Love is in the air

Summer really is the season of love. For us, it has come in the form of many gorgeous weddings.

This summer has been our biggest for weddings to date. We have played up and down the North Island at all kinds of wonderful locations. We've been inside, outside, on the coast, in forests, around lakes, played through sun, rain, hail and even played through one of the biggest storms to hit this country for years in an outdoor marquee desperately fighting to take off and set sail for distant shores!

The love we have been surrounded by at each of these has just been amazing. We have been meeting the most incredible, warm people at some of New Zealand's most stunning locations and venues. There has been many a night of high energy dance floors and the love and fun we've experienced is the gift that we recieve at these events. Seeing many of our wedding guests and clients turn up at our public gigs and joining in on our musical journey with us is something very special to us also. 

Perhaps the best image of this love over our busy summer has come in the form of Winston, the adorable pooch. What you can't see in this photo is the pumping, high energy dance floor or feel the music and beats that had the place shaking. The moment that followed included the bride and her best friend smashing out 'Killing in the name Of' by Rage against the Machine with us along with the whole party shouting the famous closing lines of this song. Through this all, little Winston wandered politely over and sat down at the feet of our lovely viking percussionist and took a quiet moment to sit down share his love with Dean whilst taking in the carnage on the dance floor. What a moment you gave us all dear Winston!

To the summer of love, with love, we've loved it!!

Stadium Rock

Eden Park. We played there! 

What an exciting treat to be play a set at this iconic New Zealand sports venue. It really has been an exhilarating couple of weeks for us. Once again we find ourselves stepping on to stage in front of thousands of people and it's no word of a lie that we are really enjoying it! 

Playing at the NRL Nines is another large event that has come about for us from positive thinking and hard work. Walking out of the players tunnel, running out on to the field, the noise and excitement, all are magical moments that will be locked in our memories. So awesome to see some familiar faces as we walked out and hearing the shouts of encouragement from friends, family and followers was something very special to us.

This summer has included some accomplishments that we are super proud of that are certainly due to the hours we put in but also impossible without the support of our followers. We would like to thank our families and friends that have been taking this journey with us and making the time sacrifices possible but also a big thank you also goes out to you loyal listener for your ongoing encouragement and support. Without you, there is no White Chapel Jak and we thank you.

Let's do more of these sorts of events together eh? 

what does an audience of 18,000 people look like?

One year ago we were given a couple of free tickets to the Summer Concert series in Whitianga featuring Melissa Etheridge, Reo Speedwagon with Huey Lewis and the News. As we stood in the audience watching the opening acts and the sea of people pouring into the venue, our singer Bonnie looked at me and said "we're going to be up there next year."

One year on from that moment and where are we? .....On stage at the Summer Concert Series in Whitianga opening for Bonnie Tyler, Alan Parsons Project and Icehouse in front of an audience of 18,000! 

This moment has been one of reward in many different ways. It feels like a testament to the 150 gigs we have played throughout the year that have pushed our profile to a point where we are on the radar for a show like this. It feels like reward for the hours spent on the road away from our loved one's pursuing our musical passion with the belief that we would reach playing for audiences of this size. Lastly it is, no doubt, a testament to the power of positive thinking backed with the right amount of determination. For this, we thank our singer/band manager Bonnie Hurunui for her ongoing belief and hard work that has taught us all that dreams are real given the right mindset backed with a strong work ethic. 

So jump on board the positive thinking train with us. It really works. Shake off your fears, disbelief's, figure out what you want, set your goals and believe. Positive thinking could change the world if we all managed to simply choose and believe. 

And so what does the energy of 18,000 people feel like on stage? Absolutely incredible!! We loved every moment of it whole heartedly. 

And so, we will be doing more of these kinds of shows. We choose to believe, so it's real.

See you there!

Ben Harper....that's right....Ben Harper!!!

We toured with ben Harper!!

Wow....just wow. When our good friend and talented songwriter Miller Yule asked us to be his backing band opening for Ben Harper with The Innocent Criminals on the New Zealand Leg of their tour, you kind of assume it's a bit of a joke. But, it turns out the offer was real and we got to live the experience of a lifetime. 

What a truly amazing experience! 

Ben Harper is an artist that all of our band have loved and listened to for many years. What a privilege and an honour to be sharing the stage with someone whom we respect so much alongside The Innocent Criminals who are world class musicians. It was a dream to be performing at some of New Zealand's largest venues and experiencing a taste of life on the road. Playing alongside Ben and his team of amazing musician's was almost overwhelming and to actually spend some real time with them off the stage and discover that they are all super nice, down to earth people whom were very generous of their time was a huge highlight that was a massive inspiration to us all. 

Thank you Miller. Thank you Ben Harper. Thank you to The Innocent Criminals. Thank you to all the amazing people that came out to support the tour and then took time to genuinely listen to us and made us feel welcomed on stage as an opening act at each venue. 

Living the dream baby!!!!  Living the dream!!!

Montage Time

Our return to New Zealand has been true royal welcome with a busy schedule of gigs up and down the North Island.

After some time away playing music oversea's, our shows at home have been the best reminder of what a fantastic country we live in. From the Okere Falls beer festival in Rotorua, to gorgeous weddings in Auckland, to the Parnell Rose festival and on up to some brilliant events in the Rodney district. Everywhere we travel to we encounter amazing sights, beautiful landscapes and meet warm and friendly people. What better way to share the journey with you all than a photo montage of just a few of the great moments (in the form of spectacular selfies of course!!) we've shared over this past month. 

We love you Aoteoroa!!!

Home again

We have returned back to our wonderful homeland Aoteoroa after an amazing time traveling and playing some music. 

We celebrated our singer's birthday at Oktoberfest in Munich, walked the amazing coastal villages of Cinque Terre in Italy then sang the night away in a little restaurant packed with locals and travellers dancing and singing along. From there, we all went our individual ways and enjoyed a little time away from performing spent with our partners travelling to some incredible and beautiful locations around Europe. Finally, we all met up in the UK to play some shows in aid of youth music UK. 

Youth music UK is a charity that works with children, teens and families across the UK providing music lessons, instruments and mentorship programs for those that might otherwise never have the opportunity. Through their work with music they generate some massive, positive changes for families in need. We played for them two years ago in the UK and we were honoured to be playing there again in support of such a great and relevant cause. 

Our shows in the UK were a blast! We loved the changing venues, the smiling faces and all the dancing, cheering and support we received along the way. We are proud to say we raised over one thousand pounds from the proceeds and we know they will be going to great use amongst local communities. 

We would like to thank Jacob Boston, Melainee Wooden, Kristie Grant, Charlie Billington, Georgina Bondfield, Ros and Charles Buckler all for their hospitality and help with the shows. We love you all! A very big and special thank you also to Cliff Bradley who played bass for us whilst in the UK. What an amazing musician and great guy....thank you!!

Selfies and soap

As the winter months have been taking hold and the temperature dropping there really hasn't been much of a drop in gigs for us. 

It has been a month of big change. We have farewelled our long term double bassist and dear friend Dwayne with sadness and much nostalgia. Dwayne has been a solid foundation in the sound of White Chapel Jak and a solid foundation for hugs when needed! 

At the same time we have been welcoming our new double bassist Michael White. Michael was thrown straight into the deep end with his first two gigs within 3 days of meeting us for the first time. Michael has been amazing....man can he play a double bass!! It is with much excitement now that we look forward to the next stage of our musical journey with a new member that has bought a whole new energy to what we do.

Below are a few moments from the past month. There has been a lot of Whanau time with birthdays for some of our family members both young and not so young! 

And then there is the soap that arrived mysteriously in the post one day...well...we'll just let the picture say all it needs to on that one.....

Sounds of summer

Reflecting on our summer of music.

This summer has been our busiest yet. There has been numerous gigs every week across a number of different locations and venues around the country. Every where we have been we have been met by lovely, smiley people that really make this journey with music worthwhile for us. We thank each and every person that has enjoyed some music with us through the summer. As the dream of being full time musician's has become a reality for us more and more we appreciate the support of our audiences. When we are a little drained or perhaps the fingertips are a little sore as we hit the 5th gig for the weekend it is the energy from you, the listener that re invigorates us and sets alight the music once again. The delivery of a cold drink, a warm smile, a couple in love slow dancing in an intimate venue or a large crowd moving together....these are the moments that keep us coming back to gigs time after time. So we thank you for your support, your laughter and fun. You created all our wonderful moments this summer.

Take a moment to scroll through the photo's below to share in just a snippet of where our music has taken us during our busiest months. Sometimes it is a stop for a rest when driving somewhere that reveals another stunning view. Sometimes a warm and inviting venue that we are playing in. Or it could be a back stage moment when everyone is feeling a little tired and silly. Each is a memory for us that we thank you for. 

We sincerely hope to see you all again soon......

A big surprise

A surprise wedding!!

---

Everyone was here at this function under the premise that they were celebrating a birthday together. What an incredible sight when the groom announced to their unsuspecting guests that a wedding was the real reason they were all together. Amazing watching how a room full of people come together in a moment like this. Just brilliant! So much excitement and love in the room after that announcement. 

A beautiful, relaxed ceremony with a lovely couple and their surprised friends and family! 

We feel lucky to be able to share these special moments in peoples' lives. 

Sawmill Anniversary

The Leigh Sawmill is an iconic music venue that has become a very important part of New Zealand music history. Of course when we were asked to play there as part of their 20 year anniversary we were over the moon!

It was a true honour to be a part of the celebrations for such an amazing venue that is steeped in a rich history of music. We were flattered to be asked to play and share the weekend with incredible artists Tike Taane, DJ Dylan C and Ladi 6. 

Thank you to all the Sawmill staff who always greet us with huge smiles, great beer and delicious food. We recommend that you get along to this place if you haven't been before. 

Happy Birthday Sawmill!! We will see you again soon.....

Season of love

This summer has certainly been the season of love for us.

We have been privileged and honoured to share in the celebration of many beautiful weddings across a deliciously hot and sunny 'Kiwi summer.' Now that we are moving towards the cooler months of the year we figured it was a good time to share a few photo's of just a few of the gorgeous places we have travelled to and the wonderful celebrations we have been a part of. 

Take a moment to look through the photos here. We feel they are a celebration of not only the amazing weddings we see and people we meet but also a celebration of life, love and our stunning homeland Aoteroa. We treasure this place we are lucky to call home and the wonderful people that we all share it with. 

Love Aoteoroa. 

Bonjour!!

Well these wonderful people from New Caledonia certainly know how to throw a party!!

A stunning house on Waiheke Island with a private beach looking over a beautiful sheltered bay, fresh homemade French preserves, pickles, meats, cheeses and breads, colds drinks, boutique ice-creams and a deck for us to play on with this view.....wow!!

The welcome here for us was amazing. The dancing and singing started from the very first song and didn't stop all night. The passion for live music here was incredible and really made us feel special. 

Thank you so much to our wonderful hosts. We loved meeting you all and sharing the birthday celebrations and we sincerely hopeto see you again one day!

On the road

Well it's been a busy couple of days but also a load of fun for us playing across the North Island during this past week.

From Rotorua Thursday and Friday, to Snells beach Saturday, Mangawhai on Sunday then Matakana on Monday it's a true reminder of what a special country Aoteoroa is and we consider it a treat to be able to travel here doing what we love. 

Thanks to all the wonderful venues and hosts that looked after us along the way : Ponsonby Road, The Salty Dog Inn, The Mangawhai Tavern and Plume Restaurant. Biggest thank you goes out to all the lovely, fun audiences that came out to see us play. You guys make it great fun for us. 

How we roll

Perhaps everyone was a bit tired. We had just played 2 nights in Rotorua, a night in Snells Beach and then this was our Sunday afternoon about to play in Mangawhai when this photo came about. Or perhaps this is just how we roll.....sorting out some of the takings from the weekend over a game of pool....#thuglife

Capturing Colour Aoteoroa

This book that was sent to us is absolutely stunning! What a superb thank you that was mailed to us as a thank you for our music on a Sunday afternoon at The Riverhead Tavern. We have very much enjoyed taking in the wonderful images of this gorgeous country we are lucky to live in. 

Thank you Helen Loveday for such a wonderful, creative gift. 

Please go out and hunt down a copy of this beautiful book. We are sure you won't regret it. 

Exponents and Happy Socks

Well we were refreshed and ready to start back into shows after nine days away having some down time with our friends and whanua. 

And no better way to start back than this....a beautiful day in the Coromandel, a stunning winery location, great people and an opening slot for iconic Kiwi band The Exponents. 

Concert in the Vines at Cooks Beach is a a brilliant event. All proceeds go towards supporting the Westpac helicopter trust and along with such a great setting there is a superb line up of entertainment for the day. Such an honour to be supporting such a great cause again and we feel humbled to be opening for such a classic Kiwi band.

Hope to see you there next year!?

Busy months and wide smile

Wow it really has been a busy couple of months for us!! There has been numerous weddings, Christmas functions, private functions, festivals, markets and bars. 

As we draw near to the end of this year we find ourselves wearing big smiles. Exhausted but overjoyed to be doing what we are passionate about for a living. 

We would like to thank all whom have supported us throughout the year. Thank you for the fun, laughter and joy that you bring to us at every show. 

See you int eh new year for more good times and smiles!!

Some local children having a dance contest to some of our tunes at the Sirens and Sounds festival in Avondale. Fantastic community event!

Lunchtime tunes at Auckland Airport. There will be a few more of these for us through the summer months. 

Wedding fun at Lake Karapiro. This was a beautiful wedding with some real fun to be had with friendly folks on the dance floor. 

Absolutely beautiful wedding lay out at The Stables Restaurant, Matakana. 

Not a bad way to start this Christmas function. This was the first of many to come over the month of December. Thanks to the Parnell Raquets Club for kicking off the Christmas season with us in style. 

Another stunning wedding location. It really is a privilege to see all these amazing locations and share in people's special days...it makes us smile like this!

Kids are the greatest!!

Children are fantastic!! We love how they are totally free to express themselves and without fail it's always children that we see up dancing before anyone at gigs. 

Check out this artwork from one of our top young fans. What a great piece of work...we love it! 

Thanks Mitchel for the time you took to make this for us. 

Tunes in the Tron

Gourmet in the Gardens is a regular event in Hamilton that we would sincerely encourage anyone to check out. 

Set in the beautiful Hamilton Gardens overlooking the lake this event is free entry, family friendly with a bouncy castle area for the kids and also some of the finest gourmet food trucks selling some amazing dishes. On top of all of that there is also live music each week. 

Get along and check it out! Every Sunday through summer from 4-8pm. 

We had a blast playing here. So great to see so many out enjoying the weather and the delicious food and good ol' boogie along to our tunes. Thank you to the food vendors for looking after us with beautiful bites to eat during our break. 

See you again soon. 

Rotorua does it again...

Ponsonby road in Rotorua has definitely become one of our favourite places to play. The vibe here is warm, fun and inviting and the welcome we receive from the locals really is amazing. So cool to see people whom had remembered us from months ago making the effort to come back and see us again....and what a great party over two nights of playing with plenty of dancing, singing and fun. 

Special thank you to lovely local Paula who not only came in for both nights but even prepared the wonderful welcome you see below of home made sliders and a cold beer for when arrived for our second night of playing. What a special treat! Thank you!!

And thank you again to Popnsonby Road Bar in Rotorua...we will definitely see you again.