Hers was the first album I bought as a teenager – Horses... And I still find her works inspiring. I buy her albums now though. “At the moment I’m reading Alla Fine Del Mondo’ (To The Ends Of The Earth), by Paul Elenio, about the early Italian migrants to NZ – fascinating local history. I’m also reading Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon, about the extraordinary and parallel lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley, both amazing women in their own rights". Sharon’s style depends on her muse for the day. “I try to channel Isabella Blow for her sense of art and intrigue, but generally wear what’s lying on top of the pile". If she studied again, she’d opt for space travel. Meanwhile, earthside, she’d like to explore “the yet to be discovered South America. Two of my kids have been there, and the way they describe the land and the people, the colours and the smells, I’m half way there already. “And if I coveted anything it would be health and happiness for ever. Oh, and world peace.” 19