Elvis — Costello?

Press, 16 February 1978, Page 13

Elvis — Costello?

By

NEVIN TOPP

- Greymouth is one of the inost unlikely places for finding an exciting, entertaining New Zealand rock group, mainly because not many exciting, entertaining New Zealand groups find their way to Greymouth.

But, the Auckland Group, Tom Sharplin and the Rockets, visited the town last November, and I made sure that I saw them again at the Aranui Motor Lodge, Christchurch last week. The Greymouth performance was a stunning one, perhaps I am not

used to finding excellent, professional musicianship when I visit there.

The group get up to antics, such as saying they are going to play a song from Neil Diamond’s “Jonathan Livingstone Seagull” album. T! ' syn* thesizer sets up a washy sound, then suddenly two of the members of the group leap off the stage, squawk like seagulls and collide in the middle of the dance floor in a shower of feathers. Another favourite is playing part of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite,” complete with bow tie and music stand (with sheet music) for Malcolm Smith on keyboards. Last Saturday night at the Aranui, Tom Sharplin got dressed in “drag” and sang one song, but as is the case in all their performances it is rock ’n’ roll finale complete with fifties dress that is the attraction. The fifties rock *n’ roll show is just that. Early Presley, Buddy Holly, and Jerry Lee Lewis all get the treatment, and it really makes everyone sit up and take notice. The group has been going for 18 months, and this is its third New Zealand tour. Glenn White, the lead guitarist, said that the group had sold out in places like Palmerston

North and Invercargill and was creating quite a following. Commenting on the theory of why New Zealand groups use humour, Glenn said he thought audiences in this country were reserved, and humour was the way to get through to them.

“Split Enz uses insanity, and Mother Goose pure slapstick.” New Zealand audiences were seemingly hard on groups, and Tom Sharplin and the Rockets used humorous gimmicks to ease that feeling, he said.

The group can turn on some great straight music, often specialising in Santana material, and the humorous sketches are only one side of its nature. It also reflects how the group get on well together, and they are always devising new schemes to incorporate into their act.

In Dunedin for example they were given some wigs and dresses, and produced a “Miss Drag Queen” contest, complete with compere.

According to Glenn White it was a success.

Those in Greymouth will be interested to know that Tom Sharplin and the Rockets return there next Friday and Saturday night. They then go to Nelson for a week.

The group will be back in Christchurch in July.