The Eastern goes North
The Eastern goes north
Words: Kim Newth
Rated one of the hardest working bands in the country, The Eastern has been gigging more than ever since the February 22 earthquake that struck with particular force in their home patch of Lyttelton. Kim Newth caught up with The Eastern’s Adam McGrath last month when they played in North Canterbury.
Fresh from the reopening of Lyttelton’s Wunderbar, The Eastern are also celebrating another milestone. The earthquake charity album they put together with other Lyttelton musicians – The Harbour Union – made it into the top 20 within a week of it going on sale in the port town.
Incredibly, this top 20 spot was achieved before the album even went out on general release last month. Without the passion and commitment of Lyttelton’s close-knit community of musicians, it’s hard to see how this fundraiser could ever have been completed particularly given the background disruption to people’s lives as a result of the quake.
With his studio and gear destroyed by the February quake, The Sitting Room’s Ben Edwards resorted to recording this charity album in the lounge of The Eastern’s Lyttelton home, using borrowed gear.
“Some after-shocks came through in the middle of recording. Our bass player was actually playing when one of these hit and he didn’t even miss a beat!” says The Eastern’s Adam McGrath, who describes Lyttelton as being “pretty beaten up”. He sums up the mood there as “tired but determined” but people are trying to make the most of their changed circumstances.
Other names on The Harbour Union include The Unfaithful Ways, Al Park, Tiny Lies, Runaround Sue, Delaney Davidson and Lindon Puffin. “The great thing is that we’re all friends. We were all in the same place at the same time, which is rare because of the touring we all do. We realised we had a chance to do something special together,” he says. Proceeds from the album will be donated to help with the rebuild of Lyttelton and Christchurch.
Since the February quake, many venues have been out of action, but it hasn’t stopped The Eastern from taking their joy-inducing hillbilly fusion of country-rock-bluegrass to appreciative audiences throughout Christchurch – and beyond.
“We’ve been averaging ten shows a week since the quake, sometimes two or three a day, doing lots of crazy backyard shows and street parties. We play on street corners, just wherever we can. It has been really cool.
“We play lots of places like this, little country halls, but this is our first time in North Canterbury – it’s lovely.”
The band played two shows in the region last month. It was Adam McGrath’s friendship with a North Canterbury family, the McCaleb family, that formed the catalyst for the sold-out headline event at Balcairn Hall on May 7, but locals also enjoyed a taste of the band’s infectious acoustic sound the preceding afternoon at the North Loburn Hall, which is where I caught up with them.
While chatting to Adam, the hall steadily filled with happy, excited children and their parents. We were also joined by local retiree Des Terry, 81, who had dusted off two old family violins especially for the occasion. One, gifted to him in 1969, is more than one hundred years old. The other is Des’s childhood violin, which dates back to at least the 1920s.
Eastern fiddler Flora Knight respectfully put the bow to these family treasures and so it was that Des’s violin came to be used for the gig. (Des then played first support on his piano accordion – in full country ‘n western regalia – at the Balcairn gig the following night at which musician Lindon Puffin also played support).
Sporting plentiful tattoos and a luxuriant trademark beard, Adam’s powerful voice also makes a memorable impression. He’s hollered, stamped and strummed his way through New Zealand many times, along with fellow core Eastern’er Jess Shanks on banjo.
In the past two years, they’ve twice toured the United States. The Eastern have played with acts like Steve Earl, Jim White, the Old Crowe Medicine Show and Fleetwood Mac. They’ve opened for Jimmy Barnes. They’ve worn out more boot leather, changed more guitar and banjo strings, than most any other band in the land.
Adam is a long-time fan of Steve Earl, having first clapped ears on Copperhead Road as a 12-year-old. “When we opened for him I was really nervous. I tried to play good – he was really nice. I’d love to repeat the experience if he comes back this way.”
Earl’s son – Justin Townes Earl – was due to perform in Christchurch in March, but regrettably had to cancel due to the quake.
The Eastern, meanwhile, have continued to play and play, achieving success as independent musicians, without any publishing deals or NZ On Air backing. Adam and Jess generally hook up with two or three other musicians if they can. Violinist Flora is a relative newcomer. “She has never actually rehearsed with us,” admits Adam. Not that you’d know it; her playing appeared flawless on the day of the gig.
In a typical year, The Eastern, in its various combinations, play over 200 shows a year.
“It does have its challenges. The hardest thing is to maintain that sense of self-belief but hunger is a good motivator! You just have to say to yourself ‘I’m going to live off this – this is all I’m going to do’. The pay-off is we get to do so many wonderful things. Playing at these halls in North Canterbury is a good example of that,” says Adam.
“Whether we’re playing in a country hall or at big shows like Fleetwood Mac, the experience is essentially the same: we’re there to entertain and we want to move people too.”
At North Loburn, the locals were certainly moved, in more ways than one. They were soon on their feet, joining their kids (myself included), spinning to the fast moving, heartfelt roadsongs. No-one wanted the magic to end.
There were some real highlights like Oh Mystery off their last CD, Arrows. Adam also pulled out a couple of well-chosen covers, The Warratahs’ Hands of My Heart and Bruce Springsteen’s Atlantic City.
Arrows has just been released in Australia. So, a week after their North Canterbury mini-tour, The Eastern headed off to Australia for a month-long tour there.
They’re planning to get another CD out by next summer. “Though I’m not sure how we’ll get the time to do it!” confesses Adam. “We haven’t had much of a chance to write new material since February – we’ve been too busy doing lots of shows.”
The Eastern could choose to leave quake-damaged Lyttelton behind and set up shop elsewhere, but this is not something they will ever do. They’re committed to their community, to being part of its recovery – and the long
