BOP Blues Club Committee

 

 

OFFICERS

 

 

 

President

Noel Lamberton

There is a saying:  “A person who enjoys their job, never works a day in their life”. And so this is with Noel. 

He started playing music at age 8, and by 14 was playing in dance bands around Auckland as a drummer. By age 16, he was touring professionally around the country with successful artists and groups of the day. This resulted in many appearances on television and radio.

Noel's interest in sound sent him to Australia to do his diploma in “Audio Engineering” which he completed, before returning to New Zealand to build a long run of recording studios and sound systems.

To this day the most successful studio owned and run by Noel is the award winning facility, Villa Productions. Several gold and platinum albums, and various other awards from the industry, have been credited to Noel through this recording studio.

Noel still plays drums professionally around the country with high profile artists, as well as providing live sound and lighting production for shows and corporates.

 

Vice President

Peter Jongenelen

People usually call me PJ for obvious reasons (try saying my surname). I was born in Brabant, (Netherlands) and came to New Zealand in 1982 for a better lifestyle, which I certainly found. My background is in automation engineering and with this trade I had the opportunity of working in many places in this country. During my engineering career I returned to Europe on many occasions, for work reasons as well as private, which kept me in touch with my culture. Like most people a career change is like a new lease on life. I left the engineering trade in search of something new. With my new partner we decided to bring some of our culture to Rotorua in our newly established Belgium Cafe & Bar in Oct 2004. Also having an appreciation of music, the Blues seemed a great way of entertaining our NZ clientele in our establishment. European food and beverages, good music, great hospitality — what more would a person want except some spare time to enjoy my other hobby, game fishing. Perhaps next season.

 

 

 COMMITTEE

 

   

Chris Ussher

My family and I have lived in Rotorua several years. We have eclectic tastes in music, but particularly enjoy live music, blues and blues influenced music being favourites.

We are enthusiastic supporters of the Blues Club and I am happy to be on the committee to support its goal of keeping the blues alive. I encourage everyone to come and enjoy the great talent on offer and the friendly atmosphere at club jam nights.

 

   

Simon Elton

Simon has been involved in the NZ music business for 50 years. Over the decades he has played alongside many top kiwi acts (eg: La De Das, Midge Marsden, Dave Dobbyn) and performed on NZTV (eg: Telethon, Opportunity Knocks, Radio with Pictures).

During the 1980s he worked, in Auckland, for NZ’s top music agency (New Music Management) alongside Benny Levin and Mike Corless. He has toured, throughout NZ, as a musician plus as a tour and stage manager. He has promoted shows for a number of organizations (eg: Greenpeace) and has played bass on many radio jingles.

He has produced CDs for many of the artists he has worked with, over the years (The Furys, Ritchie Pickett, B-Side Band). During the 1990s he worked, in Hamilton, for a sound hire company (Musicare Sound). They also had a recording studio.

He has performed in tribute shows to many artists (eg: The Beatles, Neil Diamond, Jimi Hendrix, Finn Brothers, Blues Brothers). In 2009 he started teaching 6 string guitar in rural Waikato primary schools (‘Young Strummers’ program) and in 2010 he went back to Polytech (Waikato) for one semester to complete a Certificate Media Arts (Music) L4, to update his skills.

Simon plays bass guitar, six string guitar and sings; currently performs, records and writes songs.

   

Colleen Rawlings

 

Rob Powley

 

Nick Anderson