Laura Collins & the Back Porch Blues Band

Laura Collins and the Back Porch Blues Band at St Peters Hall, Saturday 18th May, $20 on the door (cash only), doors at 7.30pm, show starts 8.00pm. Cabaret style seating, plenty of seats available, please just come early if you would like to seat a group together.

Keeping the blues ‘live’ in Paekākāriki

Laura Collins and the Back Porch Blues Band are heading back to Paekākāriki with their blend of blues, swing, boogie and swamp.

Laura, who is up front from the very start, with high energy, cheek and vocal strength leads and celebrates her band – and gives them licence to shine. And shine they do, with Paekākāriki local Wayne Mason, of course also known for being one of our much loved singer songwriters, here is master of boogie ‘burning it up’ on the keys and adding his iconic voice to the vocal mix. Think Fats Domino, think Dr John, think Professor Longhair and you’ll be in the right honky tonk.

Another Kāpiti local, John O’Connor will be ‘eating it up’ on lead guitar, never self-indulgent – just soulful and astonishing. He’s played with everyone along the way, from BB King to Kiri Te Kanawa.

The rhythm section brings a warm acoustic volume with George Barris on tasty upright bass and Peter Cogswell on the ‘back porch’ drums proving that you don’t need to be loud to groove.

The lads offer four part vocal harmony to Laura’s lead, combining often for a lush gospel blues sound.

Expect to hear a little Fats Domino, Bonnie Raitt, Etta James, some of Laura’s own and others she can put her stamp on, all with their roots in the blues. Laura says “Blues comes straight from the heart and that’s just how I like it, it’s accessible, joyful, heart full music and not only that it makes me want to move – what’s not to like?”

This band are dynamic, masterful and all about entertainment. A combination of ‘old hands’ who have been making music a long time, absolutely revelling in the playing. A night out with Laura Collins and the Back Porch Blues Band is a joyful celebration of why we would keep the music ‘live’.