Grand photo to mark Wairarapa music

Holly McGeorge, right, on stage during a King Street Live jam night, the last of which will run on Wednesday night. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Twelve months of all-comer jam nights at King Street Live comes to a glorious finale on Wednesday with a grand collective selfie to mark the occasion.

Event founder Holly McGeorge said more than 50 musicians from as far north as Gisborne, Taupo and Dannevirke and throughout Wairarapa had taken the stage over the past year of mid-week jam nights.

The award-nominated Masterton entertainment venue is to soon close its doors and McGeorge, who also founded Masterton band Circa, said the final jam night would cap a year of "musicians exploring music with other people, and stepping outside of their comfort zones and embracing the possibilities together".

She said all musicians who came along to the final jam night would have a chance to become part of a collective photograph aiming to record the community of performers in their natural environment.

"There's been a great response about the final jam night and everyone's quite excited about getting a big Wairarapa musicians' photo taken."

More than the usual number of punters and performers were expected for the event, which would be launched at 5pm with a barbecue.

McGeorge said entry to the evening meal and show was by way of koha or "bring their own meat for the barbie", and the photograph would be shot at 7.30pm.

"It's encouraging for some of the families with kids who play music as well, so we can have future musicians in the photo too because we'll be creating a piece of history."

She said "the rockers can stay on" after the image is captured, and get down to the core business of the evening and make music together.

The imminent closure of the venue doors would be an event set to music, she said, although she believed other doors would soon enough open.

"There's a secret part of me that believes never say never, but as we currently see it we do have to close that chapter and set ourselves up for the next part of the musical journey in Wairarapa."