Tuesday May. 14th, 2024: Barry Saunders/Mike Harding + Support
Barry Saunders
Barry Saunders is from Christchurch. His first public performance was singing “Green –back Dollar” at the Lincoln Coronation Hall, aged 11. He played in mostly blues-based bands, during his teenage years. He sailed on the good ship Australis to the UK in 1974 and played the Irish Trad and Country circuit in London for 3 years.
He returned to New Zealand, and joined Wellington band Rockinghorse for a brief time. This was followed by a stint in The Tigers, travelling to Australia with them and touring relentlessly, including an Australia-wide tour with Eric Burdon. Upon his return to Wellington in 1987, he formed The Warratahs. The band became known for Saunders’ compositions, such as “Maureen”, “Hands of my Heart”, “St. Peter’s Rendezvous” and many others. After 9 albums, they are still very much alive.
He recorded solo albums Weatherman, Red Morning, and Zodiac, touring them extensively. Barry has appeared on the bill with Tony J. White, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith and Joe Cocker, and has also performed at SXSW in Austin, Texas.
The last 3 years have included the Church Tour (alongside Marlon Williams, Tami Nielson and Delaney Davidson), and the Last Waltz Tour, celebrating and performing the songs of The Band. In 2019 he released the highly acclaimed album Word Gets Around, an album written and recorded with Delaney Davidson.
In 2019 Barry was commissioned by Kokomai - Wairarapa Creative Festival to develop a touring performance designed for presentation in small rural halls. He created As Far As The Eye Can See with Ebony Lamb and Caroline Easther.
For their collaboration Word Gets Around, Delaney Davidson & Barry Saunders received the 2020 Tui for Recorded Music NZ's Best Country Artist.
Mike Harding
"A musical storyteller at ease with his instrument, his audience and his mission to sing the songs of the present and the past, taking us from our folk roots to where we are now."
Allowed to freely grow up in a small-town New Zealand way. Rugby at the Domain, swimming at the river, playing at the dump. At school Gilbert and Sullivan, at home Barry Crump. Shearing gangs, possum trapping, country roads and country pubs. Tiraumea, Pleckville, Alfredton, Newman, Eketahuna. The Tararuas. Pahiatua, Pongaroa, Akitio. Masterton, Castlepoint, Riversdale. The Rimutakas. Wellington. Palmy, first guitar, long hair and lectures. A short, shorts-and-walksocks High- School-Teacher career. Camped outback, enticed to Auckland by bohemian folk-singers. Musical apprenticeship began. Poles Apart, Cook Street Market, street music in Parnell Village & on K. Road.
An OE or two and Mike was asking where are my songs? On a Summertime Blues Sol search of New Zealand seeking the answer was asked to show off musical mates on 1984’s Time On The Road. The road then taken, hitchhiking and busking Highways One to Ninety-nine - solo shows of homegrown folk and popular song to the centres and edges of Godzone country. Along the way L.P.’s for CityFolk, programmes and cassettes for National and Replay Radio, “When the Pakeha Sings Of Home” for Godwit Press. The Rowan Studio recordings, some with Taranaki combo Gumboot Tango.
In New Plymouth in more recent years Mike has found a home, a family and a vocation teaching young people to explore music and their muse through the guitar. Now it’s road time again. Kiwimusicana and Mike doing what he does best, songs of home with humour and affection, spontaneity and musical skill.
Celebrating New Zealand, its people and their stories.
Harmony Inc.
Harmony Inc is a newly formed singing Trio based in Upper Hutt. Dave Wellington, Karen Wellington. & Julianne Jackson are all well known entities in band circles and musical theatre communities in the Wellington area.
As the name suggests, the love of harmony is the focus of the group's repertoire, which draws from many music genres. Harmony Inc. has been formed primarily to perform at small venues, cafés and clubs.
Karen Wellington played in Short Term Memory for 10 years, Dave is a founding member of Harvest Moon and in the late 1960s was in the well known Upper Hutt band Cellophane, who had a hit in the charts with Arthur Brown's "FIRE"
