The Legendary Raglan Mudsharks are having their 4th Annual Mudshark Monday, Jan 31st, 2011 in the Harbour View Hotel (Garden Bar), Bow Street, Raglan, 8.30 to 11.30 pm .
The “legendary” core line-up of Sid & Freddie Limbert (bass, vocals & drums), Dave Maybee (guitar & vocals) & Liam Ryan (keyboards & vocals) plus NZ rock music legend Dave McCartney (guitar & vocals) promises to deliver unforgettable entertainment! The evening will also feature special guests … the ‘inimitable’ Maurice (Curly) Taylor (guitar & vocals), ex Dragon/Mandrake/Mods drummer Neil Reynolds plus regular band guests … local harp wizard Peter Skandera and former Shona Lang/DD Smash/When The Cats Are Away (Mr Tasteful) Gary Verberne on guitar!
As usual anything could happen, anyone could turn up (and will) so if you wanna ‘shake, rattle & roll’ or just ‘sit back & cruise’ you’ll be in the right place!
” The Legendary Raglan Mudsharks” are back at Raglan’s Harbour View Hotel for a one night show after a 2 year break. The band played at the Harbour View almost every second Monday night from early 1981 through to the end of 1989. These amazing nights became affectionatly known as Mudshark Mondays, and were free to all comers, who as the reputation grew, turned up from all over the place.
The band got together with original members, Sid Limbert, and Dave Maybee, who’d played together in several lineups though the mid to late 70’s, namely, Smokestack, Golden Slippers Band, and early incarnations of The Midge Marsden Band, to name a couple. Sid and his family returned to Raglan in 1980 from the U.S.A. to find Dave had moved to Raglan, after a bit of a chat they decided they should do a gig at the pub. So talking to John Humphries, the pub owner, it was decided an early week night might be good, as the locals, set in their ways, may not take to it right away. The first lineup was Dave, Colleen Ralph, (then Dave’s partner) and Sid, there were acoustic guitars, mandolins, and a very makeshift sound system, complete with a yard broom duck taped to the floor, for a microphone stand. A few locals showed up, some of the older crowd, who called the “Settlers Lounge” home, and some of the new faces in town, people who had left the city and moved to the coast. The night went well enough to try it again, next time double the amount of people, and Clarry Cresswell, Saxophone legend from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s sat in and had a lick with the crew. So it went on, each gig maybe or maybe not, adding another guest, drawn from a long list of Mates from the past. Bill and Heather Amos from Kawhia, piano and fiddle, Paul Kunac, was the first Drummer, and with Drums, out came Amplifiers, and Electric Guitars, and Bass. Ray Chaber on Dobro, Mike Farrell, Guitar virtuoso, and about that time, Midge Marsden moved to town permanently. Midge added a new depth to the band, with his Rich Harmonica playing, vocals, and a great personality on stage. Sid had been touring in Midges band since the late 70’s, and the touring Band often stayed in Raglan to rehearse and take time out, so there were some great players, who just loved the chance to sit in and just have some real fun. Neil Reynolds, on drums, Liam Ryan, Keyboards, Ritchie Pickett, Piano, and other things, Pole O’shea Hendrix Guitar, Ta Rutherford, Kev Thomas, Hammond Gamble, Sam Hunt, Dave McCartney moved to town, and often had Graham Brazier in tow.
The list went on, and so did the fantastic gigs, every second Monday night, all through the 80’s, One night The Mudsharx had a private gig, a 21st Birthday, and the Drummer couldn’t make it, so Sid’s Son Freddy Limbert then 8 yrs old did his first pro gig with the Boys, and went on to do many more.
The Mudsharx went on to become a legend around the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and even Auckland, the word was out “Mudshark Monday” at the Harbour View Hotel. They became a national identity when the one hour television Documentary “Raglan By The Sea” was played on TV and Gary McCormack, himself an honorary Mudshark, presented a wonderful program which truly captured, not only each member in the Band, but the very spirit of Raglan, at the time. The doco was such a success the TVNZ “Heartland” series was born.
Monday the 31st at the Harbour View will once see this well-known lineup, not having played together since 2009 but with their special guests. As usual anything could happen and who knows who else might turn up, it’s going to be a special occasion, and should not be missed, if you’re looking for a good old “shake, rattle & roll” – don’t miss it.
$15 (pre-sale ticket) and $20 (door-sales).
Media Release: Raglan Mudsharks, Saturday, 22 January 2011