Festival's grand finale

Alice Cowdrey looks at some of the other musical events on offer in the final days of the Nelson Arts Festival.

A West Coast-born singer songwriter who released her debut album this year will play the first of two Nelson Arts Festival gigs tonight. Mel Parsons will perform at The Granary Festival Cafe tonight and the Mussel Inn, Onekaka, tomorrow night. In March, Parsons released Over My Shoulder, a country music-inspired collection of songs about love, loss and looking forward. The musician, who is a ski instructor in the winter, had plenty of industry heavyweights on her side for the production of the album, with help from the likes of Anika Moa and Don McGlashan.

The Wellington-based Rhythm Kings will join Parsons for her two Nelson gigs.

• Mel Parsons and the Rhythm Kings play tonight at The Granary Festival Cafe, Founders Heritage Park, from 9pm. Tickets are $33 and can be purchased from Everyman Records. The musicians will also play a free gig at the Mussel Inn tomorrow from 8pm.

Good things come to an end

Spruced-up pets, Brazilian rhythms and the tinkling sound of ukuleles will wind up the festival on Monday.

The Family Finale starts at Founders Park at 1pm with an outdoor catwalk of animals wearing all manner of snazzy outfits during the Pet Art Wear Show.

Following the strut, Nelson's own World Ukulele Orchestra will have its debut performance and is inviting the entire town to join in.

The gig, known as The Big Sing, will feature the 13-piece orchestra on stage, with players leading the crowd in 11 songs, plus an encore. Orchestra member Merry Fisher says the orchestra is made up of Nelson's top ukulele players. Members of the public are welcome to take their ukulele along, and the rest of the crowd will have to use their lungs to join the strummers in a sing-along. Fisher hopes the words to the songs will be projected on to a large screen, but if not, the songbook can be downloaded from nelsonartsfestival.co.nz or purchased for $5. The songs are as "well-known as possible" and there's something for everyone, including Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Incy Wincy Spider, Ten Guitars, Hoki Mai, Rocking Robin and Over the Rainbow. The Big Sing will start at 2pm.

At 3.30pm, the international band Tambolele will provide some Brazilian entertainment. Inspired by afro-Brazilian culture, Tambolele play a huge variety of instruments and transform common-place items like plates and newspapers into musical instruments.

• The Family Finale will also feature food, displays, classic cars, rides and games and finishes at 5pm. Entry is free.

Shows both sold out

Kiwi songbird Anika Moa and Nelson DJ/music collector Grant Smithies are as popular as ever this year, with both of their Nelson Arts Festival gigs sold out. Moa is joined by fellow songstress Anna Coddington for a 90-minute set tomorrow night.

GIVEAWAY Perennial favourites the Black Seeds are making a return to Nelson in little over a week, accompanied by US reggae act John Brown's Body. The Seeds are on tour to promote their soon-to-be-released first-ever live album, which will be available at gigs in a deluxe CD-DVD package. Their Nelson show will be at the Phat Club on Sunday week, November 1. The Black Seeds typically sell out their Nelson shows, so be in early to get your tickets ($35 plus booking fee from Everyman), or go in the draw to win one of two double-passes, along with a copy of last year's studio album, Solid Ground. To enter the draw, simply clip the giveaway panel on page 13 of Thursday's Nelson Mail, put it in an envelope, write your name, address and daytime telephone number on the back of the envelope, and post it to Black Seeds Giveaway, Nelson Mail, PO Box 244, Nelson, to arrive by 8am next Wednesday.

- © Fairfax NZ News