Wellington band The Shenanigans will stray from their traditional North Island haunts to play at the Havelock Mussel Festival next weekend.
The four-piece Irish group have been together for about five years, but have known and performed with each other in various musical outfits – such is life in the music industry, according to the band's violinist Jane Boyers.
Their website markets the band as an outlaw gang reminiscent of the Wild West and most of their "safe houses" include bars in Wellington, Lower Hutt, Whanganui, Palmerston North and Porirua.
However, Boyers says it will be a "real treat" to head down south and play an open-air festival.
"Bars are bread and butter work and we've got good relationships with bar owners. But as soon as you get an opportunity to play an open air venue it's pretty hard to beat."
"You need both in a way – you'd probably get burnt out if you're doing five nights a week at an open air venue."
The band will arrive on Saturday morning, play the festival, then travel to the Nelson Suburban Club for a St Patrick's Day gig.
The Mussel Festival may be a perfect gig for Boyers, who is a lover of seafood.
"I would have fish and seafood if I could every day."
Their gigs tend to be energetic and happy, with songs guaranteed to get the crowd dancing, she said.
"These are serious times and people don't always want to hear serious music. We try to keep it lively and uplifting."
The four members, Boyers, Justin Reed, Maurice Phillips and Clinton Brown, draw on their different musical backgrounds to create a repertoire of songs spanning different genres from alternative country, Irish songs, pop and rock`n'roll.
The band may even throw in a sea shanty or two, Boyers quips.
Joining Shenanigans in entertaining the crowd will be well-known Kiwi performers Frankie Stevens, Shane Cortese, Jacki Clarke and Rikki Morris.
Tickets to the festival cost $25 for adults (15 years and over), $10 for children and free for under 5s. A Family Pass, which is two adults and two children, is $50. Tickets are $5 more at the gate.
Tickets are available from the Floorpride Civic Theatre in Blenheim, Havelock Information Centre, Blenheim New World, Take Note in Picton and the Blenheim and Picton i-Sites.
For more information about The Shenanigans visit shenanigans.net.nz/home.html.
- The Marlborough Express SIMON WONG
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