Winter, icy roads, cloudy with snow to 200 meters and gusty Nor'Westers from Bream Head to Cape Colville, geese in the park hiding from the hunters, so it must be time for Bond Street Bridge to fly South to face frostbit fingers and lungs full of woodsmoke on the Central Lakes-Otago-Canterbury circuit. Just a short hop this time around comrades, there's more to come in the Springtime when the record comes out but right now we've got some sweet shows to share with you so stand by...
Wednesday 26 June we're in Invercargill, that's a house concert the the Tattletales told us was worth the drive and they're often the best kind of shows. It's at Brad and Chrissie's place and you can call them on 03 9310599 to get the address so do that if you don't know where it is, or you can get in touch with us on the facebook or something and we'll let you know.
Second up we're up at the Queenstown Winter Festival, and the good folks there are hosting us at Remarkables Park on the 27th. There's tickets from Ticketek and they tell me they're selling like shares in a power company so you might want to get in there quick before they all get bought up by an offshore hedge fund or something, I don't know.
Next day is going to be pretty special; we're over at Arrowtown School in the morning, frightening the children with tales of Antarctic adventure. This is a new thing for us and children as a group are pretty terrifying, but apparently the Explorers Club show is bang up to date with the curriculum or something and teachers keep telling us to do this so we're doing it. The band don't know yet that this is a morning show and I'm planning on not telling them till the day of so keep it under your hat if you can.
If we get out of that in one piece we'll jump in the rental and boot it - carefully, with chains on most likely - down to Dunedin, where we've been lucky enough to persuade Mr Neville Peat, author of the remarkable book 'Shackleton's Whisky,' to give a talk at our show in the beautiful surrounds of the Orokonui Ecosanctuary. This will be nerd heaven for me, but it will no doubt bring back uncomfortable memories of the time I disgraced myself with a glass of that same whisky, late at night, of which more later no doubt. If you want to come along to that one you'd be advised to call ahead and secure a ticket from the venue - they are on the telephone at 03 4821755.
Then it's up the line, and we're on at the Darkroom on Saturday night, where I know for a fact they have a bottle of Shackleton's Whisky on the top shelf, but I willl be very surprised if they give me any after what happened last time. We shall just have to see. Tommy Chang's the next night over in Lyttelton with Aldous Harding, who I will freely admit to being a little bit scared of, then on the Monday we've got a couple of shows at South New Brighton School. Which, again, wasn't my idea, but could just possibly be a real hoot.
That'll do for a week of shows, and we'll head back up to Auckland after that where we'll be playing with The Bads and Great North (plus a mystery guest mandolin player if the rumors are true) at Lucha on the 13th pf July so if you don't live in the South Island perhaps we'll see you there, and I shall look forward to that.
Righto.
Wednesday 26 June - Invercargill house concert at Brad and Chrissie's, call 03 9310599
Thursday 27th June - Queenstown Winter Festival, Remarkables Park, tickets from Ticketek
Friday 28th June - Dunedin, Orokonui Ecosanctuary with Neville Peat, tickets from the venue 03 4821755 or secretary@orokonui.org
Saturday 29th June - Christchurch, Darkroom with Happiness Stan
Sunday 30th June - Lyttelton, Tommy Chang's with Aldous Harding
Saturday 13 July - Auckland, Lucha Lounge with Great North and The Bads
