Take the music with you
Talented Scottish musician Pol Nicholson will take the stage with Andy Bell at Blue Door for Crowded In the House this week. The show is a captivating and gleeful celebration of Kiwi icons Crowded House.
Nicholson is a passionate musician and was first discovered busking on Queenstown streets by Margaret O’Hanlon, organiser of the Blue Door series. He completed his musical degree in Edinburgh and is proficient on the guitar, mandolin, bass, drums and the occasional keyboard. He wears many hats including owner of Black Lab Coffee Roasters and Free Fall Entertainment, and he’s also a celebrant.
“I think we were one of the first Tiny Room Concerts when Margaret and Charlotte started them just around Covid times,” Nicholson says. “We did a little acoustic version of our favourite Neil Finn and Crowded House songs and we just loved it. We always said we’d love to do it again but do it with a big band and do all the bigger hits and have a lot more musicality to it.”
Nicholson describes Neil Finn as one of his favourite song writers, so he’s always keen to have an opportunity to perform his favourite songs. Blue Door is the perfect venue for the gig, lending well to the Tiny Room Concerts, as it’s a much more intimate venue – one that has a great atmosphere and keeps the whole audience captivated.
“It’s a proper concert – there’s candles, the fire’s going, you can grab a nice glass of wine and it’s really intimate. People are very much engaged the whole time, giving you their full attention.”
It’s a cozy environment, similar to an old Scottish pub, offering a chilled vibe. At times, it can be a little intimidating for performers – it’s a very different environment to playing at weddings, or at bars where they’re the paid entertainment. Nicholson has done a few different shows in the past, including some traditional Scottish music nights.
“It really suits that traditional music vibe. I’ve done a few folk nights and Scottish nights – this will be a bit more upbeat than our usual shows.”
There’ll be a lively, talented band on stage with Nicholson and Bell, including the amazing Mark Wilson on piano, who brings an extra layer of depth and nuance to the performance, with his extraordinary finger work and infectious laugh.
The Tiny Room Concerts are a series of shows, which aim to differ from your typical tribute bands. They aim to find the unusual story behind the music and the artists, exploring their real-life experience. After Crowded In the House, the next upcoming Blue Door Concert is True Colours – When the Stars Align with Charlotte Graf covering artists including Cyndi Lauper, Kim Carnes, Stevie Nicks and Tina Turner.
Nicholson is excited for the upcoming show and any time he gets to play as part of the series.
“I just really look forward to these little Blue Doors. They’re a really fun one for us. I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and playing some good tunes. I don’t normally do electric guitar, so we’re going to have the chance to get the electric back out as well.”
Crowded in the House Tiny Room Concert will be at The Blue Door on Thursday, 5 July. You can keep your eye out at whirlwindnz.com/tiny-room-concerts to see Pol’s next show after he returns from holidays later in the year, or to see some of the other Tiny Room shows coming up and grab tickets.
