Sunday June 3rd. Queens Birthday weekend, Raglan band “the Legendary Mudsharks” will be heading for the bar at the Raglan Club along with “West Coast Jazz,” and introducing a brand new band “Bruce Dennis and the Dab Hands.”
The Mudsharks began as Dave Maybee and Sid Limbert playing acoustic guitars and mandolins in the front bar of the Harbour View Hotel in Bow St. Raglan early 1981. They played every second Monday night in the Settlers Lounge, as time went by other players were added, and before long electric instruments and sound systems appeared. The band grew, and so did the reputation of the “Mudshark Mondays.”
Old Raglan identity Saxophone player/singer/dancer/and entertainer Clarry Cresswell, became a regular with the boys, Midge Marsden moved to town and often brought back touring musicians who stopped in for a few days R and R and turned up at one of the nights for some fun. Rock Star and now Legend Dave McArtney arrived in town and in turn so did a lot of his mates, drummer Kevin Thomas also came to stay in town and was the regular drummer for a long time.
We head for the Bar this time mindful of the odd one of us who has gone over the bar and out into the open sea never to return. Clarry, Dave Mac, Kev Thomas, Ritchie Pickett, Mike Farrell, and the latest was our first drummer and very close mate Paul Kunak. Rest in peace.
So the show will kick off with “West Coast Jazz” an All Star cast with Greg Taylor (keys) Grant Mason (Trumpet & Flugal horn) Bill Forest (alto, tenor, and soprano sax) Gentleman Jack Porima (double Bass) Freddy Limbert (drums) they play some really hot stuff, and very groovy.
Then the Mudsharks will jump up, this year again featuring a 10 piece band, from left to right, Liam Ryan (Keys/vocals) Peter Skandera (harmonica) Dave Maybee (Guitars/vocals) Freddy Limbert (Drums/vocals) Sid Limbert (Bass/vocals) Gary Verberne (Guitars) Bill Forest (Sax’s) Grant Mason (Horns) Greg Taylor (Trombone/Keys). This time Midge is away with his own band so won’t be there, He’ll be missed…But… a new band made up of some of the old band will feature with “Bruce Dennis and the Dab Hands,”
Bruce is not only a very talented multi-instrumental musician, and a brilliant song writer, he has toured with a number of Australasian & International artists, but he also has a deep, very honest and rare ‘soulful’ voice. His songs are great – he received Country Music Song of the Year for “Ain’t Gonna Run” at the 2008 New Zealand Country Music Awards.
It’s going to be a great night.
“I know it.” Sid Limbert.
