Nerves craft edgy performance
Invercargill will once again relive the magic of the night as performer Dave McMeeking takes to the stage next month. And he’s a bit nervous about it. ‘‘I think you’ve got to be nervous because it gives you the edge.’’
An Intimate Night with David McMeeking is the latest offering from The Cabaret Club, which promises some up close and personal time with the singer who will be reliving parts of his musical journey.
‘‘I’ll be able to see their faces ... there’s no escaping them really,’’ McMeeking said of performing at Repertory House, where the show wil be held.
The dinner restaurant, taking place on September 10, will feature McMeeking as the solo act, regaling the audience with songs from Ed Sheeran to Phantom of the Opera.
Despite just playing Phantom on the big stage in Invercargill last year, he was looking forward to reprising the role.
‘‘He’s such an emotional character and you can take it to some real depths,’’ he said.
No stranger incorporating emotion into his performances, McMeeking would also tell the audience about different events in his own life.
‘‘There was a fair bit of tragedy in my teenage years and I’ll say how that’s actually been a positive,’’ he said.
A self-confessed ‘‘latecomer’’ to the singing game, it wasn’t until his university years that singing really erupted as a passion.
Heading along to a show in the 70s, starring musical theatre actor Rob Guest, was the first spark for McMeeking.
Eventually, curiosity got the better of him and he auditioned for Grease, securing the role of Doody.
‘‘I found where I belonged from then on,’’ he said.
Indeed he did, and picked up many more roles along the way, including revisiting old favourite Jesus Christ Superstar many times over.
‘‘I’ve played Jesus three times and Judas two times,’’ he said.
Wage bill binned
Parliament has binned the Minimum Wage (Contractor Remuneration) Amendment Bill, which was opposed by many Southlanders. The bill would have imposed regulations on contracts for services, requiring those in contracting arrangements to be paid the equivalent of the minimum wage or higher. BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope said the opposition to the bill by many in business was not about any reluctance to pay the minimum wage. Proposed legislation would have allowed the Government to set a minimum rate for services to address concerns about poor remuneration practice, Hope said. ’’BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, the Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce and Employers Otago Southland and our many business members are pleased at the responsiveness of our Members of Parliament to the issues contained in the bill.’’
Bad dog owners cited
Bad dog owners and a lack of education about canine behaviour are the main concerns from more than 3000 submissions on plans to change New Zealand’s dog control laws, Associate Local Government Minister Louise Upston says. The Government announced earlier this month it was taking feedback on how to reduce dog attacks. Upston said the need for more education about dog behaviour, particularly for children, and ‘‘bad owners’’ were a common theme in the responses.