Nigel Collins (musician)

Nigel Collins is a New Zealand musician, actor and playwright.[1] A long time collaborator of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords,[2] he appears in their live shows as a string section of one, 'The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra' playing cello, and also bass, keyboards, percussion, drums and singing backing vocals. He's featured in tours of North America, the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand from 2001 to 2018.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

He was a founding member of the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra (also featuring Bret McKenzie), recording and touring with the band in New Zealand, the UK and Australia from 2006 - 2013[10][11][12][13] and generating a series of best-selling EPs.[14][15][16] He contributed lead vocals to their versions of Toto's Africa and Jose Feliciano's Feliz Navidad.

A new recording project with Wellington songwriting collective Congress of Animals began in 2016, with Fly My Pretties' Justin Firefly Clarke and Age Pryor (also from the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra) and Ben Lemi of Trinity Roots.[17] Recordings from the project released in 2018 include his song Depends on you.

Other music collaborations include cello on Ed Sheeran's I See Fire, Fat Freddies Drop's Based On a True Story,[18] Age Pryor's City Chorus[19] and David Yetton's (The Stereo Bus) Blow out your candles.[20]

His play Wheeler's Luck, co-written with actor Toby Leach and director Damon Andrews, was performed by Collins and Leach in New Zealand, the UK and Australia between 2004 and 2007,[21][22] and has since become a staple of the New Zealand high school drama and youth theatre curriculum, with 50 schools mounting productions of the piece.[23]

References
  1. "Nigel Collins". Radio New Zealand. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  2. "Flight Of The Conchords - Folk The World Tour". Discogs. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  3. "Flight of the Conchords: 14 and 15 April 2009 - New York". PopMatters. 2 June 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  4. "Flight of the Conchords, NIA, BirminghamPavement, Brixton". The Independent. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  5. Tulich, Katherine (27 May 2010). "Flight of the Conchords is still one of New Zealand's top exports". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  6. "Flight of the Conchords Bring New Songs And Old Charm To Newport Folk - Front Row Boston". Front Row Boston. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  7. "NZ Live - Flight of the Conchords". Radio New Zealand. 7 September 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  8. Maxwell, Dominic (21 June 2018). "Comedy review: Flight of the Conchords at the O2, SE10". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  9. "Live Review: Flight of the Conchords + Arj Barker - Sydney Opera House (05.07.12) | the AU review". the AU review. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  10. 95bFM (5 December 2012), In Session: The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra - Breathless, retrieved 7 October 2018
  11. "Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra perform at 2013 Edinburgh Festival". Edinburgh Festival. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  12. "Ukulele Orchestra plucks international opportunities". Radio New Zealand. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  13. "Wellington Ukulele Orchestra at Juice Bar, Parnell". Newshub. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  14. muzic.net.nz. "A Little Bit Wonderful Ep - Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra - Top 40 Singles". www.muzic.net.nz. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  15. "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  16. "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  17. "Congress of Animals". Radio New Zealand. 8 September 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  18. "Fat Freddy's Drop - Based On A True Story". Discogs. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  19. "Age Pryor - City Chorus". Discogs. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  20. muzic.net.nz. "David Yetton - New Zealand Musicians & Bands". www.muzic.net.nz. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  21. Noted. "Coastal beauty - The Listener". Noted. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  22. "Wheeler's Luck review at Assembly | Review | Theatre | The Stage". The Stage. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  23. "The Play in the Playground: The New Zealand Play and Playwriting in Schools". Pantograph Punch. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
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