Nor'West News: February 22, 2024
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Hitting the right note<br />
By SHELLEY TOPP<br />
Amasterclassinentertainment was<br />
delivered by United States bluegrass/<br />
acoustic roots band Sassafras at asold out<br />
Balcairn Hall concert.<br />
The fourman band, comprising Wes<br />
Tuttle (mandolin, fiddle, vocals), Randy<br />
Gambill (guitar, vocals), Gray Tuttle<br />
(banjo, vocals) and Randy Pasley (bass,<br />
dobro, vocals) is based in the foothills of<br />
the Blue Ridge Mountains of North<br />
Carolina, and has just completed aNew<br />
Zealand tour promoting bluegrassmusic.<br />
Their Balcairn Hall concert also<br />
featured other music including country<br />
singer John Denver’s popular Take Me<br />
Home, Country Roads,with its nod to the<br />
Blue Ridge Mountains.<br />
They also performed John Fogerty’s<br />
Lookin’ Out My Backdoor,aslowed down<br />
version of Ring of Fire made famous by<br />
Johnny Cash, and the beautiful Sea of<br />
Heartbreak during last Saturday night’s<br />
concert.<br />
The frontman, Randy Gambill, also paid<br />
tribute to his Scottish heritage reciting an<br />
ode to adrunken Scotsman, which had the<br />
audience in fits of laughter, and there was<br />
also avery special, highspeed version of<br />
Orange Blossom Special.<br />
It was the first time aband from the<br />
USA had performed in the small country<br />
hall, and Randy (Gambill) praised the<br />
venue.<br />
‘‘You have agreat vibe going on here,’’<br />
he said.<br />
The band had performed before much<br />
larger audiences of 10,000 people and<br />
much smaller, but it was venues like<br />
Balcairn Hall ‘‘where you can get to know<br />
people’’ they enjoyed the most, he said.<br />
The band's superb musicianship,<br />
delivered with style and humour hit just<br />
the right note with the Balcairn audience<br />
which sang along to many of their songs.<br />
Towards the end of the show the band<br />
Master musicians ... United States<br />
bluegrass band Sassafras warming up<br />
before their sold out concert in the Balcairn<br />
Hall last Saturday evening. PHOTO: ALISON CLAY<br />
was treated to aliberal does of Kiwi<br />
humour after announcing to the crowd<br />
that two special guests would be joining<br />
them on stage.<br />
The guests were popular Balcairn Hall<br />
committee men, Wim Bevers and David<br />
Lowe. As they climbed on to the stage Wim<br />
told the audience that some people<br />
always want to play with atalented band,<br />
so on this occasion we will allow them.<br />
Wim (playing baritone ukulele banjo)<br />
took the microphone to join the band with<br />
David playing concert ukulele, and<br />
performed the country/folk song Can the<br />
Circle Be Unbroken.<br />
At the end of their performance Wim<br />
told the audience that ‘‘we are so lucky to<br />
have these guys perform for us tonight. My<br />
advice to them is keep practicing.’’<br />
NEWS<br />
North Canterbury <strong>News</strong>, <strong>February</strong> <strong>22</strong>, <strong>2024</strong><br />
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