Tonite's the Nite

Waikato Times Review
What: Tonite's the Nite, starring Morgan Kent
Where: The Pavilion, Hamilton Gardens
When: Saturday 28 February 2009
Reviewed by: Alan Thorley
Rod Stewart used to reckon blondes have more fun, but it was a mostly grey-haired brigade who got a couple of hours of rollicking entertainment on Saturday at the expense of his hits.
This, thankfully, was no Stars In Their Eyes-style rasp from the past.
Instead, a packed house was treated to a hilarious take from a real all-round entertainer on the life and music of the vetran rocker.
The forced change of venue from the Rhododendron Lawn to the shelter and comfortable seating of a characterless Pavilion didn't seem to bother Morgan Kent or his audience one bit, and by the time he launched into Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? the more adventurous of the summer festivalgoers were gyrating their replacement hips in the aisles.
English-born Kent and a talented all-Hamilton backing band showcased the best of Stewart's songbook, from the opening Tonight's the Night through to Downtown Train a full 120 minutes, four costume changes and three - or was that four - encores later. And the audience sang along just about all the way.
But it was as much Kent's comedic talents that stole the show, whether he was kicking a soccer ball back and forth to the audience or finding only a flimsy G-string in his leopard-skin jacket pocket to wipe away the sweat on a steamy night.
And his impressions of the likes of the Bee Gees and Manfred Mann, and of the modern music that he complains has no melody, revealed talents that go well beyond impersonating rock's "Clown Prince" or playing the drums for the Wombles.
There were some cracker jokes too, with our own Rachel predictably copping some borax along with Helen Clark and just about every nationality other than Kiwis.
Diehard rockers will always loathe imitations, but "New Zealand's own Rod Stewart" - now there's an overstatement considering he lives in Aussie - showed tribute concerts can be sexy after all.

Presented by Showcase Entertainment Group Ltd