What's on Triple Bill - Don Milne | Steve Barkman | Vintage

Triple Bill - Don Milne | Steve Barkman | Vintage
When: Sunday 17th May 2026
Time: 7.30 pm
How much: $15 public | $10 members | cash bar

Triple Bill - Don Milne | Steve Barkman | Vintage

Don Milne, creator of Tui Banjos, writes "Some time around 1965, inspired by the playing of Dave Guard of the Kingston Trio and the folk music in the Monde Maree , a late night coffee bar in Wellington I bought and old banjo and so started on a life-long interest in the instrument and it’s music.

Learning wasn’t easy as the were only a few banjoists around town. I had learned the “Up-picking” style from Pete Seeger’s book and could play a few tunes in this style. One evening I met at a party and American sailor who grabbed my banjo and started playing it Frailing style, something that had eluded me up to that time. It wasn’t long before I could play this way and have been ever since.

My old banjo needed repairs and so I met Rawe Hawkins, a luthier living out at Plimmerton, who was able to sort the banjo out , showing me how to make some of the parts while he did the tricky bits. Rawe made excellent banjos and this inspired me with the idea that one day I would try my hand at banjo making which I have now been engaged in for about the last 15 years.

For this concert I will bring a few different banjos I have made and play them in the style appropriate to the type of banjo, Minstrel music, tunes from West Virginia and North Carolina and perhaps some new tunes in the Old Time style."

Steve Barkman - luthier, guitarist, singer, sound tech and apparently a man of few words! (info to follow)

Vintage is an ongoing collaboration between old friends Karen McArthur and John Penno, John playing guitar with Karen carrying most of the vocals. They started out mainly playing the music of “The Great American Songbook” but, over the years, have periodically added absolutely anything else that just happens to attract their attention at the time… so their music is evolving into a fairly eclectic repertoire. They have an easy rapport on stage, playing the songs they enjoy, and this transmits to their audiences. No deep meanings, just fun music.

 

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