WHEEL OF EXPERIENCE

Embrace this earth you broken souls. The lure of land. The lure of gold. With an axe, an adze and a knife they set about cutting a path back to civilisation.

WHEEL OF EXPERIENCE is a unique blend of music and theatre that tells the lives and legends of early New Zealand through epic original song. Watch three consummate performers walk a fine line between history and legend, humour and heart, as they paint eight stories of struggle, triumph and iniquity from another time. Led by Peter Daubé’s (King Skinny, The Crucible) powerful vocals and commanding t

heatrical presence, the music morphs with each unfolding story, as brilliant multi-instrumentalists David Ward (Ruckus, Shindig) and Dave Khan (Reb Fountain, Marlon Williams) shift rhythm, pace and texture. Each song is a journey unto itself as the performers move from haunting ballad, to wailing sea shanty, from blistering bluegrass to pounding blues. The trio performs live on a vast array of acoustics instruments including banjo, fiddle, mandolin, cigar- box and zhong ruan, as well as hearty vocal harmony. Together they bring alive each rich story in a production steeped in the history it exudes. Experience the crimes of the Burgess Gang, love and betrayal on the Raurimu Spiral, the murder of Joe K*m Yung, the plight of a hardy band of shipwrecked sealers, confidence trickster Amy Bock’s most infamous transformation and the legend of archetypal 'westie' Francesco Rodriguez Figuera, known since as "Don Buck.”

Since its first incarnation in the 2011 Random Acts Festival, the show has toured the entire length of NZ, and enjoyed a successful season at Q theatre. From town halls to theatres to opera houses, Wheel Of Experience has been received to unanimous praise:

“Neither musical nor theatrical experiences come any more astonishing than the Wheel of Experience. You hear about good performers bringing songs to life, but in this case, the songs seem to give birth to the performers.” - Nick Bollinger

“Will haunt me for days...you can hear a collective sigh after each piece finishes” - Vivienne Quinn, Theatreview

"Dave Ward, Dave Khan and Peter Daube have composed a musical taonga that should not only be enjoyed but also seriously discussed and listened to.... a national theatrical treasure."

- Tamati Patuwai, Theatreview
"The fact that these are all original compositions showcases the amount of skill and talent that these men possess, making music that just sinks into your bones with a sense of timelessness."

-Ingrid Grenar, Keeping Up With Nz

LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/wheelofexperience https://wheelofexperience.bandcamp.com https://youtu.be/d88t5bJkCsU

SONGS:
CONFESSION
Confession is based on the real and erudite confession of Dick Burgess and the murders for profit he and his gang committed against Otago gold diggers. As a young boy, having been arrested, shipped and flogged for misdemeanors, he vowed he’d “...take a life for every lash”. His last words at the gallows were: “I’ve got no more fear of death than going to a wedding.”

WE DID SEAL
We Did Seal is based on the fate of a band of sealers, who in 1810 were left on a remote NZ island with their 10,000 skins and abandoned when their ship was wrecked, never to return. A HUNDRED TREES
In 1900 workers and their families from all over the world arrived on the NZ volcanic plateau. It was winter, raining, 12 families to one tent. They were enticed here by the promise of employment on the Raurimu Spiral on the main trunk line. Gambling was rife, cocktails of whisky, meths and cough mixture helped to ease the hardship. In a world where people strive to get ahead, it tells a story of high stakes and betrayal. DON BUCK
Don Buck pays tribute to the legend of larger than life Portuguese entrepreneur Francesco Rodriguez Figuera, described as the original 'Westie', who, with the blessing of the authorities, ruled an indentured criminal workforce and often debauched shantytown in West Auckland. SUNRISE
Sunrise is inspired by the settlers at Cornwallis, who after months at sea, arrived to find that their promised utopian community didn’t exist. This is an epic painting of a couple’s need for survival in a new, harsh and ultimately unforgiving world. It tells a story of separation and sacrifice, of people risking everything just to exist. Joe K*m Yung: In The Shadow Of The Golden Mountain
In 1905, Lionel Terry walked 900 miles to promote his book The Shadow, a book containing his racially separatist beliefs. Gaining little traction from words alone, he gunned down K*m Yung, an old Chinese man in Haining St, Wellington. At the same time an old Chinese man walks the crippling journey day after day, just to pay off his poll tax. PHILBERT MCKETNEY
With help from the audience, we do honour to the famous race caller and bookie Philbert McKetney, who infamously burned down multiple calling boxes in his time. Amy BockThe most notorious confidence tricksters this country has known goes by the name of Amy Bock. Tired of hustling men, she underwent her greatest transformation, becoming Percy Carol Redwood. She married Agnes Ottoway in 1909 but was arrested 3 days later.

28/11/2022

28/09/2022

I've created a new website for my music. If you could kindly take a moment to check it out and/or share that would be grand.

DAVID WARD COMPOSER / MUSICIAN A diversely creative instrumentalist and award-winning composer for theatre, film and original projects, David has been involved in a wide array of musical projects and has toured his music extensively in NZ, Singapore, Australia, India, Germany and th

22/07/2022

Wheel of Experience
Saturday 13th August
7:00pm, doors open 6:30pm
Tickets $30

WHEEL OF EXPERIENCE is a unique blend of music and theatre that tells the lives and legends of early New Zealand through epic original song. Watch three consummate performers walk a fine line between history and legend, humour and heart, as they paint eight stories of struggle, triumph and iniquity from another time. Led by Peter Daubé’s (King Skinny, The Crucible) powerful vocals and commanding theatrical presence, the music morphs with each unfolding story, as brilliant multi-instrumentalists David Ward (Ruckus, Shindig) and Dave Khan (Reb Fountain, Marlon Williams) shift rhythm, pace and texture. Each song is a journey unto itself as the performers move from haunting ballad, to wailing sea shanty, from blistering bluegrass to pounding blues.

Link in bio or visit
https://www.eventspronto.co.nz/wheelofexperience

WHEEL OF EXPERIENCE - "WE DID SEAL" - TV SPOT

05/07/2022

W.O.E are returning to the Coromandel and Bay Of Plenty for the first time since our 27-centre 2014 NZ tour! Please share with friends and family in the region, so they get a chance to see this unique show "that just sinks into your bones with a sense of timelessness."

Friday August 12TH: KATIKATI FOLK CLUB, KATIKATI
Saturday August 13TH : JAM FACTORY, TAURANGA
Sunday August 14th: THE BACK ROOM, THAMES

(Event links and tickets on our page.)

WHEEL OF EXPERIENCE - "WE DID SEAL" - TV SPOT DAVID WARD - Guitar + VocalsDAVE KHAN - Banjo + VocalsPETER DAUBE - Banjolin + Lead VocalsTV Spot for WHEEL OF EXPERIENCETraditional/D. Ward/P. Daubé

13/02/2022

05/02/2022

Full house tonight, (under red.) Stage is set. Only 2 more shows for the fantastic
Small Hall Sessions.

Concert Review: The Wheel Of Experience, Clive New Zealand, 2022

02/02/2022

Lovely review of last nights show. 4 more to go as part of the Hawkes Bay Small Hall Sessions:

Thursday 3rd February 2022 - Elsthorpe Community Hall

Friday 4th February 2022 - Porangahau Community Hall

Saturday 5th February 2022 - Twyford Raupare Community Hall

Sunday 6th February 2022 - Sherenden Community Hall

https://www.ambientlightblog.com/the-wheel-of-experience-clive-nz-2022/

Concert Review: The Wheel Of Experience, Clive New Zealand, 2022 The Wheel Of Experience: 2nd February 2021. Clive Hall, Clive, New Zealand. Review by Rob Harbers, photography by Andrew Caldwell.

30/01/2022

David and Peter talk to Lynn Freeman about our upcoming Small Hall Sessions gigs next week, with a couple of musical excerpts from a previous live show.

Limited Tickets available at: https://www.trybooking.com/nz/events/landing?eid=6192&

Wednesday 2nd February 2022 - Clive Community Hall

Thursday 3rd February 2022 - Elsthorpe Community Hall

Friday 4th February 2022 - Porangahau Community Hall

Saturday 5th February 2022 - Twyford Raupare Community Hall

Sunday 6th February 2022 - Sherenden Community Hall

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/standing-room-only/audio/2018828612/wheel-of-experience

Wheel of Experience Teaching Benedict Cumberbatch how to play the banjo for the Netflix film The Power of the Dog has been one of the most intriguing recent gigs for banjo player David Ward. David's also one of the three multi-instrumentalists who've been performing their show Wheel of Experience for a decade now aroun...

26/01/2022

After much consideration, we are continuing next week as planned with our 5 night tour in the Hawkes Bay, as part of the amazing Small Halls concert series. Limited seating due to Red Light safety settings, so please spread the word to to book now!

Wednesday 2nd February 2022 - Clive Community Hall

Thursday 3rd February 2022 - Elsthorpe Community Hall

Friday 4th February 2022 - Porangahau Community Hall

Saturday 5th February 2022 - Twyford Raupare Community Hall

Sunday 6th February 2022 - Sherenden Community Hall

“Neither musical nor theatrical experiences come any more astonishing than the Wheel of Experience. You hear about good performers bringing songs to life, but in this case, the songs seem to give birth to the performers.” - Nick Bollinger

The Wheel of Experience WHEEL OF EXPERIENCE is a unique blend of music and theatre that tells the lives and legends of early New Zealand through epic original song. Watch three consummate performers walk a fine line between history and legend, humour and heart, as they paint eight stories of struggle, triumph and iniquity....

25/01/2022

WHEEL OF EXPERIENCE updated their info in the about section.

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https://www.davidwardmusician.com/wheel-of-experience.html