Category Archives: news

Kaikoura tonight

February 28, 2019newsLuke

I’m playing at the Strawberry Tree in Kaikoura tonight. 7pm. 21 W End Kaikoura. No cover charge – come along and please tell your friends. It is an easy drive from Christchurch.

Hi everyone Hope you all happy and healthy The guy who wrote the mission impossible theme tune Lalo Schifrin ? he was told upon arrival in tinsel town that all he had to do was “Go where you’re invited” He claimed this was the best advise ever for getting established.

I figured to do the same in my own zone and cannot claim the same success as he achieved but can testify it opens some amazing doors of perception and brought me to the realisation that nothing is ever as you anticipate its gonna be and it’s probably best to say yes when you can- within reason of course.

In this instance I was invited to Kaikoura its a thriving town in paradise where even the seagulls seem to appreciate music and the locals are really friendly.

I have yet to see a UFO or meet an alien family but am told this is likely and am looking forward to an invitation.

The next big thing here after whale watch would have to be sky watch. It’s a big sky so expect the unexpected. I saw something i could not explain and that’s just normal here if you come bring a telescope!

Anyway please come to my show tonight if you have time and are in striking distance its a nice drive from Christchurch and there are plenty of places you can stay

Iam keen to be invited anywhere just cover the travel and accom and I would be delighted to turn up in your zone and in turn invite you to mine

Be safe and God bless
Luke

A local view

Summer Gigs – Thames & Kerikeri

January 17, 2019newsLuke

Contents

Wharepuke Open Day

Two gigs this weekend. First one is Thames on Saturday night. See

Gig Guide

One is at the Lotus Realm Thames this Saturday night me in concert from 7pm the Lotus Realm main street Thames. Tickets $20

It would be cool if we could get the message out thanks.

The other one is Wharepuke Keri Keri Sunday 10am to 3pm

Wharepuke Open Day

on Sunday 20th January 10am- 4pm

Free entry into the award winning garden (NZGT) and Sculpture Park (40+artist from NZ and International). The art gallery, nontoxic printmaking studio and cottages will be open to view and ask questions

Maha is offering complimentary Soda and Spoon to excite the tastebuds with their Japanese inspired food. Other beverages and some snacks available for purchase

Music legend Luke Hurley will be providing entertainment from 11am-3pm

Join us, the Booth family and Ming and Diane at:

Wharepuke

190 Kerikeri road

Can we get the message out? Do you know people in Thames or Kerikeri – please let them know

Mount Manaia Bowling Club

December 11, 2018newsLuke

All details here

Concert on Sunday 16th at 7 pm, $20

Cafe 121 – Saturday

November 14, 2018newslive musicLuke

Nigel Gavin Morning’ all. Hope you are well and happy. Just letting you know that we are playing at one2one a venue in Ponsonby Auckland.

Where. 121 Ponsonby Rd Auckland
When. This Saturday night 7pm to 9pm
What. Mark Laurent songwriter with Nigel Gavin and moi. If you haven’t heard him / them you will be astonished. Masterful guitarists and great Kiwi blokes. Photo at left is Nigel. Here is a track from Nigel

The ticket price is zero but we encourage you to donate into the hat which is in fact a teapot. We don’t just accept money. Watches. Cars. Houses. Anything.

Come early and leave late. We will be there from 6pm.

Please do call if you have any leads. 02102592919 and don’t forget to visit band camp and check out my albums. And of course please encourage your friends to subscribe to this site.

Link for the gig is: if you want to share that would be great thanks.)

https://www.lukehurley.co.nz/2018/11/17/auckland-auckland-17-11-18-cafe-one2one-new-zealand/

Gold Streets In Tiny Town

August 17, 2018blog, newsLuke

It was great to visit Dunedin and play at the K&Q. Lovely venue. Made me realise that it’s important to have a place that’s purpose built for a show. Not a venue that’s purpose built to sell grog. Ha ha.

All you performers out there and this includes anyone with a message of any kind to deliver. My unsolicited advice to you is this. If you gonna do an event then put yourself and the people you invite in a place free of distractions.

Another venue of note was Players Theatre in Marton. Pleeeeeeease if you are in the game of putting it out there…..please do a gig there. Fantastic room and pa /lights and top notch management They put the word out and made me feel totally at ease.

Barrytown Hall. Soooooooooooooo Cool. They totally care for the performer and their audience. It’s like coming home to family for Christmas. And if you do a show there be sure to have a very long interval. People like to catch up. They yak and yak and yak. Let them. And don’t play canned music in the breaks. That’s why it’s called a break. You have a break from any distractions and let people convivialise.

No such word ay? not in big cities anyway.

Invers has great venues. The back packers on the Main Street. Try that. Ok there are the usual distractions of alcohol and food but they are smart. They allow for this by getting a great sound system and put the word out real well. Puts to shame the venues of the big smoke.

It has one of the worlds best transport museums and a super successful company called Richardson. 3000 trucks and 7000 employees and a very generous community spirit. i.e. their wealth gets shared with the town of origin. If Fletchers did this in it’s town of origin South Dunedin’s streets would be paved with gold. Family business any day.

And that’s the essence of it. Think family. You do a show with people who treat you and your audience like family. That’s the way of the past and that’s gonna be the way of the future ay brothers and sisters?

Happiness is more important than 💰 and fame but being happy won’t necessarily exclude them either.

More to come about venues in NZ but enough said for this blog except to say please support the cause and get me to play at yours or something. Phone me now 02102592919. I promise to play like a bastard.

Coming up. If you are in Auckland there is a showing of the short movie mentioned a few weeks back.

Lopdell House Titirangi Flicks

Robin has the movie ‘To Be Or Not To Be’ and it’s screening on the 12th. He runs the cinema In Titirangi. He is a serious film maker and he wants to screen it.

Wednesday 12th September, a series of short films including two from this year’s Doc Edge Festival, details of all films out soon already booked ‘To Be or Not To Be’ a short film about musician.songwriter Luke Hurley and ‘In Search of the Bone People’ ‘Sailing Away’ and others. Showing at 10-30am / 6pm / 8-pm Lopdell Theatre .

There is a very high chance that I will be at one or more of those screenings (TBC) to support Jing Chen so come along and say hi. More details here

Adult: morning screenings $12 Senior/Student: $10 includes Tea/Coffee/Biscuits 10-30am
Evening Screenings Adult: $14 Senior/Student $12 5-30pm or 6pm depending on film duration and 8-15pm
14 years old and under $7 (with an adult) dependent on film rating.

Flicks at Lopdell says: Text bookings to 0210 222 5558 (they text back to confirm)
Telephone bookings 09 818 2489
They take EFTPOS on tickets sales as well as bar sales… (finally !!) at the venue

Thank you Dunedin

July 25, 2018news, tourLuke

It’s been fun. Especially good in the old capital. Dunedin is a place I wrote most of my best songs in. The ODT preview for the show was a really pleasant surprise. The show itself was huge fun. I think I managed to pay the heating bill…

Thanks to all who came out at night in Dunedin last week. Thanks to those who shared on social or told to your friends about the gig. Thanks also to Lee Vandervis and all the others who wrote on their timelines such kind words.

Thanks also to the ODT who wrote this.

“Luke Hurley was once a fixture in Dunedin, busking in its streets and playing its halls, but after leaving in 1992, he’s hardly been back. That’s about to change.
What have you been doing since leaving Dunedin?
Since moving to Auckland in the ’90s I have been practising, writing and recording. I’ve been releasing the odd album. Much of the time that has involved getting nowhere, but then discovering a new way of approaching it all. But I’ve never understood the art of marketing.
It’s possible to have the work ready to share but it isn’t easy to find a way to share it effectively, unless you play like crazy wherever you can, from on a bus to at a Tedx Auckland event; which I have done and was fun, by the way. The Tedx event was quite literally 15 minutes of fame (and is still up on YouTube).
But a turning point for me was in 2007, in Dublin, when this amazing man gave me the best advice ever. “Just play,” he said. `”Play like a bastard.”
From then on, it made sense to forget the remote and futile goal of making the grade, whatever that means, by surrendering to something way greater. Just playing and growing by accident rather than by design. It’s the blues approach and I am an old blues man, qualified with dues paid many times over.
The music industry has changed a lot. No-one buys CDs any more, for a start.
As a result, I invested in playing live. It works. The live presence is vital, the rest is virtual. Literally.
That’s why my new album is called one take one voice one guitar. There are no gimmicks, just organic music from a certified music nut.
It’s not available yet. It has taken ages so far and may take ages yet, but I’m in no hurry.”

The read the full story see here. New approaches from an old identity

Dunedin – faces from the road

July 17, 2018news, tourLuke

Touring is easier than in times of old. Please if you are reading this do me a big favour. Share the info of where and when I am playing in Dunedin this Thursday night.

It’s a biggie and we stand to lose by playing this one. The costs of the gig are not gonna be met unless there is a big turnout. 500 seats to fill. 02102592919 for ticket details. Update: Added some ticket buttons over here if that is more convenient.

Here are some faces from the road. Thanks to all these people. And see more down the page.

One needs to entertain thoughts of the good old days with a pinch of salt. They often weren’t that good. Touring for instance. It was a nightmare. The gigs had to be planned well in advance. Posters had to be sent out. Newspapers and radio had to be approached and often wouldn’t respond.

Now it’s all easier. Social media gets the word out. Posters can be run off from a PDF and word can spread way easier. Sound systems are affordable and even transport costs are greatly reduced. So instead of losing you can almost break even but we still need help anywhere we can get it.

So please let folks know on social media and by word of mouth. Come to the gigs – get off the couch 🙂

Call me if you need more info 021 0259 2919

Here are some more stills of my journey so far.