Christchurch's Iconic Event to Celebrate Fifty Years of Rock n Roll And Raise Funds For Cerebral Palsy

Christchurch welcomes and invites you to celebrate the rich history of fifty years of Rock and Roll- ROCKONZ ROCK AND ROLL FESTIVAL on Saturday 24 March 2007.

Rock and Roll Stars of the 60's converge on Christchurch and continue playing since the Christchurch Youth Club opened in 1957. (Later to be known as the Christchurch Teenage Club).

They include Max Merritt and the Meteors,Dinah Lee,Ray Columbus, and the Invaders,Toni Williams, Dion and Cecile, David La Planche, John Parker ex Down Beats,John Campbell ex Detours , Peter Nelson and the Castaways ,The Vigilantes.
Rockits Backing Band comprising: Peter Gillette, Wayne Allen, Neville Claughton,Bob Heinz, and Murray Wood.

Norm Bland and Eddie Simon are to sing, play and entertain throughout the day in Victoria Square and Ben Blackett is to appear as Elvis at the Rock Around the Clock Dance party.

ROCKONZ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Awards

Hall of Fame concert where some of the artists will receive awards and be inducted into the Rockonz Hall of Fame website which will go live at the ceremony.
These include: Services to the Industry, Musicians par excellence, Entertainers of Voice, Bands of Renown , and International Stars.Those being inducted will give a short bird's eye view of their career and perform their favorite number. Trevor King QSM, will meet up with friends he helped start on their world wide careers.

"This celebratory event will definitely unite so many entertainers perhaps once in a lifetime as some of them are getting older. Not to mention bringing Christchurch together and also raising funds for the New Zealand Foundation for Conductive Education - helping children with motor disorders such as Cerebral Palsy", says Sharon Lingham-spokesperson for Rockonz.
" The The Hall of Fame Award is unique so is very exciting for everyone"!

From the love of music fostered through the club, many of the teenagers started their own bands and set out on their 50 year careers playing and singing, starting with the powerful music of the times. Many of these reached national and international acclaim with Ray Columbus and the Invaders being the first New Zealand performers to make a "Number One Hit" in both Australia and New Zealand at the same time.

Max Merritt and the Meteors gained a huge following in Australia as did Peter Williams of The Groove. These performers are now converging in Christchurch to celebrate their lives and their achievement with the local community and their peers at the Rockonz Festival.

Among those performing in Christchurch, some coming from the United States and Australia with their families, (many at their own expense).

Cecile Murphy, who with her husband Dion Murphy, conceived the idea and are working to make it happen says:
"In a rush of blood to the head, I had this vision of celebrating the lives of the local teenagers who were our peers of the time. As Dion and I have been performing music since 1958, it was what made us who we are. The musicians we know, all gave countless hours of their lives bringing entertainment to the lives of the local community. The Festival is a celebration of all those good times which were unique in that they heralded the start of the Rock and Roll era which still continues today".

Join in a whole day of Rock and Roll Music, Dancing, Parades, Classic Cars, British bikes and Fun competitions.

Festival day programme Outline: Victoria Square Fun Day:

11.00am. Norm Bland starts the day off singing Rock and Roll Favorites in the Victoria Square Amphitheatre.

11.30am Christchurch City Line Dancers will start of the dancing demonstrations.
The Christchurch Rock and Roll Clubs and also the Christchurch Ceroc Dance Club
will continue the dancing demonstrations throughout the day. At the same time you can wiggle your waistline with a Hula Hoop or bend your back at Limbo dance or rock and roll dance in time with the music.
Take part in the Look alike Competitions.

Classic Car Parade:11.45.am The Classic Car Parade starts from Hagley Park at the Armagh Street Bridge. There are 30+ cars expected to take part and they will be driven around the City parade route finishing up at Victoria Square where they go on display for the day. Judging by the photos being sent in the cars will be a smash hit.

Rockonz Star Welcome Parade: 11.45am The "Welcome to the Stars" parade also starts from Worcester Boulevard and walks in procession along Oxford Terrace, to Victoria Square, led by Canary Furniture's little yellow VW convertible playing Rock n' Roll music. This will be followed by "Roys Imperial Guard" marching team and members of the Rock and Roll Clubs.
The Rockonz Stars will follow on behind in their Classic Car Convertibles, who in turn will be followed by members of the British Motor Cycle Club. The Stars in their convertibles will travel on to Victoria Square and proceed along Colombo and Kilmore Streets to park at the back of the Christchurch Town Hall.

Victoria Square Mayoral Welcome and Festival Opening:12 noon The Mayor Garry Moore welcomes the Rockonz "Stars" on their arrival in Victoria Square and opens the Rockonz Festival.

12.30 pm The Stars will mingle with the crowd and sign autographs then move on to do their sound checks for the evening dance/concert performance in the Town Hall Auditorium.

12.30pm Norm Bland's music continues
2.00 pm Eddie Simon will continue the music and competitions through to closure of the fun in Victoria Square at 4.30pm

Rockonz Rock Around The Clock Dance/ Hall of Fame Award Concert.

The highpoint of the day is the combined "Rock around the Clock" Dance and "Hall of Fame award Concert". Expected to be up to four hours long, it will be full of fun, dance and excitement.

6.45pm: The evening starts with Rock and Roll demonstrations in the Town Hall Foyer.

7.10pm The Rockonz Stars will start to arrive in their Crown Limousines

7.30pm The Concert/dance will start with Jon McCrea MC for the Show inviting the Mayor Garry Moore to present the Rockonz Hall of Fame Awards to The Merritt Family and Trevor King for starting the Christchurch Youth Club in 1957. (Christchurch Teenage Club).

7.35pm The Concert starts with the Rock and Roll Clubs Grand opening. The first half of the programme is made up of the local 60's Stars backed by well known musicians, Murray Wood, Peter Gillette,Wayne Allen, Bob Heiz and Neville Claughton. These include; John Campbell, Dave LaPlanche, Johnny Parker, Cecile and Dion Murphy, Tony Williams and two well known bands, The Vigilantes and Peter Nelson and the Castaways.

The second half features star Ray Columbus and the Invaders, Dinah Lee and Max Merritt and the Meteors.

*The Rockonz Hall of Fame Awards for the International recipients will be presented to them at the time of their performance.

If tickets are still available, they will be on sale on the night at the Venue.
Warners Historic Hotel 3.00pm

Meet and Greet the Stars and local Hall of Fame Awards.

• Take the free entry opportunity to mingle with the Rockonz Stars.
•
• Celebrate with them as they receive their Rockonz Hall of Fame
•
Certificates for being part of the 50 years of Rock and Roll history of Christchurch.

• Make their day and tell how much you enjoyed the music that brought so many people together in the 1960s in Christchurch.

*The Rockonz Stars fly out from Christchurch starting from the early hours of Monday morning 26th March. Bon Voyage from us all.

* Put 3/4 March 2008 into your diary for next year's Rockonz Rock and Roll Festival.

*The Rockonz Hall of Fame is a website which gives details and information about the

Rock and Roll performers and their achievements which lead them to their inauguration into the Rockonz Hall of Fame on 25 March 2007

"It's only Rock 'n' Roll, but we like it"

Ends

© Scoop Media