A supa-sekrit surprise gig to help staff celebrate 100 years of Scots
We gathered just down from the St James Theatre just before 8pm, keeping well out of view of the main doors, so as not to spoil the surprise. None of the staff at the school’s centenary celebration party knew we were coming, which made the whole thing extra fun.
At a signal from the school organiser, we struck up the band with Samba reggae and made our way up towards the theatre entrance, drumming as we went. We had a whole heap of Batucada dancers with us, which was brilliant – they all looked so beautiful in their white CubaDupa skirts, and they led the way into the St James.
The crowd parted as we made our way inside, and lined up either side of us as we played. The dancers were up at the front, surrounded by trees covered in sparkling fairy lights. They looked amazing!
We had been a bit concerned that we’d deafen the guests in such a confined space, but it wasn’t as loud or as echo-y as we’d thought it might be, and we made sure to rein in the volume as much as we could. The crowd closest to the drummers looked like they were enjoying themselves, which is always a good sign!
We had a great time doing the gig. A whole bunch of the guests took to the dancefloor and matched the choreography of our dancers, which was awesome to watch – top marks to Scots College staff for getting amongst it and taking part.
We got some great feedback afterwards – our show was described as “the highlight of the evening”. We were delighted to have been invited and to have made such an impact. Happy Birthday Scots College!
Cuba Street ninja gig
After the gig we were all happy and hyped up, so we decided to do a little ninja gig just for fun. Tim G was well up for a bit of ninja directing, so off we went. We headed up Cuba Street and stopped by the brick stage near the Night Market. A perfect place to play.
We gathered quite a substantial crowd pretty quickly, all of whom were having a great time. Cuba Street always has such a wonderful vibe and lively atmosphere. I always wonder if people wonder why we’re playing (as we rarely if ever busk for money – we just love to play) – but really, any excuse to perform on Cuba Street is good enough for us.
I was having a most excellent time until the moment when I hit my drum skin just a little too hard – or maybe it was at a funny angle or on a weak spot – there was a loud “pop” and the skin split from one side of the drum to the other. Oops!
It’s definitely not quite so easy to play when your drum is broken (what a surprise!) and it probably sounded a bit pants – I should have stepped out and watched instead, or taken pictures, or video or something – but I love playing so much that I just couldn’t stop.
We did a couple of numbers, had fun with the crowd, then wandered off to a local hostelry for a well-deserved lemonade. What a great night!
We’d love to add some photos and/or video to this review, so if you have any, please get in touch with AliG at alison@webweaver.co.nz – thanks!