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2025 Gig Guide

Karen Clarke in the Globe

Karen Clarke Foyer Queen

Friday, 5 September 2025
5:30 am

HAPPY HOUR! Come and join Karen Clarke, Foyer Queen for a happy hour of favourites. Joined by a local band, come in for a free show and a discounted drink before the first theatre gig!

Free (Love from us)
BUY TICKETS
Pop art picture of vinyl

Bent Horseshoe Record Fair

Friday, 5 September 2025
11:00 pm

Come crate digging with us!

Free (Love from us)
BUY TICKETS
Shaun Kirk stands in front of a dry grass landscape, he is wearing his signature hat. The picture is black and white. Saturday Lad-urday is in a pink bubble and Saturday in a yellow bubble. This is over a psychedelic NZ Blues Roots Groove Theme.

Shaun Kirk

Saturday, 6 September 2025
2:45 am

Shaun Kirk is an award-winning blues and soul troubadour from Melbourne, known for his electrifying performances and gritty, soulful vocals. He’s a regular at Bluesfest Byron Bay and has shared the stage with icons like Robert Plant, John Mayer, and The Teskey Brothers. Praised by Fantastic Negrito as "one of the best one-man shows he's ever seen!" Kirk has also opened for legends like Joe Bonamassa and Beth Hart, solidifying his place in contemporary music.

Earlybird $34/GA $39
The recliner rockers double bass player lies on the ground with his double bass in the air. He has dreadlocks

The Recliner Rockers

Saturday, 6 September 2025
8:00 am

The Recliner Rockers bring high-energy blues and rockabilly to stages across Aotearoa and beyond. Known for their electrifying performances at Whangamata Beach Hop and hot rod festivals, they blend showmanship with top-tier musicianship, delivering fiery originals and rootsy covers. Featuring Al Lavis, Geoff Fitzpatrick, Bruce French, and Nic Hulme-Chivel.

Earlybird $25/GA $30
Carol Bean plays acoustic guitar in a black and white photo, on a background of brights.

Carol Bean Ensemble

Sunday, 7 September 2025
2:30 am

The Carol Bean Ensemble performs songs from the mighty blues players of old - Elmore James, Memphis Minnie, and Jimmy Reed. They also feature contemporary players like Debbie Davies and Angela Strelhi from Austin Texas, and Etta James from Los Angeles California- Carol’s home town.
Band: Carol Bean- guitar vocals; Deane Hunter- lead guitar; Duncan Haynes- keyboard; Elliotte Fuimaono- bass; Andrew Richardson- drums

Earlybird $25/GA $30
Kevin Downing conducts the 101 lab band as they watch carefully. The picture shows several of the band members

Kevin Downing 101 Lab Band with Erna Ferry

Friday, 5 September 2025
7:30 am

The Kevin Downing Guitar School Lab Band - A 17-PIECE GUITAR ORCHESTRA! Run by internationally recognised guitar education specialist Kevin Downing, the band plays a mixture of jazz, blues, funk, rock and has a reputation for backing some of the world’s greatest guitar players and singers in those genres. Most recently the band played with Carl Verheyen of Supertramp at the Manawatu Jazz and Blues Festival, 2025.

Earlybird $25 (Incl. with Samuel Flynn Scott)
NZ Blues roots and groove brand picture with a pop art "coming soon" speech box

Saturday Lad-urday - Full Day Pass

Saturday, 6 September 2025
12:45 am

5 Fantastic acts ranging from solo to quartet, blues to looping grooves with a smidgeon of rockabilly... Say What!?

Earlybird $134.40
A guitarist with a tattoo of an arrow on his forearm strums a blue vintage guitar, he has a blues clues logo on his shirt.

Blues Clues

Saturday, 6 September 2025
4:30 am

Blues Clues brings old-school blues into the modern age with passion and fire. Inspired by legends like Muddy Waters and B.B. King, they deliver raw, soulful performances featuring top Wellington musicians

Earlybird $25/GA $30
NZ Blues roots and groove brand picture with a pop art megaphone

Sunday, Lady Sunday - Full Day Pass - RELEASING SOON!

Sunday, 7 September 2025
12:45 am

3 woman led wonder acts to spend your Sunday with. Solo to 7 piece, blues all the way!

Earlybird $72.00
Julie Lamb and Erna Ferry on stage grinning in front of their mic stands. Sepia treatment of the photo, over the NZ Blues Roots and Groove brights

Two Bluesy Blondes

Sunday, 7 September 2025
4:30 am

Close the festival with a bang, a belt, and a bluesy wink.
Two Bluesy Blondes bring the curtain down on the NZ Blues, Roots & Groove Festival with a set that’s equal parts sass, soul, and serious musicianship. Expect powerhouse vocals, harmonica howls, and a band that grooves like nobody’s business. Whether you’re a die-hard blues fan or just love a good time, this is the grand finale you don’t want to miss.

Earlybird $25/GA $30
Samuel Flynn Scott in a rain jacket looking up to the left. Thank Globe it's Friday in a pink bubble. Friday in a yellow bubble. On the NZBRG themed background.

Samuel Flynn Scott

Friday, 5 September 2025
7:30 am

Samuel Flynn Scott has released over 15 albums with the likes of The Phoenix Foundation, solo, Fly My Pretties as well as Dave Dobbyn and Mermaidens (as producer). He has toured the world with TPF, composed the soundtracks to films like Hunt For The Wilderpeople and Boy and in general done almost everything there is to be done in the world of music. He is gearing up to release his fourth solo album featuring David Kilgour, Riki Gooch, SJD and more.

Earlybird $25 (Incl. with 101 Lab Band)
Ben Wilcock in a suit looks at the camera, he is wearing his signature cap. ASaturday Ladurday is in a pink bubble, with Saturday in a yellow bubble. All of this is on the NZ BRG themed psychedelic background

Ben Wilcock Trio

Saturday, 6 September 2025
1:00 am

Experience the Ben Wilcock Trio as they push the boundaries of modern jazz, blending past, present, and future in a thrilling live performance. With Ben Wilcock (piano) leading the way, alongside John Rae’s inventive drumming and Patrick Bleakley’s resonant bass lines, the trio delivers an immersive, ever-evolving groove. Expect music from Wilcock’s acclaimed releases—plus brand-new material soon to be unveiled.

Earlybird $25/GA $30
The duo in flat caps stand on a railway station platform, one wearing a green suit, one wearing yellow. Both have large suitcases and are looking up and away from the camera

Doppellooper

Saturday, 6 September 2025
6:15 am


People often wonder what it might be like to have a doppelgänger somewhere out there in the world - and what it would be like to bump into them. In 2022, in a strange twist of fate, Graeme James and Sonic Delusion, two flat cap wearing, world traveling, multi-instrumentalist live looping indie musicians realised they had somehow ended up in the same town in Taranaki.
After being mistaken for each other one too many times, the musical doppelgängers decided to embrace the inevitable and team up to form world’s first (and only) looping supergroup ’Doppellooper’.
With over 25 years of combined experience as professional musicians, they will be sharing songs and stories from the road in this one off performance. Brilliant musicianship meets improvised chaos in this hilarious and captivating show that features over 15 instruments and two loopers at the top of their game.

Earlybird $34/GA$39
Karen Clarke with an effect on the photo, playing guitar. The photographer is looking upwards providing a different angle. The frame is the NZ Blues Roots and Groove brights.

Karen Clarke Blues Woman

Sunday, 7 September 2025
1:00 am

Karen Clarke is a fierce indie blueswoman known for her raw, groove-driven sound and powerhouse vocals. Mixing blues, RnB, and alt-country, she delivers deeply felt performances with grit and soul. Based in Taranaki, she leads the local songwriting scene and brings heartfelt stories to life with commanding presence and authenticity.

Earlybird $25/GA $30
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© 2025 by NZ Blues, Roots and Groove Festival Ltd

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