The Lyric Theatre

For the first time in recent memory, The Lyric Theatre experienced a full house of 180 something seated attendees. An audience hailing from Westport, Karamea, Reefton, Greymouth and even a few as far afield as Christchurch, were ready in-waiting for a show many had pre-booked months in advance - the guitar virtuoso, Daniel Champagne.

Playing across the motu for the 10th time as part of his world tour and for the first time in Granity, the international prodigy held an enamoured audience with two awe-inspiring sets. He effortlessly combined rapid strumming, percussive tapping and heart-felt vocals to showcase a performance of a uniquely high calibre and had us all transfixed from beginning to end.

Daniel began playing when he was five, trained classically in his teens and hit the road a few years later, going on to release five studio albums and tour the world. He’s now averaging over 300 shows per year and has played at some of the biggest festivals, sharing stages with the likes of INXS, Judy Collins, Tommy Emmanuel, Ani DiFranco, Rodrigo y Gabriela to name a few. Several of the reviews of Daniel Champagne claim he has "reinvented the guitar" and after the show he put on at The Lyric, it’s easy to see why his world tours have been so successful.

No-one wanted the show to end, but when it did, Daniel received a standing ovation and enough cheering to blow the roof off (again!). His partner Emily ran the merchandise table, including earrings she had crafted, re-purposing Daniel’s guitar strings (he changes them after every show). Many people bought signed copies of his studio albums on CD and vinyl to immortalise the night.

A massive thank you to everyone who bought pre-sale tickets, travelled out-country and supported this event.

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"Granity Population - 148
Last nights show - 180+
That’s why I keep coming back to smaller towns!
Thank you for everyone who made it out and filled this room with such amazing energy! I will be back!"
- Daniel

We are especially grateful to The Lyric Events volunteers who made this event possible: Annie M (performer liaison & ticket booth), Wilma (stage manager & MC), Emma (bar manager), Carlos (marketing, host & usher), Timmi (host & usher), Annie R (bar server), Barb (bar server), Ariel (usher & cleaner), Steve (cleaner).