Quirky Quartet to Wow Wellington

MEDIA RELEASE
12 August 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Quirky Quartet to Wow Wellington

Beyondsemble begins tour at Wearable Arts

Tour dates: 22 September to 27 October
Locations: See tour list below
Price: Price varies based on venue

This September, Beyondsemble will kick off their second New Zealand tour with special performances to an audience of 35,000 at New Zealand’s iconic Wearable Arts Awards, providing the pre-show music for two weeks in the windy city.

With some members returned from touring in North America and Europe, the quirky quartet is keen to hit the road again on home soil. They will look to infuse their current repertoire with new sounds picked up from recent travels to wow even the most imaginative audiences.

Sponsored by Classic Campers, the band will tour New Zealand in a VW camper. They will travel from Wellington to Dunedin via Hokitika, then up the East Coast of both islands visiting local clubs and cafes and with guest spots at the Nelson Arts Festival and the Wellington Folk Festival.

Mike Nettmann in About the Arts said of their 2009 Kerikeri show: “How fortunate for all who managed to get a seat as the show was nothing short of pyrotechnic display of dazzling virtuosity by four highly imaginative and gifted musicians.”

Assembled by Craig Denham, possibly one of the country's most talented musicians, this is Beyondsemble’s second New Zealand tour in as many years. This innovative band will play some of the most exciting acoustic music to come out of New Zealand. Their delightfully fresh sound is full of texture, spontaneity and a tangible sense of adventure.

Denham says: “People have asked when we are coming back, which is really so humbling and it makes us all want to give our best when we’re playing. I think it’s the rural areas, where people often don’t have the chance to hear the kind of music we play, that makes for a really special, intimate gig.”

With Beyondsemble Denham seems to have struck the right chord as the members are multi-instrumentalists which gives them a great flexibility in terms of the styles they are able to cover. This highly creative four-piece performs a range of music from around the world and will often weave such styles as Celtic, Eastern European, Jazz, Tango and Latin to create an adventure in musical exploration, often composing new tunes on the spot in front of the audience.

The eclectic mix of tunes and songs, both original and sourced, are executed with passion, energy and pure joy. “I find it personally satisfying when our music is making a real connection with people and leaving everyone (us included) feeling inspired by the event,” says Denham.

The band members are: Craig Denham on accordion, keyboards, vocals and whistles; Jess Hindin on violin and keys; Chris Koole on percussion and vocals and Mark Mazengarb on guitars and bouzuki.
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