Saturday July 13, 2019 Written by Anneka Brown
Concord Dawn are the drum-n-bass outfit that first brought New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and her fiancé Clarke Gayford together. Tonight, the duo reunite at Rarotonga’s Trio’s Garden Bar.
Taking it for another spin, the anniversary tour of the drum and bass act Concord Dawn has brought members Evan Short and Matthew Harvey back together after 20 years.
The Kiwi duo has been on a three-week tour around New Zealand and are now in Rarotonga for a final show.
Evan Short has been living in Rarotonga for two years’ now and his favourite part about living here is the pace of life. “It’s quiet, it’s slow, when you go to a fast-paced city like Auckland people don’t say hello,” says Evan.
Since reuniting for a one off tour and taking a trip down memory lane, they have started writing music together again.
Concord Dawn formed in 1999, Evan says they stuck at it for 10 years before parting ways but when Matthew came to Rarotonga to visit Evan last year, they decided to get back into bass.
Evan said he thought it would be really cool to end the tour here in Rarotonga where he lives.
For Matthew, who has been in Rarotonga for almost a week now, usually has full on work but he says he’s been changing gears since arriving. “It’s a bit more chill,” says Matthew.
However, he says he has always been a city boy living in Vienna for 10 years and now in Auckland.
Meanwhile enjoying what seems like the perfect holiday, Matthew is happy to be out the cold in New Zealand.
Their return to Raro coincides with that of New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern and her fiancé Clarke Gayford, who famously credit the band with uniting them.
In his first media interview after their relationship became public, Gayford remembered how he booked a coffee with Ardern to lobby her about privacy protections. He was shocked to discover their shared passion for Concord Dawn (“a fantastically awesome heavy New Zealand drum and bass outfit,” he said). They had more coffees. Eventually, it became a relationship.
Tonight’s concert at Trios bar will be a very special night to remember for best friends Matthew and Evan.
“I have to behave myself,” Matthew laughs.
Jethro is a realy lucky man!
Pass the sick bag!
…..”Jacinda Ardern and her fiancé Clarke Gayford, who famously credit the band with uniting them”…..
And I always thought that she had a thing for the smell of fishbait while he wanted a female Big Mouth Billy Bass blow up doll.
Bugger! 🙂
“Gayford remembered how he booked a coffee with Ardern to lobby her about privacy protections.”
Why was the fame whore concerned about privacy protections?
Wanted to keep his lawnmowing round secert! Can’t have the IRD and others poking their nose in!
Is anyone else reading between the lines?
Private concert on the beach, all the stars are aligned
Tens of millions !? !?
The extra ‘over and above’ allocation for the PIs was $NZ 760 million – three quarters of billion dollars – over four years and already there are other additional amounts>> as well as the base that was being paid anyway.
Eg before the fall out with Fiji just over 10 years ago it was 400 mill a year just to Fiji.
On top of that, despite out traditional sphere being Polynesia plus Fiji(Melanesian) this mob are extending it into Melanesia which has traditionally been Australian turf and we stayed out.
This includes Vanuatu, PNG, West Papua and is even stretching to the second most populous moozlem country in the world.- You know who that is right?
It is not chump change and it is YOUR taxpayers money.
I was a little bit sick in my mouth reading that. Actually the col makes me feel constantly sick. Adoration (by some) of this very stupid woman and her hanger on fiancé is sickening.