Raglan Musicians Club

The Raglan Musicians club, Im told, goes back almost as far as Graeme Braziers Plastic surgery habit, and has been home and hearth to some of our greatest music makers. Tonight, although off to a slow start was to be a night of surprises for this intrepid scribe. After almost 15 years since I first played the venue at the end of bow street currently called "Orca", I never knew that there was a fantastic stage and dance floor at the back. I remember opening for TRUCKER in the front bar in 1999 and wonder what could've been had they set the band up on the stage. Bygones. Raglan has a feast of talent and amongst tonights performers, not a single Raglanite of any particular notoriety, just a bunch of honest souls sharing a love of live music, be it as a performer or an audience. A tricky room acoustically, paired with a stage of the "Box" variety posed the usual amateurish sound problems but, well, amateur is the point, there will be no record deals struck here! A surprising turnout considering Anika and Barnabey were over at the Yot Club, and goes to highlight the shift from national to local focus as communities once more look to their own for entertainment. Not a single act to be flawed, apart from a lady storming the stage in a fit of patriotic fervor only to find that she didn't really know the words to Mr Dobbyns fine nautical jaunt "Whaling". But I think I saw her back in the nineties storm joe cocker at founders theatre chanting "Manawatu can play rugby" and urging the crowds participation until security coaxed her down from Andy Warhols 15minutes, leaving a perplexed but bemused Cocker to finish her show. Great fun, no names, just music. Primal and due for a venue upsize come summer perhaps. Just another notch on the belt of what is perhaps Aotearoas most enigmatic and flourishing communities. Good on ya Raglan Musos Club!