Western News: March 09, 2023

Thursday March 9 2023 5
Young band flying high
after ‘bloody brilliant’ festival
• By Darryl Baser
YOUNG BAND Zephyr are
on cloud nine after playing to
thousands of people at Selwyn
Sounds.
The members are all in year
13, with drummer Mya Cawood,
17, at Avonside Girls’ High,
guitarist Reuben Anderson, 17,
at Christchurch Boys’ High, and
bassist Scarlett Robson, 17, and
singer Cleo Cavell, 16, both at
Christchurch Girls’ High.
Cawood said playing to
between 4000 and 5000 people
was “bloody brilliant.”
“We played well as a band
and met a lot of amazing
people – Dave Dobbyn, Mi-Sex,
Greg Johnson, he was a bit of a
favourite, he was a really nice
man. Sometimes I pinched
myself and thought: ‘What are
we doing here?’
“It was such an amazing
opportunity, really.”
Cawood had a great time in
the band’s engine room, keeping
her mates in time from her
throne on the drums.
“We played perfectly,
everything went as planned, it
was a really good experience
being here. All thanks to David
Parlane.”
The band was chosen to open
the day-long Selwyn Sounds
music festival at Lincoln Domain
on Saturday by promoter and
festival director David Parlane.
Cawood said it was an exciting
experience.
“It really does amp you up
playing to a bigger crowd, gets
you really excited, it is so good.”
Said Anderson: “It went about
as well as it could have, we all
played really well, I’m proud of
the rest of the band.
“We’re really thankful to him,
we really appreciate it.”
Robson said playing in front
of a big crowd was a big step
forward for the band.
“The energy is completely
different, it was full on – so
much fun.”
They estimated 4000 to 5000
people when they went on stage
at 10.50am.
“It was about 10 times bigger
than the biggest crowd we
played to when we played at
the Rockquest finals last year,”
Anderson said.
When 80s band Blam Blam
Blam took the stage after
Zephyr’s set, they mingled with
BEAT: Drummer Mya
Cawood said playing in
front of the big crowd at
Selwyn Sounds was an
“amazing opportunity.”
the crowd and received many
positive comments.
Said Robson: “When we were
playing, we got some good claps
and ‘whoops’ and what not. Then
afterwards, when we went out
into the crowds, people stopped
us and gave us really nice
compliments. That was really
nice to hear.”
They agreed playing on the
same stage at Sir Dave Dobbyn,
Gin Wigmore, Stellar*, Greg
Johnson, and Hoodoo Gurus
was the definite highlight of their
career to date.
The band plays at The Bower
in North New Brighton each
Sunday as part of a three-month
residency.
Playing at Selwyn Sounds and
at The Bower every weekend will
help their career.
Said Anderson: “I think it’ll
really help us get out into the
local music scene.
“A lot of people who watched
us were from Christchurch and
the surrounding area. I think
it’ll really help our publicity. As
Scarlett said, so many people
came up to us afterwards and
said how much they enjoyed our
set.
“We had a lot of people say
they’re going to come to our next
gig and they’re going to look out
for us. It is really encouraging to
hear that people are digging the
sort of music we’re playing.”
Zephyr played some Led
Zeppelin and Blondie covers,
as well as their own originals
during the 40-minute set at
Lincoln.
•Zephyr will be playing
at The Bower beer garden
from 1pm on Sunday.
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