The ringmaster returns home

you get a variety of things and my concerts reflect that. It’s not all manic boogie piano. There’s lots of action going on. I tell anecdotes and engage with the audience in whatever way I can. My party faithful, as I like to call them, come back because they feel uplifted.

‘‘I’ve always believed that I’m not just a musician but a performer as well, and it’s very important to give an audience a reason to listen and a sense that they have had a good night out.’’

That sort of approach makes for a demanding gig, and Preston follows a strict training regime to prepare her upper body for marathon concerts. ‘‘I do weights and other gym work for upper body strength, I swim to keep my lungs strong because I’m a singer as well. It’s athletic. To a certain extent all performing artists are athletes – they need to be very fit. You have to be on the ball, physically and mentally.’’

Since she emigrated to Australia nearly 35 years ago, Preston has become their undisputed queen of boogie piano and well known on the world stage – perhaps one of those Kiwis better-known overseas than at home. She grew up in a working-class Greymouth family, where home entertainment often involved impromptu concerts where everyone would either sing or improvise instruments. A significant inspiration was her Aunt Meg, who played piano accompaniment in the days of silent movies, although she never saw her perform professionally.

‘‘My father and his two younger brothers used to get into the movies for free by carrying Aunt Meg’s sheet music. I do remember family get-togethers where she would sit at the piano, with a fag out the side of her mouth, and play everything from ragtime to boogie woogie, which, of course, I knew nothing about at that age.’’

Preston studied music at Auckland University and kicked off her career with Red Alert, the band