Arrowtowner Dave Gent, formerly bass guitarist for The Exponents, is among a group of seven celebrated New Zealand musos warming up for superstar Tom Jones’ ‘Harvest Moon’ concert in Napier tomorrow.
He and Exponents frontman Jordan Luck and others including Th’ Dudes’ Peter Urlich and Split Enz’s Eddie Rayner, as The Magnificent 7, have a 60-minute set before Kiwi singer/songwriter Gin Wigmore, who attended Queenstown Primary, also warms up the massive crowd.
‘‘We’re playing [Kiwi] hits only,’’ Gent says.
‘‘For the punters it’s a great day when you hear a whole lot of songs you know.’’
Gent’s never seen Welshman Sir Thomas Jones, who’s 83, live, ‘‘but I did YouTube him the other day — it was from a concert he did a year ago — and he was still amazing’’.
‘‘All you hear is he’s a great guy so hopefully we get to meet him — you normally do, but you never know.’’
Jones surfaced in the ’60s with a string of mega-hits including It’s Not Unusual, Delilah, Green Green, Grass of Home and I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.
Gent’s favourite’s What’s New Pussycat? ‘‘because I love the movie — you know, Peter Sellers and Peter O’Toole — and it’s a funny tune as well’’.
Gent, who’s 62, was an original member of The Exponents — formerly Dance Exponents — when Luck formed the band 43 years ago.
Responsible for anthems like Why Does Love Do This To Me?, Who Loves Who The Most, Victoria and I’ll Say Goodbye (Even Though I’m Blue), the band split up in 1999.
Inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame in 2015, they’ve reunited on several occasions, including a belated 40th anniversary tour a year ago which started with a warm-up gig at the Arrowtown Bowling Club.
