36 ...Continued
Friday 30 May
Alcoholics Anonymous
Open meeting every Fri at Hamner Clinic, 1235 Cameron Rd, Greerton (behind Tyremaster) 7.30pm. 0800 229 6757 for more meetings or assistance. Chess Tauranga Every Fri at Tauranga RSA, Greerton 6pm onwards for the whole family. Werner 548 1111 http://www.westernbopchess. weebly.com/
Children’s Traditional Thai Kickboxing Term 2 Friday’s at Martial Arts Academy, 154 1st Ave West 4.305.30pm. First class free. Alexis 021 050 0574 email: info@tmaa.co.nz
Clothes Lovers & Hoarders Sale And release party
at May St Scout Hall, 13 May St, Mt Maunganui 7-10pm. Attendees invited to bring their clothes, shoes, handbags, hats etc all labelled with their name & price on a hanger to sell on the night. Entry $10. www.goodfairyservices.com Documentary Nights Every 2nd Fri 7pm. Many interesting & thought provoking subjects covered. Kim 576 9427 or 027 285 9611
Free Immigration Assessment By Licenced Immigration Adviser. Tauranga Multicultural Ethnic Council, Historic Village, 17th Ave. For appointment ph Iryna Stewart 543 9125
“What’s On” is a FREE service for non-profit clubs & organisations. Email julie@thesun.co.nz or Fax
Free Immigration Clinic
Every Fri - legal advice & information on immigration issues. For appointment, Baywide Community Law 571 6812
Friday Friends 10 Pin Bowling League Join our
friendly league playing every Fri at 13th Ave 10 Pin 1pm (3 games). We play in pairs. Judy 543 4124
Greerton Indoor Bowling Club Championship Pairs at Band Hall, Yatton St. Names in by 7.15pm. Sally 571 8914
Katikati Folk Club Concert
A traditional & contemporary mix. UK musician Geoff Grainger & local singer/ songwriter Saelyn Guyton share the bill, at Katikati Bowling Club 7.30pm. www.katikatifolkclub.co.nz Kirtan Gathering Last Fri of month at Yoga Ananda in Historic Village, 17th Ave 7.30-9pm. Bhadra or Bela 552 0073
Papamoa Hills Night Walk
June 13 & 14 from 6pm. Entry $20, 13yrs + only. Prior entry only, no entries on the night for safety reasons. An amazing night walk through Papamoa Hills to Summerhill Trails to enjoy coffee & cake. www. enteronline.co.nz NZ Breast Foundation fundraiser.
The Revolution Tour Night Concert 7pm at Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre. Tickets $10 at the door.
571 1116 or post to PO Box 240, Tauranga. Deadline 3pm Tuesdays. Contributions should be less than 20 words.
M U S I C
P L U S
The Weekend Sun By Winston Watusi
The world of music keeps spinning Once again the music world is busy, busy, busy – albums, bands, gigs, the thrills never end. It’s almost enough to bring on another ‘Reasons To Be Cheerful’ column. Except I’m not particularly cheerful this week as the world seems to be collapsing. Rolf Harris, responsible for many wonderful early musical memories (yes, I still know all the words of ‘Two Little Boys’) is in court as I write on charges too horrible to contemplate. Cricketers that were once my heroes are accused of rigging games for years. Everywhere I look it seems that my childhood heroes were either cheats, liars, or worse. It’s depressing.
Thank heavens for music And, as I said, there’s a whole bunch of it happening at the moment. A couple of gigs first...
Dave Roy & Synapsis - Blue Elephant
With hope-tinged trepidation I settled into the sweet spot on the couch, and pushed play. And so we did. In late night blue-hazed bar-land; into the rambling, shambling, musings and ruminations of Mr Roy. Once again, we find Mr Roy directing a rolling maul of talented and accomplished local master musicians. And, once again, his co-conspirators deliver the goods in spades, with elegant (and often stunningly beautiful) cool, late night café jazz, bent to
Following up last week’s column about Derek Toner’s debut album (find it online at Sunlive), Derek’s more regular band Nine Mile Stone is performing a May Music Month show at Major Toms, Mount Maunganui on Saturday, May 31. It will feature the stripped-down four-piece band and there’s no cover charge. Things start at 9pm. That same weekend, which is Queen’s Birthday weekend, also sees a big event happening just down the road in Rotorua when the annual Rotorua Blues Festival (which is pretty much the country’s default National Blues Festival) takes over the town for another bash. The festival runs from Wednesday, May 28, through to Monday, June 2, but the main action happens on the weekend, making it perfect for a day-trip from Tauranga. The line-up is pretty cool and includes a couple of Australian acts, guitarist Shaun Kirk and band Cadillac Walk. Also on the bill are
a broad range of musical stylings, from ocean to bayou, folk to funk, but all still in that “last man down” jazz/ blues bar on the wrong side of the river. The trip we take this time finds the world of Roy a more considered and contemplative place. Still viewed from the boomer perspective of one eye on the start, the other to
Ralph Bennet-Eades, the Mike Garner Band with Neil Billington (both now back from Japan), Neil Findlay and Robbie Laven, the B-Side Band, Kokomo, Brilleaux, Rich Alexander, Eastslide Blues, and Say What.
Too good to miss
Most of this happens for free on Rotorua’s ‘Eat Street’, which is lined with bars and restaurants and is now – amazingly enough – covered! Music runs there all day Saturday and Sunday and there are also afternoon music cruises on the Lakeland Queen and a special concert at the Novotel on Saturday night. It’s too good to miss, so check it out at www.bopblues.com/bluesfest And the Music Month CDs keep coming too. Below is a review of Dave Roy’s most recent (available from shavida@ihug.co.nz) and I’ve just received new albums from Marion Arts and Oscar Laven, both of which are fantastic. watusi@thesun.co.nz
the end, it is nevertheless completely relevant, sympathetic and serendipitously beguiling for those of us with permanent press faces and fledgling man boobs. Though Mr Roy’s vocal abilities (as alluded by the man himself on the title track), are quite range-bound, skilful arrangements and sympathetic music
styles go far in mitigating the evident limitations. Combined with a much more assured and comfortably relaxed delivery of lyrics – which can still on occasion be a little awkward – vocal dexterity becomes irrelevant. The tales and commentaries are, regardless, seductive and compelling. This collection of works does not merely ask we sit back and be entertained by the aural delicacies contained therein; it invites us to engage and involve, to share the road with a fellow traveller, and in so doing come away the richer for it. Review by: Tony Moon.