Michael and Celine are very old friends and if you are fortunate enough to get to one of their rare performances, you can tell. The ease with which the two write songs, play and sing together is cemented by decades of collaborating both on and off stage, in their lounge and even on the side of the road in a Christchurch street. Long ago they were flatmates, they are funny together, honest with each other, as an audience you will feel connected and engaged in their comradery. They first played together in the UK in the 90’s as part of the acoustic folk act Something Going On led by O'Dempsey. You can expect to laugh at their humour, be stunned beautiful ballads penned by Michael and be toe tapping to their groove.
Michael is a captivating performer and songwriter who can hold audiences in the palm of his hand from the first bar of his compelling performances. With decades on stage, a formidable songbook, that would be the envy of even the world’s most renown scribes he balances raw vulnerability with razor-sharp craft, writing songs that cut straight to the heart. He began as a keyboardist in the 80s/90s with the Magic Mushroom Band who had an almost cult like following in the on the UK Free Festival circuit, then joined Martin Franklin’s ambient ensemble Tuu, blending Tibetan and regional instrumentation with synth and samples. Since moving to Lyttelton in 2002, he’s continued to build a growing local profile, with compositions ranging from raucous to breathtakingly beautiful, carried by story-driven lyrics over spare guitar or piano.
Celine plays rhythm guitar, occasional bass or ukelele, supporting a powerhouse vocal performance including originals and obscure covers. She has played in several Line ups in NZ including Glorybox, Nana & Petal , Celine Filbee and the Hot Sauce and a duo with Davey Griffiths. She fronted Celine Filbee and the Fatboy Blues Band with brother Dylan in the UK and in 2025 formed the Peanut Butter Blues Band. Over the years Celine’s has made sporadic solo appearances, honing an act fitting her persona and eclectic musical bent. She can own the biggest banger, feel the suffering of a blues standard or dial it right back to expose all the sentiment in a ballad, with the charisma and storytelling magnetism to carry even the most sparse song.
