Leigh News & Events

Apr
25
Sat
Jack Daniels – Smoke on the Coast @ Whangateau Holiday Park
Apr 25 @ 2:00 pm – Apr 26 @ 5:00 pm
Jack Daniels - Smoke on the Coast @ Whangateau Holiday Park | Whangateau | Auckland | New Zealand

Smoke on the Coast is back at a brand new venue – Whangateau Holiday park!

25+ Teams will battle off for the honour of being named ‘Grand Champion’ by preparing, cooking (over wood or charcoal) 7 categories of meat/protein.

Both the actual cooking and Judging will be open to the public.

Cooking categories are:
Hot & Fast
– Steak
– Chicken Wings
– TBA/Sponsors Choice

Teams are competing for a minimum Cash pool of $7000 plus extra prizes from our generous sponsors

The public are welcome on site at any time from 1300 to 2000 Saturday 25th April and 0800 – 1700 Sunday 26th April.
Prize Giving is 1530 Sunday

Entry is by ticket only.
Public entry is free. – order tickets HERE: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/smoke-on-the-coast-tickets-94245523899

Jun
20
Sat
BEN HURLEY STRAIGHT OUT OF LOCKDOWN TOUR – SOLD OUT @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Jun 20 @ 9:00 pm

Ben Hurley at the Sawmill CafeBen’s “The Endless Summer Tour” was cut short by the Covid-19 crisis earlier this year.
So teaming up with the Save Our Venues campaign and announcing dates covering many of the smaller venues around the country seemed like a perfect way to help the recovery.
And we are thrilled!

Ben is well known from his TV appearances ~ 7Days, The Project, The Comedy Gala. And he’s won all of the awards! The Fred, The Billy T, NZCG Best Male and NZCG Best MC so he definitely has the chops, and the beard, to make a great show.

Joined by Vaughn King in support its shaping up to be a night of laughs you don’t want to miss

Please contact us direct to book a table once you have purchased tickets

TICKET HOLDERS ONLY from 8pm
PRE-SALES $30+b.f at eventfinda or at the bar
DOOR SALES tbc

Jun
21
Sun
Leigh Midwinter Swim 2020 @ Matheson Bay
Jun 21 @ 10:15 am
Jul
3
Fri
OPEN MIC NIGHT @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Jul 3 @ 8:00 pm

Open Mic at the Sawmill CafeWe cant wait to celebrate level 1 with all our lovely locals – and what better way than with  an Open Mic Night – hosted by local legend the lovely Lindsay D

Always SUCH a great night!
Come enjoy an evening of community with some very talented local muso’s

$5 koha greatly appreciated

Jul
4
Sat
SOJØURN With SULU & LEIGHTON FAIRLIE @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Jul 4 @ 9:30 pm

Sojourn at the Sawmill Cafe

SOJØURN are back bringing their east coast blend of psyche-surf rock & reggae dub to the Mill. The 6 piece had a hissing summer playing shows and festivals across the North Island. Lockdown gave them an opportunity to write a bunch of new tunes, and after a stint back in the studio in May, the boys are back and fired up for some live shows.

Joining SOJØURN on the night is AKL Dub / Loop master Leighton Fairlie performing his blend of dub, roots, hip hop, drum and bass and acoustic. Smoking hot tunes.

Also super excited to have our very own MC for the night – DJ SuLu (Daniel Weetman / The Black Seeds) playing his best Funk, Reggae, Ska, Afrobeat, Hip Hop. Good times.

TICKET HOLDERS ONLY from 8:00pm
EARLY BIRD PRE-SALES $10+ b.f at undertheradar then $15
DOOR SALES $20 – availability t.b.a

Jul
12
Sun
LOVE SQUARE & TINA TURNTABLES @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Jul 12 @ 4:00 pm

Love Square & Tina Turntables at the Sawmill CafeJoin this collection of uber-fine musicians and your favourite 95bFM DJ for an afternoon of hip shaking niceness!
As you waltz into the Mill you’ll hear the sumptuous sounds emanating from Tina’s turntables. Next to her on stage you’ll see the Mill’s grand piano unwrapped, ready to come alight. It’s neighbour, a vintage Rhodes seventy-three key electric piano.

Atop the Rhodes you’ll notice the gently humming circuits of a well-traveled Roland Juno 106 which will help keep us all warm, once master pianist and trumpeter Finn Scholes begins his sorcery.
Bass clarinets and saxophones also decorate the stage waiting patiently for the gale-force soul of Nick Atkinson to unleash a bluesy cascade of notes, but wait…. there’s more!
Karen Hu, one of the most talented young drummers to emerge on the scene is about to flam a rim-shot right up in your aroma! She plays congas too! Come on down for this mid-winter afternoon dance!!

Expect a musical journey from Africa to Aotearoa via the Caribbean!

TICKET HOLDERS ONLY from 3:30pm
PRE-SALES $20+ b.f at undertheradar
DOOR SALES TBC

Jul
19
Sun
GRACE KELLY @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Jul 19 @ 5:30 pm

Grace Kelly at the Sawmill CafeCelebrating the release of her country / pop EP “Before”   recently recorded in Nashville.

Featuring 5 original country-pop songs, Grace’s new EP reveals a true talent not just for catchy choruses but also for honesty and telling it like it is through great story-telling,  which as any lover of country music knows, is key.

Grace burst onto the scene after a remarkable opportunity set her on an epic path of amazing experiences in a very short period of time. 2019 was a whirlwind year for her, with Californian city San Jose choosing her song ‘San Jose’ as their theme song and pushing her into the limelight. The song has now hit over 50,000 streams on Spotify

Following on from the release of ‘San Jose’, the momentum also started building rapidly on the live front, with highlights from last year including opening for country music giant and television personality Blake Shelton, and being able to perform on the same bill as country music singers Eric Paslay, Phil Barton and Taylor Swift’s songwriter Liz Rose.

Grace’s songs are heavily influenced by the Nashville music scene and her love of county/pop music, and at still just 17 years old, these passions are providing her with a backdrop to share her coming of age life experiences. Having now recorded several times in Nashville, the EP ‘before.’ features some of Nashville’s most talented musicians: the 2019 CMA Musician of the Year Jenee Fleenor – Fiddle and Mandolin (Blake Shelton), T Wild – Guitar (Carly Simon); David Northrup – Drums (Boz Scaggs); Steve King – Keyboards (Keith Urban), and Jim Riley – drummer (Rascal Flatts).

Check out the video for Grace’s song “That Girl”

Joining Grace is acoustic, finger style guitarist Nicholas Brightwell

Jul
24
Fri
PAUL UBANA JONES @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Jul 24 @ 8:00 pm

Paul Ubana Jones at the Sawmill Cafe

 

We are thrilled to announce this rescheduled date

Paul Ubana Jones described as one man with guitar, sounding like a whole band. With a voice that is as husky as it is evocative, with intoxicating rhythms leaving nobody untouched.
With 8 albums and 3 major music awards to his credit, he is described as a Kiwi treasure, a legend by many that have followed his career. A must to see!

Please contact us direct to book a table once you have purchased tickets

APRIL TICKET HOLDERS: your tickets are valid for this new date

TICKET HOLDERS ONLY from 7:30pm
PRE-SALES $30+ b.f at undertheradar
DOOR SALES $30 from 730pm

Aug
8
Sat
FRED @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Aug 8 @ 9:30 pm

Fred at the Sawmill CafeAfter all this time locked in our houses it’s time to get out and play some music.

FRED return to the Mill to release their new upcoming single – ROLLERCOASTER!
Fred just wanna dance all night with you – so get those tickets when they’re on sale and get hydrated because this is certainly shaping up to be a goodie!

Tickets on Sale from June 17th.

We can’t wait to play for you all X

TICKET HOLDERS ONLY from 8pm

Sep
4
Fri
Deva Mahal @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Sep 4 @ 9:30 pm

Deva Mahal, performing with full band of stand out NZ talent.
Support from the lovely Zoe Moon

Deva Mahal was born with blues in her blood. Beginning from her upbringing in Kaua’i, Hawaii to discovering her voice in Aotearoa, where she solidified her vision of becoming an artist performing alongside Fat Freddy’s Drop, Rhombus, Sola Rosa, The Little Bushman, Ladi6, Lisa Tomlins, Hollie Smith, Anika Moa and Olmecha Supreme.

This is one powerhouse gig you don’t want to miss!

TICKET HOLDERS ONLY from 730pm
PRE-SALES $30+ b.f at underthedarar
DOOR SALE $ and availablity t.b.a

Sep
26
Sat
FRISKY BUSINESS @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Sep 26 @ 9:30 pm

Frisky Business at the Sawmill CafeBack to the 80’s with it’s neon lights, big hair styles and crazy outfits.

But be prepared – you will dance and sing all night!

Frisky Business will be playing songs from some of the most iconic and influential bands and artists of the 80s live… Michael Jackson, Prince, Wham, David Bowie, Tears for Fears, Eurythmics, Cameo and many, many more. Warm up your dance moves, get your 80’s outfit out of the storage and join us for a great night!

MARCH TICKET HOLDERS: your tickets are valid for this new date

TICKET HOLDERS ONLY from 8pm
PRESALES $15+ b.f at dashtickets
DOOR SALES tbc

Oct
14
Wed
DANIEL CHAMPAGNE @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Oct 14 @ 5:30 pm

Daniel Champagne at the Sawmill CafeDon’t miss this intimate show from the young Australian born, Nashville based virtuoso recently described as ‘the finest guitar player of this generation’
Daniel has been selling out shows around the world and we’re thrilled to be a stop.

WHAT THE PRESS SAY
“The word Prodigy seems to entirely fall short of this soft-spoken young man’s skills, he coaxes sounds and melodies out of his instrument that literally drop jaws.” The Calgary Herald, CANADA

“Watching Daniel Champagne perform is a once in a lifetime experience. He is a true prodigy that plays like no one else could possibly play unless they spent at least two lifetimes studying the art.” BW Review, NEW ZEALAND

‘Daniel Champagne exudes a natural ease on stage, as he sings poignant lyrics and beautifully crafted melodies that invariably whisk the heart up with grand romanticism. Coupled with an exhilarating guitar talent that transcends mere acoustic playing to replicate a whole band, Champagne is just magical’ Themusic.com.au, AUSTRALIA

Best get a ticket!

TICKET HOLDERS ONLY FROM 5:00pm
PRE-SALES $20+ b.f at eventbrite
DOOR SALES $25 if not sold out prior

Oct
20
Tue
The Phoenix Foundation @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Oct 20 @ 9:30 pm

Celebrating the expansive new album Friend Ship; a post-apocalyptic love letter from the future to the present and the soundtrack to the swirling oblivion that is 2020.

The Phoenix Foundation have lived many lives. From high school distortion addicts to indie folk trippers to masters of motorik dream pop. It’s been five years since GUYD but that down time has been spent writing, recording, touring with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, creating the acclaimed soundtrack for Hunt For The Wilderpeople, building shrines to light, creating scores for VR, producing other bands, baking sourdough.

Slowly, when they could, the six old friends found time to work together in studios, garages, forests, and sheds around New Zealand to put together the concise ten song set of that is Friend Ship. Featuring Nadia Reid, Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins) and Anita Clark (Motte) their 7th album is both a classic collection of Phoenixy songs and a new palette of sounds and characters.

Oh we are so excited to have them at the Mill!

Oct
23
Fri
WHITE CHAPEL JAK – postponed from 14 Aug & 2 Oct @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Oct 23 @ 8:30 pm

White Chapel Jak at the Sawmill CafeNEW DATE – POSTPONED FROM 15 AUGUST & 2 OCTOBER

Celebrating the end of lock down with a big old tour.
Known for putting an acoustic, funk-groove spin on upbeat songs everyone knows and loves, White Chapel Jak are an infectiously happy, must see live show that regularly sells out. So get those tickets!

FRiday NIGHT
DOORS OPEN 7.30pm BAND ON STAGE 8.30 – 10.30pm
PRESALES $30+b.f at Eventbrite
DOOR SALES availability tbc

Oct
24
Sat
PLUTO – LIVE @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Oct 24 @ 9:30 pm

Pluto at the Sawmill CafeAfter almost a decade away, iconic New Zealand rock band Pluto are back. Following two explosive album release shows in November
to celebrate the release of their fourth full length album, IV, they have announced an intimate and special performance this Easter Saturday at the Mill, and oh we’re stoked!

Pluto mastered the art of the multi-layered rock sound – sometimes indie, moody and restrained, at other times hook-laden hand-clap pop, often angular, full-energy, anthemic rock. Through the mid 2000’s, Pluto was at their zenith, consistently writing rock songs that traversed the musical landscape combining thoughtful, intelligent lyrics with sonic pop melodies to create evocative, memorable and seductive songs.

Pluto hit the ground running in 2001 with charming debut album “Red Light Syndrome” bringing them to national attention with songs ‘Hey Little’ and ‘She’s Jive’. This was followed up in 2005 with the double-platinum selling ‘Pipeline Under The Ocean’, which featured the critically acclaimed hits ‘Dance Stamina’, and ‘Long White Cross’ which took out Single Of The Year in 2006 at the NZ Music Awards. 2007 saw the release of third studio album “Sunken Water”, after which the band capitalised on their wider appeal and continued touring extensively with their high-energy performances revealing a band at their peak live.

BIG thanks to Banished Music for bringing another fantastic act to the mill

APRIL TICKET HOLDERS: your tickets are valid for this new date

TICKET HOLDERS ONLY from 8pm
PRESALES $30+ b.f at banishedmusic
DOOR SALES tbc

Oct
25
Sun
CAR BOOT SALE @ Leigh Central
Oct 25 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
CAR BOOT SALE SUNDAY 10-12 @LEIGH CENTRAL…actually we have so much stuff we have had to set up shop in the Seaview room…and this is just China and furniture…books, linen, and Christmas items to come.
Good thing is this makes more space In our carpark for you to set up a small stall…text 0274411142 if you want to be part of the fun.
SOAKED OATS @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Oct 25 @ 8:00 pm

Soaked Oats - Say Hey And Play Some New OnesSOAKED OATS – SAY HEY AND PLAY SOME NEW ONES

Having recently finished the first wave of recording for their debut album, Soaked Oats are taking to the road this October for a string of shows up and down the country. The ‘Say Hey and Play Some New Ones’ tour will see them greeting faces throughout Aotearoa and trying out some new material for the first time. The band will be supported and joined on stage by DJ and friend ‘Hot in the City’ + a few surprise support acts. Dates below:
Soaked Oats are a young four-piece band that percolated into existence in Dunedin, New Zealand in 2017. Catapulted by their infectious and joyful shows and fast-evolving song-writing chops, the band’s profile and fanbase are on a steep rise.
The indie sludge-pop group have become known for endearing live performances, music that has given the band access to tours throughout the UK and America. 2019 saw the release of their most accomplished work to date, the Sludge Pop EP. The band’s single ‘Coming UP’ was discovered by indie-rock icon Sharon Van Etten who shared to her 90 thousand plus fans and lead to sell-out shows across Australasia.
“Soaked Oats rather neatly push the parameters of pop-rock into interesting corners which gently have reference points in alt.country, post-New Wave atmospherics and moody dream-pop.”
– Elsewhere
“A healthy dose of familiar southern jangle, a wry sense of humour and a bold rhythm section.”
– NZ Herald
“There’s something infectious about their sound; it’s happy, it’s relaxed and a little bit cheeky.”
– Pilerats
Oct
28
Wed
CLUB MANOUCHE @ Whangateau Hall
Oct 28 @ 7:00 pm

Our guests this month are Club Manouche, featuring Professor James Sneyd on violin, Craig Denham on accordion and vocals, Steve (Happy Days) Sherry on guitar and Peter Scott on bass and vocals Club Manouche play a lively set of gypsy swing classics mixed with an eclectic selection of odd sorts. With the tangible camaraderie of seasoned players and long friendships their performances are filled with passion, gusto, a sense of humour and mischievousness and they’re not beyond taking a well known tune down the wormhole of contagious improvisational outbursts to see whats there.

Oct
30
Fri
DEVA MAHAL @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Oct 30 @ 9:30 pm

Deva MahalDeva Mahal, performing with full band of stand out NZ talent.

Support from the lovely Zoe Moon

Deva Mahal was born with blues in her blood. Beginning from her upbringing in Kaua’i, Hawaii to discovering her voice in Aotearoa, where she solidified her vision of becoming an artist performing alongside Fat Freddy’s Drop, Rhombus, Sola Rosa, The Little Bushman, Ladi6, Lisa Tomlins, Hollie Smith, Anika Moa and Olmecha Supreme.

This is one powerhouse gig you don’t want to miss!

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/7mI7TjfK1OSXqeIG8BtKAd

TICKET HOLDERS ONLY from 730pm
PRE-SALES $30+ b.f at underthedarar
DOOR SALE $ and availablity t.b.a

Nov
1
Sun
DUBWISE @ LEIGH SAWMILL CAFE
Nov 1 @ 3:00 pm

eventthumbnailimageDubwise System Sessions

feat. PDC Soundsystem & honoured guests;

D-Low

GraySound

kamal

Free Entry

Light Up Leigh

  • Scavenger Hunt & Face Painting (see events)
  • Night market at beautiful Leigh Central, so you can shop with stunning views of the ocean. Market from 4pm until 8pm.
  • Light Up Competition (see below)
  • Places to eat;
    – Leigh Bar: Light Up Leigh Special – Homemade soup, mulled wine and much more
    – Leigh Eats 
    – Amaranto Pasta and Cucina Food truck

For more information please email Michelle on 1805michelle@gmail.com

Leigh Midwinter Swim

at Matheson Bay

Sunday 23rd June 2019 – meet at 10:15am to take the plunge.

Leigh Midwinter Swim