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Hello Sailor lead singer and guitarist Harry Lyon won’t have far to travel when the band plays Leigh Sawmill Café on Saturday, November 30.
For the past two years, he and his wife Maggie have called Matakana home, after moving down from Russell to a classic old villa in the heart of the village.
The main reason was to shorten the commute to see their five grandchildren in Auckland, but his new home also gives Lyon plenty of opportunity to catch up and collaborate with a clutch of fellow Kiwi musos living locally.
They include Exponents guitarist Brian Jones, ex-Pop Mechanix and Coconut Rough front man Andrew McLennan, and father and son musicians Bruce and Andy Lynch.
But it’s Hello Sailor that still takes up much of Lyon’s time and energy, with a full schedule of shows and festivals over the coming months, including the Sawmill date, where the band will be playing as a “full sail” plugged-in five-piece and promise a set packed with hits.
“We had a great night at the Mill last May and we’re super-excited to be invited back for a bit of pre-Christmas rock’n’roll,” he said. “We have a fun time at our gigs these days and it’s great to see audiences enjoying the songs we love to play.”
The Leigh show is part of a three-date ‘Whirled Tour’ of up-close-and-personal gigs that also includes dates in Whangarei and Waihi Beach. Lyon says it will give the band a chance to “stretch their legs” before Hello Sailor hits the summer festival circuit with shows in Hawkes Bay, Twizel and even as far away as the Chatham Islands.
The band will be chalking up its 50th anniversary next year and Lyon promises that the milestone will be celebrated in suitably rocking fashion, dedicated to the music and memory of founding members Dave McArtney and Graham Brazier, who died in 2013 and 2015 respectively.
Lyon says the band’s current line-up is as close as fans will get to the band’s original classic sound, with Rick Ball on drums, Paul Woolright on bass, Jimmy Taylor on guitar and Stephen Small on keyboards and saxophone.
He says the Sawmill show will feature favourites from Hello Sailor, Pink Flamingos and Graham Brazier, as well as hits from Lyon’s own back catalogue and his 2018 critically acclaimed solo album, To the Sea.
Hello Sailor will play Leigh Sawmill Café on Saturday, November 30. Doors open 7.30pm for an 8.30pm start.
Tickets cost $50 plus booking fee from https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2024/hello-sailor/auckland/leigh/tickets
Ticket Giveaway
We have two VIP tickets to give away, which include a meet-and-greet with the band and two Hello Sailor T shirts. To enter, simply email reporter@localmatters.co.nz with Hello Sailor in the subject line, plus your name and contact number, by November 20.
