Good country show at Eltham | Taranaki News | Local News in Taranaki

It was St Patrick's Day, Saturday March 17 and the lilt of laughter and more especially, the singing of Irish songs by a beautiful voice and a pretty vision in a white lace dress and ankle-high white boots, was embraced in the Corlett Promotions show at the Eltham Town Hall.

In front of a crowd of about 300, the beauty aspect of the show was ably left to the only female artist (as it should be), dark-haired Anne Montgomery, along with Kevin Greaves, back home from the States, Bruce Greaves, Auckland and Ian B MacLeod, Australia, who presented an evening of fully professional entertainment.

A New Zealand artist with lots of musical experience gained from being on the country music television shows of old, 'That's Country' and who moved to Australia for many years, Anne Montgomery is now back, amazingly, residing in Stratford for almost a year. The secret is out! She is married and has three young children and is also a working mum.

Anne Montgomery, whose Irish father was the catalyst for his daughters to become singers, held the audience with her enthusiastic renditions of country songs. She and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa had the same singing teacher, according to the blurb in her album.

She opened with 'Country Roads', followed by a great variety of other artists' songs.

It was in her second set, after songs such as the traditional 'Maggie' when she accompanied herself on guitar, that she wowed the audience even more with her dexterity using a pair of long poi.

She had changed into a slinky, purple-toned dress, and with special floor lighting, and the poi both glowing, she went about her 'Kiwi aerobics' to a medley of Maori songs.

Visibly showing it was quite a workout for her, she just as enthusiastically set about an encore of the act, amid much applause.

The Irish really showed out when she sang a medley of 'If You're Irish', 'The Whistling Gypsy' and 'Irish Lullaby (Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ra)'.

Next to appear was the well-dressed band of Joe Martin - Joe on steel (without his usual big hat but a smaller black one that band members wore, with dark shirts); Terry Fell on bass; Noddy Curd on drums; Doug Brooks on keyboard and at times guitar; with Trevor Allen on harmonica, ably set in behind the performers. With Bruce Greaves opening his act with Roger Miller's and George Strait's songs he firmly set the evening's quality of entertainment.

In the second half, Trevor Allen opened on harmonica which rose pleasantly in the good acoustics of the old Eltham Town Hall.

In his second set, Bruce Greaves was joined by his brother Kevin and they sang together.

Even with a cold, Kevin still sparked, told a few good jokes and sang requests. He clowned through the theme song from The Beverly Hillbillies.

Kevin loudly rocked through some of his songs, and showed his ability with the guitar. He and the band rocked through the Steve Earle number, 'Copperhead Road'.

Ian B MacLeod, though small in stature, sure has a big voice when it comes to yodelling and singing Slim Whitman-type songs. Slim Whitman, he assured us, was alive and well, aged 82 and residing in Florida, USA.

Ian effortlessly hits those high notes and has such a full, satisfying sound in that range.

Ian went on to show that he is no slug on guitar, and presented the 1953 hit 'Guitar Boogie'. It was a time for the backing musicians to strut their stuff as Ian brought them in to do a few lone bars of the Arthur 'Guitar Boogie' Smith's well-known instrumental, to the pleasure of the crowd.

All the entertainers expressed appreciation for the professionalism of the Taranaki men in the band. MC for the evening was Lew Jones. This was the final show, the first one being held in Te Kuiti on Friday night.