The Colosseum Gig

It was about 18 years ago (so they tell me) that Hard To handle were a regular fixture on the music scene around these parts. Around this time, John and I have a close afinity with each other as we both fronted high profile, hard working blues bands, and I don't know if it is a result of the kind of drugs around at the time, but I have quite often been mistaken as the singer from hard To handle.

This doesn't really come as a surprise, because if they were playing in town, and I wasn't, I was more likely than not to be seen on stage with them at some part of the night, playing harp, and singing with John, as that is the kind of band they were when it came to inviting friends and guests up for a jam, and when you work as hard as they were at the time, any variation on the normal was welcome to give a bit of a spark to the monotony of playing the same bar night after night.

So 18 years further on down the road when the opportunity arose to carry on where we had left off, I was as keen as mustard to jump right on in there, and when John approached me to do some promotional stuff for the reunion, I wasn't about to let the opportunity pass, and suggested that they could do with a support band, and make an even bigger night of it, and Brilleaux and Kokomo would make a legendary line-up of Tauranga bluesmasters, to which he agreed, and the plans were set for the night of 31st march, 2007 at the Colosseum, Harrington Street Tauranga.

Kokomo, or their alter-ego, The Self Righteous Brothers kicked of the night with a 30 minute set to get what must have been a full house in the mood for what was to come.
Wandering through the crowd, I had a constant smile on my face, spotting the ghosts of yesterdays bar scene who had caught wind of the show and who seemed to just vaporised themselves to the Colosseum for the evening for one more night of smoke and alcohol induced rock n roll (without the smoke of course).

Brilleaux kicked off at 10.15, introduced by Derek, who rarked them up sufficiently and informing the crowd that the night was being recorded and videod for an upcoming future cd release. Brilleaux played a 50 minute set of rhythm and blues played brilleaux-style to a pretty enthusiastic crowd, but to be honest, I think they were really saving themselves (a phenomenon unknown 18 years ago, but many now only surviving on limited stores of excess energy, do not have stores to be used up too hastilly lest they fail to see out the main event!) for the main event - the reunion of Hard To Handle.

Hard To handle kicked of about 11.30, and an intense feeling of Deja vu descended upon the crowd from the first two notes Tippy struck on his guitar. It was astounding how good these guys sounded after not playing together for so many years, it may well be a cliche, but it sounded like they had only been playing yesterday, even in the absence of their most recent bass player, Kevin Coleman. Willie (Wiremu) Priestly did an amazing Job - I salute him for that.
Jon was BORN to be the frontman of a band - it is his calling in life - It is what he does and what he is - aand this was confirmed on this night. Jon hasn't actually performed for a long time - not like THIS, and he was a pleasure to watch - he brought tears in my eyes with a brilliant performance.

Im sure I saw Tippy play just the other day! His playing on the night was as it has always been - astounding, passionate, inspired - all the things that have made him a local and international legend.

I have never really noticed before, but paul has a very distinctive style on the drums, and maybe its because I have a lot more experience myself now, that I am able to pick up on that, but Paul is equally responsible for the sound that Hard To handle were the band that you HAD to go and see on a Friday or Saturday night.

Now, I have the recollection of the very first incarnations of hard to Handle, with Jim on drums, and then later with Nick the Russian on Bass, and Derek Jacombs on guitar, alonside a "yet to find-himself" Tippy, right through to the powerhouse lineup with Paul, and the legendary Kevin Coleman on bass, and on this night, this line-up was as good as any of them.

I hope the recording does the band justice, and they deliver the public with the SECOND Hard To Handle album EVER.

Awesome night you guys - you gave a lot of people a lot of enjoyment

I thank everybody that made the night go smoothly, from Tim Cooper for all his effort before, during and after the gig. Dan Howard for making a great job of the live sound, and for recording the audio. To Mike Butler who video taped the entire proceedings on and back stage, and last but not least all the lovers of live music that PAID and had a night to be remembered for a very long time.