It is time to dig around in your wardrobe and hit the costume shop as the South Canterbury Museum throws the region back in time with its Retro Rock concert.
This is the fifth time the annual event will have been held after it was cancelled due to Covid-19 last year.
South Canterbury Museum director Philip Howe said he was looking forward to the event.
‘‘The whole thing transpired in 2018 when we held an exhibit about music in the 1960s and we thought it would be great to have some live music, but we couldn’t do it in the museum, so the idea of doing an outdoor concert came to mind.’’
Mr Howe said they thought if they got about 100 people to come along they would be doing very well.
‘‘We ended up with 1000 people attending. So being victims of our own success, we have kept the event going and it has become an annual fixture.’’
As this was the fifth year the concert was being held, they wanted to squeeze in five bands instead of three bands as they had done in previous years.
‘‘It will be a bit of a mission to fit them all in and keep to the timeframe but I think we can do it,’’ Mr Howe said.
Three food outlets will be present and the Timaru Rock’n’Roll Club will be performing between the bands.
‘‘It is an opportunity for people to see something they don’t always get to see and it is a great way for the Timaru Rock’n’Roll Club to be present and perform for a great audience.’’
Mr Howe said in the past they had held retro rock fashion contests but they found not everyone was willing to take part in a fashion parade.
‘‘So this year we thought instead of that, we would just be giving out spot prizes for people who are dressed up and we will be encouraging people to dress up for it.’’
‘‘You can be a ’60s mod, an ’ 80s new romantic, a ’90s grunge or even a ’70s disco queen.’’
Mr Howe wanted to emphasise there was a strong desire for community events that gave people the chance to get together, and this event was about that.
‘‘It is a free event that gives people the chance to see local bands in a family-friendly and alcohol-free environment instead of going to a bar.
‘‘It is also an opportunity for local bands to play, as there are fewer and fewer opportunities.’’
The event also marked the fifth anniversary of South Canterbury Museum winning the International Museum Dance Off.
Mr Howe wanted to mark the occasion by getting the public singing and dancing, which would be filmed and used in a video project.
‘‘We are going to encourage the audience to get up and dance during one of the breaks later in the evening. It is going to be a full-on event and people can participate to the extent that they want to but participation overall will be encouraged.’’
He said they wanted to thank their supporters, as without them none of it would be possible.
‘‘This is a community event that is funded by locals and supporters of such things.
‘‘You get a whole range of people who attend, it is multigenerational and that is a great thing to see.’’
He said the event also acknowledged and recognised the social heritage of the local music scene.
The museum would be open for the public to look around and to use the facilities.
Retro Rock will be held on Saturday from 7pm-11pm on the grass next to the South Canterbury Museum.
