Renowned for their live performances, and particularly loved among Whangamata Beach Hop regulars, The Recliner Rockers bring high-energy blues and rockabilly to the stage. Vastly experienced musicians Al Lavis (vocals, guitar), Geoff (Fitzi) Fitzpatrick (who plays, climbs around and spins all manner of bass instruments), Bruce French on saxophone, and stand up, stand out drummer Nic Hulme-Chivell add the showmanship of a just-let-loose Mardi Gras band to their electrifying shows.

The Recliner Rockers have the Saturday night headline slot at this year’s New Zealand Blues, Roots & Groove Festival, which takes place in Palmerston North over the weekend of September 5-7, all based within the city’s welcoming Globe Theatre. NZM took the opportunity to quiz the band’s dreadlocked bassist, Fitzi, about what keeps The Recliner Rockers so rockin’.

There are four components to the NZ Blues, Roots & Groove Festival title. On a 1-10 scale how do The Recliner Rockers match up to each do you reckon?

Well the NZ part is an easy 10. In our current lineup we are all born and bred Kiwis, three from Auckland and one from Hamilton. 100% proud locals!

Blues is a musical 10. Blues has always been one of the major foundations of our sound. Al and Bruce were both members of the legendary ’80s-’90s blues act The Sly Groovers, so it’s in the pedigree. Our original music crosses over into other Americana genres, but when you break it down I would have to say there is certainly a huge blues element present throughout.

Roots – 10 again. It’s a broad term and yeah, I think all our music would fall into the roots category. There’s a lot of blues, a hefty helping of rockabilly, rock’n’roll aplenty, a generous portion of psychedelic electric rock, a touch of country, a splattering of bluegrass, a pinch of Dixieland jazz, a hint of acoustic folk and even a scoop of upbeat ska in our culinary concoctions.

Groove – definitely another 10. It’s all got to have a groove. We like to play from the heart rather than just throw out the notes. It’s all about passion and feel. It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got the swing! The guys are all accomplished musicians in their own rights and musical prowess is super important, but a groove can only happen when we all work together as one machine, so there has to be discipline along with flare.

Have the Recliners played at the Globe Theatre in Palmerston North before? 

As a band we’ve managed to span the country including gigs in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Hamilton, Rotorua, Taupo, Whakatane, Taranaki, Christchurch, Hokitika and even Invercargill, but this will be the first Recliner Rockers appearance in Palmerston North and we’re really excited about that. I’ve heard many good things about the Globe Theatre, it’s an iconic venue and we’re stoked to have the opportunity to play there.

In a festival setting how many of the songs you perform are the band’s own?

95%. Festivals are an excellent platform for showcasing original material. There’s a lot of great NZ bands playing covers and at a themed festival there’s a reasonably high chance that different bands could choose to perform the same songs, so I guess it’s another point of difference.

Who are the band songwriters and where do their specific talents shine?

Our guitarist Al Lavis writes all of the band’s original material. As a songwriter he possesses the ability to craft together material that really works for us. There’s a real art to composing songs of this genre without them sounding contrived or cliché and Al has the natural talent to achieve this, keeping them authentic to the theme yet adding his own flavour.

I’ve turned up to rehearsals where he pulls out a fresh tune which sounds like an old Sun Studios hit, or a Delta Blues classic, and then he’ll say something like, “I just put this one together last week.” When we showcase a new song, it’s a buzz to see people get up and dance to something they have never heard before. I use that as a bit of a barometer. Hence, it’s the original songs that are the fan favourites. And we’ve got a few new ones debuting at the festival.

Among your choice of covers, what artists/styles are faves for audiences?

Popular covers we play are from artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Stray Cats, George Thorogood, Johnny Cash & even Elvis. Plus, there are some more contemporary artists like JD McPherson that we like to cover. I guess this shows our influences, but we really prefer to focus on the originals.

Is there something about festival performances that makes them different to say, a pub gig?

Yeah, festivals like this one are great. At a pub gig you’ve generally got three hours to fill, so you need to pace yourself. But at festivals the shorter time slot means you can give it your all, focus on the performance and push the entertainment factor. It’s fun to let loose and just go for it.

The Recliners seem to have been rockin’ for a long while. How do you keep it fresh?

When Al and I first started the band we really just wanted to perform the music that we have fun playing. We thought that it was going to be quite niche and that we wouldn’t be playing very often, but that certainly isn’t what happened. From the get-go it was a hit and once the hot rod festivals and car shows found us it just took off and has never stopped. Our cross-over into other genres also helps us fit into more themed festivals. So, more than 20 years down the track, other than the addition of the new originals we haven’t really messed with the formula. If it ain’t broke…

Have you recorded any albums along the way?

Yes, we have a couple of albums and EPs under our belt, and we’re in the process of recording a new album. CD sales of course have all but disappeared, so our next step is to move to digital platforms. Maybe put out some vinyl too.

The instrumental theatrics are an integral aspect of any Recliner Rockers’ performance. How’s the work injury count?

Haha yes, we’ve had a few incidents here and there! It’s a long way to fall from up the top of a double bass…
We are known for our stage theatrics. My double bass, as well as being a musical instrument, is a useful stage prop, a piece of furniture and sometimes you could probably classify it a deadly weapon. You can spin it, climb on it, lift it up and throw it around which the audiences love to see. We also like to exit the stage and get amongst the audience as if we’re busking.

Al is a natural performer and a bit of a local guitar hero, so he likes to put on a show, but also likes to hand his guitar over to an unsuspecting member of the crowd. Some shy away but most embrace the chance to participate.
Bruce wanders around serenading folk with his smooth sax licks and not to be left out, Nic gets out from behind his drum kit and finds bottles, chairs and all manner of unsuspecting tableware to bang a rhythm on, showing off his chops along the way.

End of the day we just like to have fun, and I believe that’s the key ingredient that has kept the band popular as well as it remaining fulfilling for us as performers. So yes, we can’t wait to have some Palmerston North fun at this year’s NZ Blues Roots & Groove Festival.