Kevin Downing's 101 Lab Band & Purple Haze (NZBRG Festival)

The Kevin Downing Guitar School Lab Band is a 17-piece guitar orchestra run by Kevin Downing who is an internationally recognised guitar education specialist. 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. Some of the tunes being played in this show are also written by Grammy-nominated artists, especially for the band.

The band has been running for over 30 years and has propelled many players coming through it into successful professional careers in music. This band is a one of its kind in New Zealand, and all the players in the band are current students or teachers at Kevin’s guitar school in Palmerston North.

The band also features special guest vocalist Erna Ferry.

The second half of the show will feature Purple Haze - the music of Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Doors, Led Zeppelin. ALL THE BLUES!

Blain Fitzpatrick loves blues. While he is best known for his bass grooves in Funkacybin, Raw Collective, Sheeps, Mana Mushroom, Krash the World, Mintaka and Idhayam (And that's just some of 'em) he is also in demand to session with Nick Granville, Oscar Lavën and a bunch of other cool cats that recognise his skill. One of the busiest bass players in Te Whanganui A Tara, he finds time to compose, creating multi media works, (such as Laniakea) that have played at theatres in Wellington to full houses with a funk rock orchestra.

Blain has gathered his brother Matt - an incredibly accomplished guitarist who is also in multiple bands, (Weather Machine, Blue River Baby, Two Bluesy Blondes, the band behind Girls Rock the Boys) teaches guitar, and writes. He is a great choice for playing the Hendrix/Page/Krieger/Clapton bangers!

Eugene Wolfin, vocals, is a Fulbright Scholar, who returned to Wellington to a full on schedule of gigs - jazz, blues, funk - this man is a chameleon of vocals and a stalwart of the Te Whanganui a Tara music scene.

Shaun Anderson (Drums) is a monster metaller - who can obviously turn his hand to any style. He is listed in the Encyclopaedia Metallum for his work in Saving Grace and Scorn of Creation. He also plays in The Jac, Depths and About the Deadlines. So, quite versatile then! He is a KDrums drummer, in demand for session work.