Wellington Ukulele Orchestra at Juice Bar, Parnell

Ten ukuleles and one double bass make a surprisingly warming sound. Bouncing and varied syncopated rhythms, great vocals and an inclusive sense of humour inject new life into their set of classic covers.

What makes this group great though is that they are a cohesive unit of distinct individuals. One of their founding members is Flight Of The Conchord’s Brett McKenzie, and his individual sense of fun (despite not being able to make the gig in Parnell) is evident throughout the Orchestra’s performance.

There are several leaders but Age Pryor stands out with his lead ukulele solos and dry wit. Baritone vocals are supplied by Sam Auger, dressed for the occasion in a red skirt.

The generously-haired Nigel Collins has a startlingly excellent voice, which should be used more often, and general insanity with a cracked falsetto is provided by Bek Coogan – possibly the only ukulele player to wear leopard skin knickers and indulge in crowd-surfing.

The Wellington Ukulele Orchestra are all about giving classic songs a new spin. They open with an energetic version of The Coral’s “Dreaming Of You” sung well by Andy Morleyhall and move smoothly into a version of “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town” by Kenny Rogers. The latter is harmonious and surprisingly moving for a group of people playing 10 tiny instruments.

Australian Tom Jackson, who they picked up at the Ukulele festival, then performed Rihanna’s hit single “Umbrella” with Megan Hosking and impressed the crowd with a solo effort.

“Jolene”, “Push It” by Salt n Pepa (with some mean krumping), “Sweet Child Of Mine” and ‘80s classics Africa by Toto and “It's a Heartache” by Bonnie Tyler make up the sort of set that can only leave you smiling.

It is happy, buzzy music that you can sing and laugh along to – it is one of the best gigs I’ve seen this year for just that reason.

The orchestra finish things off with a rendition of Outkast’s “Hey Ya” that gets the audience into as much of a dance as you could expect out of Parnell on a Saturday night.

source: newshub archive