"A bunch of people on stage playing music as if they were in the audience's living room and offering a very relaxed sing-a-long" is how the co-founder of the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra describes what Queenstown can look forward to tomorrow night.
The orchestra blends vocal harmonies, a double bass and inter-song banter to create a much loved rock and pop music concert with a difference.
"It's a really fun and happy atmosphere where we're really celebrating the music and having a bit of a chinwag with people along the way," band leader Age Pryor told the Queenstown Times before a gig in Invercargill yesterday.
Pryor, of Fly My Pretties, and the Woolshed Sessions, with 10 other ukulele-toting musicians, has played in Wanaka three times and Arrowtown once before, but this will be the first Queenstown gig.
"The band is excited about the whole tour partly because all of our venues are new and most of the towns are new as well, so Queenstown is one of those exciting unknowns," he said.
The orchestra's concert in the Queenstown Memorial Hall was almost sold out yesterday, which thrilled Pryor.
The tour celebrates the orchestra's latest and fourth EP called I Love You. The players challenged themselves to adapt a harder mix of eclectic songs to their unique sound than before.
"Cry Me a River, a Justin Timberlake R 'n' B song - we definitely had to think about how we were going to arrange it. We can't replicate the electronic R 'n' B-style drums, so it's a challenge to find the heart of the song and we've cracked it."
Crowd favourites around New Zealand included Africa, originally by Toto, Jolene by Dolly Parton and Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town made famous by Kenny Rogers, he said.
Pryor and childhood friend Bret McKenzie, of Flight of the Conchords fame, and a few other uke fans started jamming together for fun in Wellington cafe Deluxe Expresso Bar in December 2005. Academy award winner McKenzie reunites with the band when he can, which amounts to two or three times a year.
"Bret's been one of my best friends since we were 5 years old and seeing someone you've known that long succeed, it's almost like a family member doing well. You just feel happy for them and you also don't really get too excited about the hype that surrounds it.
"Whenever he joins us it feels like the group is even more complete than it normally feels."
The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra, Queenstown Memorial Hall, tomorrow.
Doors open 6.30pm, main act 7.30pm. All ages, with interval.
All tickets cost $38 plus booking fee. Ticketing info at www.ukulele.co.nz.
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