UNDER THE BIG SKY: A night of country & blues music

1. EVENT BRIEF

UNDER THE BIG SKY: A night of country & blues music at Alpine Springs Lake Tekapo, in association with PortFM and Pernod Ricard, featuring Aly Cook with The Coalrangers, Eddie Simon and Blue Train.

Saturday 3 December, gates open 6 pm for 7 pm start. Tickets $36, from Event Finder, www.eventfinder.co.nz or Alpine Springs Lake Tekapo, www.alpinesprings.co.nz Media Kit UNDER THE BIG SKY 3 December 2011 2

2. EVENT LISTING

Starlight above the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo sets the scene for a stunning venue for the inaugural UNDER THE BIG SKY night of country & blues music at Alpine Springs Lake Tekapo in association with Port FM and Pernod Ricard on Saturday 3 December, starting 7 pm (gates open 6 pm). Eddie Simon and Blue Train open at 7pm. Aly Cook and The Coalrangers come on at 8.30 pm for a solid two hours. Port FM breakfast show host OJ (Owen Jackson) will compere. Seating is limited to 1300. Food and beverage on site (no alcohol permitted). Tickets $36 from Event Finder, www.eventfinder.co.nz or Alpine Springs, www.alpinesprings.co.nz The Alpine Springs hot pools will operate as usual but due to the concert being held on the roller rink, this activity will be closed.

3. MEDIA RELEASE

New Music Festival at Lake Tekapo

UNDER THE BIG SKY: A Night of Country & Blues Music at Alpine Springs in association with PORTFM

Alpine Springs Lake Tekapo is hosting the inaugural high altitude music festival UNDER THE BIG SKY at the skating rink on Saturday 3 December, featuring Aly Cook with The Coalrangers.

It was originally scheduled for March but had to be postponed after 22 February 6.3 earthquake.

It will be the first time the $7 million recreation and relaxation complex of hot pools, day spa, snow-tube park, ice/roller rink and licensed café will have hosted such an event.

Managing director Karl Burtscher, the driving force behind the award wining facility, wanted to use the majestic and beautiful surroundings as a setting for a new type of event for the Mackenzie Basin, and to create an annual event that will bring more people to Lake Tekapo.

“We have these fantastic skies, considered amongst the clearest in the hemisphere, and people come from all over the world to experience the Earth & Sky Show at Mt John, and I believe people will come to special events here as well,” Mr Burtscher said. Media Kit UNDER THE BIG SKY 3 December 2011 3

“The 56 metre long rink makes a great performing stage, and we have seating for 1300 people. We’ve got fir and pine trees behind the rink, and a view over the turquoise lake to the Two Thumb Range – where else can people come and listen to great music in such a setting?”

The performers are all popular musicians who cover a wide range of musical genres. Aly Cook, a Nelson-based singer/songwriter, has sung at concerts in the UK, Europe, Australia, Norfolk Island and around New Zealand this year. The Coalrangers have been singing for decades, and three albums later they remain as popular as ever with their foot tapping iconic style. Eddie Simon, originally from Canada, has sung alongside greats such as John Denver and Dolly Parton and has a repertoire spanning country, R&B, blues and gospel.

“We’ve got outstanding performers who will be playing almost non stop for nearly four hours. I wanted to get really top performers to set a standard that will bring people back next year,” Mr Burtscher said.

“There’s already interest in using the concert as a corporate event for local businesses who can entertain clients in a new way and keep it local,” Business Development Manager Cathy Hemsworth said.

“It’s a good time of the year to offer an event like this and a new opportunity for businesses to entertain, and to support a local initiative.”

“We hope that people from out of the region will come for the weekend and enjoy the hot pools and day spa as well as the concert. Lake Tekapo is a great destination with good accommodation and heaps to do. That’s why we want to encourage people here through events like this.”

The gates will open at 6 pm for a 7 pm start with Eddie Simon and Blue Train. Aly Cook and The Coalrangers will take the stage at 8.30 pm.

Tickets are $36 and will be available from Event Finder, www.eventfinder or Alpine Springs, www.alpinesprings.co.nz

4. PERFORMERS

Eddie Simon and his new band Blue Train will open at 7 pm, followed by Aly Cook with The Coalrangers at 8.30 pm.

Port FM morning show host OJ (Owen Jackson) will be the compere.

4.1 ALY COOK – Singer/songwriter of classic country-rock with earthy and honest touch

Aly Cook has performed this year in UK, Europe & Australia in support of her album Brand New Day receiving rave review both in NZ and overseas. She was a previous nominee for APRA Country Song of the Year & Female Country Artist and has recently been named a finalist in the NEXT magazine Woman of the Year 2011 Awards.

She has released her debut full album Brand New Day after using SellaBand, the music website which allows artists to raise funds from fans in order to record a professional album. She is one of several Kiwi performers who have successfully reached their budget goals using this website.

Her second video Country Storm was recorded in Nashville, using footage shot in NZ.

Aly’s current single is Spend It from her album; the single she is releasing and hoping to get to radio before Christmas is Midnight Sun with a new music video being filmed early October.

She is a Global Village Champion, a charitable Foundation which provides private humanitarian delivery of food to help needy communities. For 17 years it has attracted Champions, all luminaries in their own field, including Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Jon Voight, Celine Deline and Steven Seagal.

What the critics have said about Aly Cook

• “I hear a strong country element but she doesn’t confine herself to that Genre “– Nick Bollinger “The Sampler”, Radio New Zealand

Media Kit UNDER THE BIG SKY 3 December 2011 6

• “Cook writes classic country-rock songs which sound beamed in from Music Row in Nashville, but with a more earthy and honest touch about them.” Graham Reid – Elsewhere

• “Quite believable on sexy blues-pop “Laughing in Silence,” Cook hits her home run on the pedal steel-dripping, Sheryl Crow-vibed “Spend It.” Bending the notes in all the right places in the catchy melody and sassy lyric about money woes, this bluesy country attitude is so attractive and so missed at radio that the Kiwi artist should consider this direction for her next project.” Janet Goodman – Nashville Music News

4.2 THE COALRANGERS - Iconic kiwi country roots band

The five members of The Coalrangers will be coming together from the West Coast and Canterbury to make music for the head, heart and feet as they straddle several musical genres.

Their first album Coast To Coast won the Country Album of the Year at the 1996 Tui Music Awards. This was followed by Home Tonight highlighting the individual song writing talents of the band.

The recent and popular Harbour Light Sessions is a live album recorded at their Office Christmas Party held each December at the much-lamented Harbour Light Theatre in Lyttelton. This album best exemplifies the musical diversity, unmistakable musicianship and live appeal of this eclectic southern band.

BAND MEMBERS

Des Hetherington Acoustic & electric guitars, pedal steel & vocals

Geoff Farmar Bass, dobra & vocals

Allan Cattermole Drums & percussion

Dean Hetherington Electric guitar, mandolin & vocals

John Sanchez-Lloyd Keyboards, harmonica & vocals Media Kit UNDER THE BIG SKY 3 December 2011 7

4.3 EDDIE SIMON & BLUE TRAIN

Eddie Simon has decades of music history under his cowboy belt – for more than 40 years he has entertained at everywhere from resorts to TV and radio stations in Canada and New Zealand.

He was born in Honeymoon, Saskatchewan and has combined years of world class entertainment in his home country and his adopted New Zealand, where he has a recording studio.

He spans R&B, Blues, Country and Christian music, and has packed a great variety of engagements into his CV, from working alongside greats such as John Denver, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers and Ricky Spraggs to cruise ships, royal gala concerts to gospel concerts and country shin-digs, corporate and special events, to his own TV series (Blues on Whyte).

Now he’s settled down to be a true “Caniwi”, living in Christchurch which he has no plans to leave. He writes and records his own music, always from the heart. “In times like these” was used as the background to TV1’s quake reflection documentary.

Some may remember him for his Leo Sayer rendition in on TV1’s Stars in their eyes in 2008. He also swooped up a Golden Guitar Award for “The Possum Shuffle” at the Gore golden guitar awards. He will be performing with his new band Blue Train, who have their first CD in the works.

BLUE TRAIN – Members of the Band

Eddie Simon Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals

Wayne Allen Drums & Vocals

Robbie Carpenter Bass & Vocals

Dwayne Francks Piano, Keyboards & Vocals Media Kit UNDER THE BIG SKY 3 December 2011 8

5. ABOUT ALPINE SPRINGS LAKE TEKAPO – the venue for UNDER THE BIG SKY

Alpine Springs Lake Tekapo is a high altitude year-round high recreation and relaxation complex of hot pools, day spa, winter ice rink, summer roller/blade rink, Snow Tube Park, and licensed café.

It is situated above the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, against the pine and fir forested slopes of Mt John. The Mackenzie Basin was carved by glaciers which excavated the wide valleys now filled by Lakes Tekapo, Pukaki and Ohau.

Alpine Springs uses much of the natural greywacke rocks and local timbers and its plantings reflect the tussock grasslands. It looks towards the Two Thumb Range.

The three outdoor hot pools range in temperature from 36-40 degrees. They are shaped and named after local lakes that are part of the Upper Waitaki hydro electric system. The water for the pools is derived from alpine springs on site and then heated from by-product heat produced from onsite refrigeration plant heat exchangers.

The 150m long snow tube slope offers an exciting purpose-built course, easily reached on a Magic Carpet ground level escalator.

The 56m x 26m ice rink is used for skating, curling and ice hockey, and is the home of the Aardwolfs Ice Hockey Club. In summer it is used for roller and inline blade skating – and special events such as UNDER THE BIG SKY. Each June crowds come to enjoy the annual winter Mankini v Bikini Curling Shootout. Alpine Springs also hosts the Mid-winter Swim into the icy lake waters.

The Day Spa has four boutique treatment rooms, with one way windows overlooking the lake. There is a sauna and steam room, and a plunge pool (8 degrees, the same temperature as the lake water).

Alpine Springs is a $7 million award winning visitor attraction that has drawn consistent admiration and praise since it was fully opened in June 2008. It was the inspiration of managing director Karl Burtscher, who grew up in the local area, and has created and developed his dream to share the beautiful environment with other people. Media Kit UNDER THE BIG SKY 3 December 2011 9

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