The Vivas

If you’ve already seen them playing Christchurch venues, you’ll know what great entertainment The Vivas provide! Whether they’re playing to corporates, sports clubs, private parties, or pubs, they’ll always choose songs, tempo and volume to suit.

Dave (lead guitar) reckons he was lucky being born in Liverpool at the right time to find himself playing guitar in schoolboy bands as a teenager in the 60s. Helped also by his training in classical piano and violin, he's continued this passion ever since, playing lead guitar in bands in the UK and NZ. A scientist in his 'other' life, Dave enjoys the creative freedom that playing live gives, especially improvising solos. For the last two years he's been playing a Line 6 Variax as his main guitar. It's a digital ‘simulation’ guitar that does an amazing job - from gentle Jack Johnson acoustic sounds to the Dire Straits clean sound, the rockabilly of Stray Cats, or the full-on grunt of Slash’s Les Paul.


Nancy – the good looking one in The Vivas (sorry fellas!) - showed a musical talent from a young age playing classical piano, singing, playing guitar and writing songs. Initially working as a DJ, she learned how to read a crowd and keep them happy. This busy lady somehow manages to balance being a mum with a teaching career and a passion for live musical performance. She’s been with the Vivas for two years now and also performs regularly at Twiggers Cabaret. Nancy will keep you entertained whether she’s singing gentle songs by the Pretenders or Stevie Nicks, or giving it heaps as Pat Benetar, Blondie or even Axl Rose.

Dennis would keep you entertained by himself all night. At home with any crowd of any size – you’ll have a great atmosphere right from the start! Chief raconteur, singer, and bass player-supremo, he has a long musical pedigree in the local musical scene lending his skills to shows as diverse as The Viscounts and The Gene Pitney Tribute show. He thrives on live performance, much preferring to work with other musicians rather than mp3s, sequencers, drum-machines or any of the other cheat-technology that gets passed off as live music these days. The Vivas play it real! Dennis’s skilled playing adds a lot of rhythm and sound colouration to their wide repertoire - he’s Flea, Sting, Paul McCartney, and John Paul Jones all in one!

Terry’s orange 70s BMW, which he uses to transport his drum kit in, is a sure sign the man’s got style! If you like Creedance, Stray Cats, Gary Moore and Pink Floyd, no worries, Terry’s got the voice to nail ‘em all. He’s been performing since he was a young lad, and has featured in some of Christchurch’s top bands including Tight Squeeze and Friar Tuck. No less impressive is his drumming which ranges across all styles from reggae to pop to heavy rock, as demanded by The Vivas repertoire. Terry does it all with flair and adds a lot of laughs to the evening’s entertainment.

Music

Reviews

Setlist

Sample song list:
Spooky - Atlanta Rhythm Section
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
No Secrets - Angels
Come Together - Beatles
I Saw Her Standing There - Beatles
She Loves You - Beatles
Good Morning Baby - Bic Runga
Rebel Yell - Billy Idol
Call Me - Blondie
Sweet Home Chicago - Blues Brothers
Just What I Needed - Cars
Have You Ever Seen The Rain - Creedance Clearwater Revival
Looking Out My Backdoor - Creedance Clearwater Revival
I Want You To Want Me - Cheap Trick
Route 66 - Chuck Berry
Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry
Should I Stay Or Should I Go - Clash
Mustang Sally - Commitments
Girl Put Your Records On - Corrine Bailey-Rae
Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream
Sister Madly - Crowded House
Whaling - Dave Dobbyn
Jean Genie - David Bowie
Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits
Down To The Waterlin - Dire Straits
Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
So Far Away From Me - Dire Straits
Hard For The Money - Donna Summers
Roadhouse Blues - Doors
Peaceful Easy Feeling - Eagles
Hotel California - Eagles
Play That Funky Music White Boy - Edgar Winter
I Shot The Sheriff - Eric Clapton
Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
Rock And Roll - Eric Hutcheson
Santa Monica - Everclear
Why Does Love - Exponents
Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac
Albatross - Fleetwood Mac
Alright Now - Free
Walkin by myself - Gary Moore
On Holiday - Green Day
Sweet Child Of Mine - Guns N Roses
Blue Lady - Hello Sailor
The Letter - Joe Cocker
Waitin For The World To Change - John Mayer
Hurts So Good - John Mellancamp
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
My Life Would Suck - Kelly Clarkson
Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon
The Bucket - Kings Of Leon
You Really Got Me - Kinks
Black Horse And A Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall
Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynard Skynard
All On Our Own - Midnight Youth
Forever Tuesday Morning - Mockers
Torn - Natalie Imbruglia
You're Gonna Go Far Kid - Offspring
Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benetar
The Wall - Pink Floyd
Fire - Pointer Sisters
Brass In Pocket - The Pretenders
Don't Get Me Wrong - The Pretenders
Crazy Little Thing - Queen
I Want To Break Free - Queen
Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Snow - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Bad Case Of Lovin You - Robert Palmer
Miss You - Rolling Stones
Honky Tonk Woman - Rolling Stones
Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
Brown Sugar - Rolling Stones
Apache - Shadows
Stuck In The Middle - Steelers Wheel
Walkie Talkie Man - Stereogram
Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats
Santaria - Sublime
My Girl - Temptations
Roadhouse Blues - The Doors
Larger Than Life - The Feelers
My Sharona - The Knack
Naïve - The Kooks
Raise The Alarm - The Living End
500 Miles - The Proclaimers
Gloria - Them
Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Moondance - Van Morrison
Sharp-Dressed Man - ZZ Top