Durie Hill yard concert raises much-needed funds for cyclone relief

The Durie Hill garden concert raised much-needed funds for cyclone relief.

A garden concert held over the weekend drew together cash for the Mayoral Relief Fund to help families along the East Coast and Hawkes Bay recover after February’s devastating Cyclone Gabrielle.

Skiffle band Hot Potato and guests raised $750 to put towards the fund, with more donations pledged.

The five-piece troupe performs on boats, verandas, pavements, on the back of trucks and in lounges and halls.

The afternoon of musical delight was free, and a koha box was on-site for people to place cash in over the day.

The band crafted and sang classics from the ‘50s through to current hits to suit the skiffle genre. There were musical friends who made a special appearance too.

“Playing in Hot Potato, I reckon, is the most fun six slightly older gentlemen can have legally. We just love making music together, and that enjoyment is easy for people to see and be part of,” Colin Luttrell, the band’s founder, said.

Skiffle is a musical genre that draws on blues, country, jazz and jug bands. Beginning in 1920s America, the genre saw a revival in 1950s Britain. The spirit of skiffle music is all about creativity, using inexpensive and unusual instruments and objects to create a great sound.

This report was produced under the Public Interest Journalism initiative, funded by NZ on Air.