Velvet Star's first ever-gig will be in Palmerston North. Photo/ Supplied
Velvet Star's first ever-gig will be in Palmerston North. Photo/ Supplied
A Wellington band will play their first-ever gig in Palmerston North.
Velvet Star will join local band Skitz Hydro to support fellow Wellington-based band SHE at their concert at Snails. Lead vocalist Lorraine Taylor says the chance to perform in Palmerston North is like a dream come true.
“I was raised in Whanganui and even though I’ve lived in Wellington for a long time now, I will always think of Palmerston North as the big smoke. I will always have a soft spot for Palmerston North. The band is super-excited to play alongside local legends Skitz Hydro as we support SHE. We’ve done open-mic sessions before but this is our first-ever gig as a band.”
Lorraine describes Velvet Star as a mix of hard rock, addictive funk and mysterious prog flourishes.
“Some of our song topics are urban alienation, obsession, a half-joke celebration of a novelty item and dark comedies about holidays gone awry.”
She joined the band less than a year ago after they needed a replacement for their lead singer.
“I had known band guitarist Karl Jensen for a few years but last year I took the plunge. They needed a replacement for a few months but when the former lead singer left the band I became the vocalist for Velvet Star. I have experience in rock, alternative theatre and voice training. It took me ages to find the courage to connect with musicians but I’m so glad I did.”
She enjoys working alongside Karl, bassist Wayne Slater and drummer Seb Bishop.
“We like a mix of genres but we have enough overlap in common to create a pallet to paint with. Every single band member contributes to what we produce. Karl creates some songs, Seb is an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist who comes up with a few jams, and Wayne comes in with some riffs. We all work very good together. Since I’m new to the band, the focus is fine-tuning our style which is working very well. I really respect the skills each of us has as we find out more about each other.”
Lead vocalist Lorraine Taylor says the band is looking forward to performing at Snails. Photo / Supplied
Last year Lorraine learned more about music writing.
“I did a skills exchange with a person I worked with at the Wellington Fringe Festival. They taught me about music theory and I taught them about singing. I’ve been able to write some songs for the band with the learning I did last year. We’ve all been in various other projects so ego isn’t a big issue, we’re all just grateful to play music we enjoy.”
As well as supporting Skitz Hydro and SHE on stage, Lorraine looks forward to being in the crowd.
“I really like Skitz Hydro’s song Meteroiate and I find SHE’s Everything was in Black and White to be a great song. They’re both really talented bands and I can’t wait to support them at this gig.”
Lorraine says she and the other band members are practising once a week for their performance, and also developing a playlist.
“We want to have a great playlist that people will enjoy. We can’t wait to perform in Palmerston North and we hope our spirit comes through when we perform.”
The Details:
What: SHE with Skitz Hydro and Velvet Star.
When: Saturday, March 18. Doors open at 8.30pm. The event starts at 8.45pm.
