New Zealand Ballad Performers Association

21/04/2021

The Bards Ballads and Bulldust Festival is coming to Naseby 30April to 2May. There pre festival concerts in Roxburgh and Alexandra. Please go to https:/www.singoutkiwi.com for more information

14/04/2021

Greymouth

Tasman group Rural Mail bring musical entertainment to the Coast next week. Roger & Deirdre Lusby with Paul & Chris Bond perform New Zealand ballads, songs and poems, traditional and self-penned, featuring harmonies, variety and humour and Roger and Paul’s poems are a highlight of their show
Rural Mail performs at Ferrari’s, 2 MacKay St, Greymouth on Wednesday 21 April at 7.30pm. $10 on the door
ph 027 6435 123, https://www.singoutkiwi.com

14/04/2021

Hokitika

Tasman group Rural Mail bring musical entertainment to the Coast next week. Roger & Deirdre Lusby with Paul & Chris Bond perform New Zealand ballads, songs and poems, traditional and self-penned, featuring harmonies, variety and humour and Roger and Paul’s poems are a highlight of their show
Rural Mail performs at The Old Lodge Theatre, Hokitika on Thursday 22 April at 7.30pm. $10 on the door
ph 027 6435 123, https://www.singoutkiwi.com

17/04/2020

Paul Bond digging deep into life’s meaning and survival techniques

Covid 19 Mental Health Song

04/03/2020

The Bards Ballads and Bulldust festival on this year on Naseby 2020 the 15th to 17th May. See you there

22/03/2019

13/11/2018

Ben Brown performed an awesome set at the Nelson Live Poets held at The Waka 58 Collingwood St Nelson, it was a great hear a poet with so much clarity, energy and presence, he is on again at the Motueka Live poets tonight at Armadillos 122 High St Motueka starts at 7.30 then Wednesday night at the Mussel Inn Takaka. Don't miss out hearing Ben Brown he is fantastic

11/10/2018

Don't miss this event three very special poets performing as only they can. See you there

01/10/2018

The next Nelson Live Poets session will take place on Tuesday 16th October at The On Inn, 335 Trafalgar St, Nelson. Doors 7 30 pm, 8 pm start. This time we play host to a new show 'The Word, The Reckoning & The Rose'. We'll open with a round of the usual open mic, sign up on the night, every...

31/07/2018

Written and Performed by Roger Lusby --- Videro by Jackson Lanthier July 12 2018 ---

13/07/2018

This Friday Poem was written about our driving experience in Europe

21/05/2018

This article was posted by the OTD on Monday by Tom Kitchin.
Maniototo Bards, Ballards and Bulldust organiser Roger Lusby (left) and visitor Mike Garland share a joke at the Ancient Briton Hotel in Naseby at the weekend, while proprietor Adrian Hood looks on. Photo: Tom Kitchin
The air is cold and thick, not a soul on the streets.
Then the pub doors open, the lights are bright, the heaters are up and the atmosphere invites you in.

The Maniototo Bards, Ballads and Bulldust festival, a mix of folk music, poetry, stories and folklore, was held at the weekend.

Late on Friday evening, at the festival’s opening event, about 100 people crowded into the Ancient Briton Hotel in Naseby, sipping their drinks, having a laugh and listening to tales of New Zealand folklore from a variety of performers.

This year’s festival included a tribute to the late Phil Garland, often called the "grandfather of New Zealand folk", who was one of the festival’s instigators.

His brother, Mike Garland, was at the festival in Naseby to celebrate his brother’s life and tell stories of the folk music legend.

Mr Garland said the festival was a dream of the late William Brock.

In 2006, Phil Garland and Roch Sullivan started the festival. The event had been held most years since then.

Mr Garland, from Dunedin, played with his brother in four bands over the years.

"There’s no other festival quite like this in the country," he said.

"The spoken word is a really important part of New Zealand history."

Over the years the festival drew more and more people from all over the country to the isolated settlement.

"[Historically] in other countries you’d hear tunes in the pubs. In New Zealand the guys would be more likely to leap up on the bar and recite poetry."

This festival was the first without Phil, Mr Garland said, but his memory would live on.

"Phil would not necessarily be promoting himself, but would tell New Zealanders to be proud of their own history and heritage — both colonial and Maori."

Festival organiser Roger Lusby, of Nelson but originally of Roxburgh, said the festival celebrated the significance of Maniototo’s history.

"The whole show is put together for the locals to celebrate the special environment where they live . . . the environment itself, the buildings, the gold mining history and the farmers."

20/05/2018

An amazing weekend at the Bards Ballads and Bulldust weekend a huge thanks to all who made it possible. Photos and stories to follow,

13/05/2018

The Danseys Pass Hotel is welcoming all visitors on Saturday 19th May to enjoy performers from the Bards Ballads and Bulldust festival between 10.30am and 4.00pm, the entertainment is free. Thankyou Mike from the Danseys Pass Hotel for your generosity