Warratahs play Eltham on tour
Taranaki fans of Kiwi band The Warratahs will hear songs played spanning the popular band’s 30-year history in Eltham this month.
The band is playing at the Eltham Town Hall on Saturday September 29, as part of its 30 Years of The Drivin’ Wheel Tour with support from local band Gumboot Tango as well as Opunake musicians Arianna and Jacob.
Started by musicians Barry Saunders and Nik Brown, the band has played at New Zealand pubs, clubs, vineyards, barns, festivals, theatres, halls and even on the Cook Strait ferries.
Winner of the Best Country Music Album of The Year in 2016, the band is hitting the road during September and October to promote the milestone and new double CD 24-track compilation Drivin’ Wheel which documents the band’s music from 1988 to the present day — including the band’s new song Fast Train.
The band is well known on the tour circuit and during the last three decades has produced seven studio albums and sold thousands of albums.
When the band formed in Wellington, it did not have any grand plans apart from sharing a passion for music, says lead singer, harmonica player and song writer Barry.
“We stayed together 30 years because the band is driven by music — we are glued together now through the music — a lot like the Rolling Stone but a smaller version.”
Barry, who divides his time between Wellington and Greytown, knows Taranaki well, having spent his first 10 years in Mahoe, where his father worked at the cheese factory. One of his songs, Taranaki, is an ode to the region he still loves, with the old fashioned waltz a picture of early days. He says not much has changed during the band’s years together.
“We are true to our original sound but song wise its evolved a bit, but the sound has remained the same.”
■ The Warratahs play Eltham Town Hall, Stanners St, Eltham, on September 29. Pre-sale tickets from i-Site and Eltham Library for $40 or door sales $45. Doors open at
6.30pm and supper provided.