Bullfrog Rata and The Elegant Wasterals

Well after a long layoff we can start again to see some great live music. We thought it would be good to start with some local talent in the guise of one of Palmerston Norths favourite musicians Bullfrog Rata.

He is in the process of recording a new CD and will be featuring many songs off that. As special guests he has invited a couple of his friends to open the show with a Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee tribute.

Just talking to Bullfrog and he is excited,to see these guys perform but also to present his new songs to a home audience.

The Elegant Wastrels with Bullfrog Rata. Unprecedented is the byword of the times. In the mighty and magical Aotearoa, we have been locked down and living in our bubbles.

The gift of time for many but the curse of financial pressure for others. Now we have emerged, and we begin again to pursue our lives with perhaps a little trepidation at first, but confidence will come and quickly!

One locally bred member of the Manawatu’s musically amphibious community Bullfrog Rata, whole heartedly encourages and implores you, no he is begging you, to throw off the membrane of covid amnesia and come to an intimate live music experience where your ears can hear and your eyes can see in real time musicians interacting with each other and with you the audience.

Live music: there is nothing quite like it! On the 20th of June at Hokowhitu Bowling Club you can be part of it. Not to mention that it is the Solstice and magic can happen on the longest night of the year!

Bullfrog Rata will be presenting for the first time in this or any other pond he has made a splash in, a night of tunes the majority of which have been penned by his own froggy hand. He will be presenting songs that were written during lockdown also reviving other tunes such as All I Need and The Hunt from his 2002 album that he has rarely performed live.

He is joined by the Elegant Wastrels which consists of Patrick Bleakley on Double Bass
and John Rae on Drums. Patrick and John are Wellington based with long experience both hear and in foreign parts, most interestingly a number of appearances at the Edinburgh Arts Festival, and one of their current projects is the Troubles a sprawling free jazz infused collective that defies category, they have played with many notable NZ Icons, Bruno Lawrence, Jonathan Crayford, Rick Bryant and Lisa Tomlin among others.

So, you can expect that Bullfrog will be on his game as he presents his new songs, which cover a wide gamut of styles and moods, delivered with a pastiche of commentary and humour.