Pipin' Hot praised

Julie Asher
The Southland Times
July 20, 2000

THE Civic Theatre in Invercargill was rocking last night and it may well
still be trembling this morning.
The City of Invercargill Caledonian Pipe Band'sPipin' Hot 4 took the stage last night for its opening show and this year the mix is perfect.
The sound of the pipes stirs most who hear it. Few people are ambivalent about them either love them or hate them.
The audience at the Civic Theatre last night just loved them.
Scottish-trained fiddler Sheena McNaughton stole the show with an amazing performance, despite having cut the end of one of her fingers off last week.
McNaughton and Pipe Corporal Derek Ballantine were amazing together, but so were McNaughton and Pipe Major David Pickett accompanying the Pipin ' Hot dancers, who were as spectacular as ever.
Jason Schmidt and Shannon Cooper-Garland produced their usual polished performance and soprano Sue Patterson was outstanding in her first show with the pipe band.
Another newcomer to the show this year was Brad McClure playing keyboards, mandolin and acoustic guitar.
If the producers have any sense at all they will ensure this is definitely not his last show.
Snare drummer Steve Wederell strolled on to the stage looking like he had lost a Harley and enthralled the crowd with his dynamic performance.
It is great to see three young drummers coming on under his tuition.
Brass band members, students from the Southern Institute of Technology performing arts school including two more members of the Schmidt family and a stunning backing band rounded out a great night.
If there was one niggle it was the fancy lighting effects. They proved more of a distraction than anything else. This show is so good it doesn't need trickery to hold the audience.