Name: Triple Bill - Don Milne | Steve Barkman | Vintage
Start: 2026-05-17T09:30:00+12:00
Location: 80 Lovelock Avenue, North Dunedin, Dunedin, New Zealand 9030

Triple Bill - Don Milne | Steve Barkman | Vintage

Don Milne, creator of Tui Banjos, writes "Some time around 1965, inspired by the playing of Dave Guard of the Kingston Trio and the folk music in the Monde Maree , a late night coffee bar in Wellington I bought and old banjo and so started on a life-long interest in the instrument and it’s music.
Learning wasn’t easy as the were only a few banjoists around town. I had learned the “Up-picking” style from Pete Seeger’s book and could play a few tunes in this style. One evening I met at a party and American sailor who grabbed my banjo and started playing it Frailing style, something that had eluded me up to that time. It wasn’t long before I could play this way and have been ever since.
My old banjo needed repairs and so I met Rawe Hawkins, a luthier living out at Plimmerton, who was able to sort the banjo out , showing me how to make some of the parts while he did the tricky bits. Rawe made excellent banjos and this inspired me with the idea that one day I would try my hand at banjo making which I have now been engaged in for about the last 15 years.
For this concert I will bring a few different banjos I have made and play them in the style appropriate to the type of banjo, Minstrel music, tunes from West Virginia and North Carolina and perhaps some new tunes in the Old Time style."
Steve Barkman - luthier, guitarist, singer, sound tech and keen fisherman. Brought up by a father who sang, and loved Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Jimmie Rogers, Hank Snow, Lonnie Donegan, Howard Morrison, and many others, long ago on an old black and white TV Steve saw 'Let's sing out' with Oscar Brand and numerous guests including Phil Ochs, Joni Anderson (Mitchell) Tom Paxton etc. His life changed forever.
Vintage is an ongoing collaboration between old friends Karen McArthur and John Penno, John playing guitar with Karen carrying most of the vocals. They started out mainly playing the music of “The Great American Songbook” but, over the years, have periodically added absolutely anything else that just happens to attract their attention at the time… so their music is evolving into a fairly eclectic repertoire. They have an easy rapport on stage, playing the songs they enjoy, and this transmits to their audiences. No deep meanings, just fun music.
$15 public | $10 members | cash bar | eftpos available