Ukulele trio strum up night of fun
Ukulele shows are not always what you expect according to one strummer.
Ukulele trio The Nukes are stopping off in Kapiti for the Coastella festival and in Upper Hutt for a one night show on February 26 as part of a nationwide tour.
Described as an alt-folk band, the members play all original songs.
Member David Thiele said this meant they would be putting on more-than-your-average concert.
‘‘We like to put on a show. It’s not good enough to just sing songs.
‘‘We like to engage the audience.’’
Sometimes that meant doing some stand-up comedy sprinkled between their songs.
‘‘It’s pretty cool stuff - it’s all freeform.’’
The Nukes formed almost by accident nine years ago.
Thiele was meant to emcee a show and decided he would prefer to do so by playing ukulele.
Future band member Ben Collier was nearby and mentioned he knew how to play the ukulele too.
They jammed together and realised it worked well.
The band grew from there with the addition of Dave Parker and the group has been performing together since.
Performing a mix of different songs, the band blend different genres such as folk, bluegrass, reggae and post-punk.
‘‘It’s all electric. We do all tunes you can think of,’’ Thiele said.
He was looking forward to starting the tour.
Funded by Arts on Tour and Creative New Zealand, The Nukes will be performing every night for 28 days, travelling from Kaitaia to Stewart Island.
Thiele admitted the schedule was a bit hectic but the band could handle it.
‘‘I see these guys more than I see my wife - but I really enjoy these guys,’’ he said.