Ōtaki Today, Maehe March 2021
whika/page 23
MAHI TOI/Arts
FRIENDS: Andrew London (second from right) with friends (from left) Wayne Mason, Rob Joass and Laura Collins under the bougainvillia at the Winemaker’s Daughter Café in Te Horo. Photo Ian Carson
London on song at Winemakers Too Many Chiefs Winemaker’s Daughter Café, February 21 Reviewed by Ian Carson
ICONIC ŌTAKI Late summer flowers have been attracting the birds into Ōtaki gardens in recent weeks. This photo by Janice Street shows a range of birds enjoying the flowers in her back yard.
The superb musicianship and song-writing skills of Ōtaki’s Andrew London are evident whenever he performs, but amalgamating them with the talent of other great musicians seems to bring out the best in him. This was no more on show than at his recent Sunday afternoon gig at the Winemaker’s Daughter Café on the highway just north of Te Horo. Teaming up as Too Many Chiefs with the legendary Wayne Mason (The Fourmyula, Waratahs), Rob Joass (Hobnail, The Shot Band) and Laura Collins (Back Porch Blues Band), Andrew was at his best. He engaged guests with a mixture of wit and nostalgia, quietening one group who began the afternoon with their own distracting table-talk but soon recognised they were missing something special. It was his easy rapport with fellow band members and his audience that made
a pleasant Sunday afternoon a much more memorable experience than mowing lawns at home. The taverna-type venue complete with magnificent flowering bougainvillias trailing through the rafters helped, perhaps prompting Andrew to say it was his favourite place for a gig. The four complemented each other perfectly, with great harmony and musicianship as they performed their own songs in turn. All were able to let loose with their individual talents, showing that small-town New Zealand can still attract stellar performers. London’s ensemble produced a great show that’s worth catching next time Too Many Chiefs get together in town. And what would a show with Wayne Mason be with New Zealand’s officially all-time favourite song, written by Wayne 52 years ago in Upper Hutt – Nature. It was the ideal round-out to a sunny summer’s afternoon.
Authentic, polished performances to turn back the clock Gold Dust Woman Showcase, Southwards Theatre, February 20 Reviewed by Grant Robertson
A boisterous and entertaining crowd of 250-plus Coasters sang along and stomped their feet to Stevie Nicks (AKA Rachel Williams) and Tom Petty (AKA Greg White) on Saturday night (February 6) at Southwards. There was plenty of enthusiastic interaction, the broad mix of grey heads, rockers, mums and bogans were fun to watch, and the small crowd of dancing girls swelled during the night till the whole place was pumping! The team of musicians did a fabulous job, warming to their task and loving the positive vibe as the night developed. Lead guitar Cam Sutton, well known as owner of the Family Music Store in Paraparaumu, was outstanding. Rachel Williams was “true to character” as Stevie Nicks, producing an authentic performance throughout the night. However, she could have interacted more – after all it was a live performance. Greg White lifted the audience a notch every time he stepped into character and performed the Petty songs. His 12-string guitar numbers were brilliant, and it was a great reminder of Petty’s huge contribution to popular music. Ōtaki’s own Jared Carson paced himself to start with, then unleashed a strong leadership role on the drums, never missing a beat as far as I could see, and looking and sounding every bit the professional. Underpinning it all, bassist Robbie Graham was also polished. We wish Gold Dust Woman all the best with their New Zealand tour, and look forward to further events such as this at Southwards to turn back the clock!
THE BAND: Gold Dust Woman Showcase at Southwards, from left Cam Sutton, Jared Carson (on drums), Rachel Williams, Greg White and Robbie Graham.