# Event Details

- **Event Name**: WBS Society night featuring Laldy
- **Event Start and End Date**: Thu, 23 Jul, 2026 at 07:30 pm
- **Event Description**: Laldy (adverb): "To undertake an action with gusto or great enthusiasm."

Fiddle player Rachel James and multi-instrumentalist Donald James combine forces for one mission: to play folk and gie i' laldy. With Welsh and Scottish roots and a base in Kapiti, they are inspired by Scottish, Irish and Scandinavian music traditions as they wind their way across the seas.

Rachel was born in Wales and grew up in the unlikely Celtic enclave of Whangarei, where she became intrigued by the sound of Scottish fiddle as a teen. Constantly curious and committed to lifelong learning, she has explored Irish, Old-Time, Bluegrass and Swedish tunes and grooves through both New Zealand and international workshops, festivals and sessions. Rachel began her gigging career as a small child with her Mum's circle dance band. Playing live music for dance is a theme that has woven through her contributions to Vic Folk ceilidh bands, as fiddle player for Wellington Old-Time band Barry and the Crumpets, and now, co-leading Laldy and kickstarting The Hilltop Ceilidh Collective with Donald.

Donald originally hails from the rolling braes of the Scottish Borders and cut his songwriter's teeth in the open mic scene of Edinburgh. Mentored and inspired by his multi-instrumentalist uncle, Donald spent his 20s lending his toe-tapping rhythm and grooves to friends bands, recording projects and playing for ceilidhs. An avid wanderer, he travelled the world with his guitar and mandolin before arriving in Aotearoa in 2013. Donald found his way into the Wellington folk scene through open mics, the Welsh Dragon Irish Sessions and as the cajon player for Barry and the Crumpets, where he and Rachel met. 

After a successful Spring Tour in 2022, which took them as far North as Whangarei Fringe Festival, as far West as the Mussel Inn, and as rustic as an historic woolshed in the Wairarapa, Laldy are now crafting their debut album ‘Seachange’.

Laldy brings to the stage a set which weaves together contemporary and traditional folk tunes and songs with original writing and arrangement. Playing a selection of sweet songs, modal grooves and trad bangers, Laldy are a lively and danceable offering to the New Zealand folk and festival scene. 

Photo courtesy of Gerard Hudson


The feature act starts at 8:00pm who perform one set, followed by floorspots, where anyone can perform two numbers, in the genres of bluegrass, old time, Americana. A jam session follows.

DOORS:
7:00pm

SHOW STARTS:
8:00pm

ENTRY:
$20 / $15 members

please bring cash to pay for tickets,
or book prior to the day via email to:
andrewbicknell2018@gmail.com

Plenty of tasty treats available at the venue, come for a drink (or two) and dinner before the show starts.

Here is the link for the Petone menu, and to book for dinner:
www.abandonedbrewery.co.nz/taprooms#Petone
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/lower-hutt/wbs-society-night-featuring-laldy/200030331039449
- **Event Categories**: music, entertainment, festivals, workshops, live-music, open-mic, music-festivals
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 28

## Ticket Details


## Event venue details

- **city**: Lower Hutt
- **state**: WG
- **country**: New Zealand
- **location**: Abandoned Petone
- **lat**: -41.224607082146
- **long**: 174.8750013113
- **full address**: Abandoned Petone, 38 Fitzherbert St, Petone, Lower Hutt 5012, New Zealand, Lower Hutt

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: WBS Society night featuring Laldy
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events2/banners/b5a5c31c348a277cdc3a3896bcbbfef4821859dd21f4206a54e2d9f6a54dcbb4-rimg-w1200-h637-dc030201-gmir?v=1784207271

## FAQs

- **Q**: When and where is WBS Society night featuring Laldy being held?
  - **A:** WBS Society night featuring Laldy takes place on Thu, 23 Jul, 2026 at 07:30 pm to Thu, 23 Jul, 2026 at 07:30 pm at Abandoned Petone, 38 Fitzherbert St, Petone, Lower Hutt 5012, New Zealand, Lower Hutt.
- **Q**: Who is organizing WBS Society night featuring Laldy?
  - **A:** WBS Society night featuring Laldy is organized by Wellington Bluegrass Society.
- **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me?
  - **A:** WBS Society night featuring Laldy is ideal for music lovers, fans of all genres, and anyone who wants to celebrate the power of music - from intimate gigs and live sessions to festivals and cultural performances. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Lower Hutt, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If WBS Society night featuring Laldy sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast.

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        "description": "Laldy (adverb): \"To undertake an action with gusto or great enthusiasm.\"\n\nFiddle player Rachel James and multi-instrumentalist Donald James combine forces for one mission: to play folk and gie i' laldy. With Welsh and Scottish roots and a base in Kapiti, they are inspired by Scottish, Irish and Scan",
        "organizer": [
            {
                "@type": "Organization",
                "name": "Wellington Bluegrass Society",
                "url": "https://allevents.in/org/wellington-bluegrass-society/9605052",
                "description": "Feel free to post reviews and feedback - so please go for it!  For more details on the WBS see the website http://wellingtonbluegrass.net.nz/"
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