Six of New Zealand’s biggest music stars are to receive guitars made from timber recovered from the ruins of buildings destroyed in the Christchurch earthquakes.
The stars will use the “Heart Strings” guitars in concert before they are eventually auctioned to raise money for Christchurch.
Fly My Pretties frontman Barnaby Weir has been given one of the guitars.
“It’s a clever concept and a great cause,” said Weir, who embarks on a solo tour with Anika Moa next month, and then with Fly My Pretties in October. “I’m definitely keen to shred the gat on a few songs.”
The project is the brainchild of Jason Pickering, who lost his home in the February quake, and is also the idea of his father Bruce. They wanted to give a piece of history a new lease of life as a musical instrument.
The Sunday Star-Times understands the other guitars will go to Dave Dobbyn, Don McGlashan, Op Shop’s Jason Kerrison, Anna Coddington and Cairo Knife Fight’s Aaron Tokona.
The guitars will be auctioned in November, and a seventh – the Memorial guitar – will be donated to the Christchurch Art Gallery.
If you would like to be involved or help in any way please go to our website www.heartstringsnz.co.nz or for further information on any aspect of Heart Strings please contact: – Sheena Hemens at Sheena Hemens Consulting Ltd on +6427 878 2498.
Until next time keep rockin’
The 0800 Jukebox crew.
www.0800jukebox.co.nz