THE COWPOKERS: Foot-tappin' Onekaka Swamp Rock, World Famous in Golden Bay!
Golden Bay's finest local boys are rounding up and riding North to bring their unique brand of rock, blues and ska to the capital. What if swamp rock wasn't born in Louisiana, but in Takaka you ask? What if Iggy Pop and the Stooges had been Marlborough dairy farmers? What if Hendrix had settled in a Tukurua art gallery selling homemade jewellery crafted from shells and bone? The answer to all these questions and more can be found at a Cowpokers gig: a raw, barn-storming, rural-rock-and-roll sensation that 23 years of gigging has utterly failed to hone, polish, or refine.
TYSON SMITH: Wellington-based guitarist/singer/songwriter Tyson Smith will be bringing his unique, original music combining elements of rock, blues, folk, world music and freeform improvisation.
Tyson has worked as a guitarist with acts ranging from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to vocalist Hollie Smith, before focusing on his own music in the last few years.
In 2024 he celebrated 10 years since the release of his album The Hollow Tree with Rick Cranson and Ed Zuccollo, and released his new single Wolves. Tyson has been performing regularly around various New Zealand venues and festivals with his raw and exciting sound both with the trio and solo (utilising multiple amps and a bass drum).
