Crooner captures Wairarapa fans

Greytown crooner Steve Carlin also doubles as a singer and drummer with Wellington three-piece, Uncle Monkey.

Greytown crooner Steve Carlin - aka Franki Martini - has captured a Wairarapa cluster of fans who come out by night to dance and thrill to his swing era shows.

Carlin shifted from the capital city to Greytown two years ago, where with wife Sandra he owns and runs The Saddlery bed and breakfast.

But in the evenings and at weekends, Carlin takes to the stage as a musician and entertainer, either donning a fedora, waistcoat and tie as a retro master of swing, or swinging sticks as the drummer and vocalist with Wellington "organic pop rock" trio, Uncle Monkey.

The three-piece was formed in Wellington in the late-90s and also features singer and guitarist Carl Webley as frontman and Sam Hyde on vocals and bass. The band has released five EPs and two albums, including Same Planet ... Different Orbit and The Great Attractor.

Carlin the crooner performs a regular cabaret show in the capital and as a solo artist has shared a stage with Peter Urlich and played numerous corporate shows transtasman and in Europe.

He also sang at the 2013 Toast Martinborough and with Uncle Monkey performed last year at the wedding of Honor Dillon and All Black Dan Carter.

Carlin has been winning more solo work in Wairarapa since his shift from the city, he said, including a mounting number of weddings and his inclusion on the weekly entertainment roster at Iberia Restaurant in Masterton, where he plays this Thursday from 6.30pm.

It was his Masterton shows that sparked the cadre of ardent fans, he said, who in turn have won his thanks and applause.

"There's a large group of about 10 people out Masterton way who come to see my shows and there's a couple who regularly come along and dance, and I am really grateful for the support," he said.

"I think it's because you can't really go out and hear someone sing Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin. Turns out I can sing it and I think I just slotted into a niche there, a gap in the market," he said.

Carlin performs using backing tracks, which bring down costs and space and equipment requirements and dresses the part to seal the deal.

"The image is important. People look at you and think 'ahh okay I know what I'm in for here', and it refines the evening, you know, brings things up a notch or two," he said.

"I really enjoy the balance between Uncle Monkey and my solo work and while I am doing a lot more crooning these days, I love getting up on the drum kit and playing in a rock band as well, and it's nice to play with other musicians as well as a balance to the solo thing

For more information go online to croonercentral.co.nz or call Steve Carlin on 021 703 564.