New Zealand is a small country – only two degrees of separation don't you know – but sometimes it takes a tragedy to really appreciate that.

The tsunami that hit Samoa is such a tragedy and it seems almost everyone has been touched in some way – if not Samoan ourselves we all know people who are: friends, neighbours, work colleagues, people who lost family or friends in the nightmare.
So it is heartening that throughout New Zealand, members of the musical community are coming together to try and help, whether it be in the main centres or small country towns.
Next Monday sees probably the largest of these fundraisers, with the I Love the Islands Samoa Relief Concert at Auckland's Vector Arena. It will be spearheaded by hip-hop artists Savage and Scribe, who both lost family and their villages in the tsunami. They teamed up with the crew from Dawn Raid, Oscar Kightley and Ole Maiava to put on the show and have since been joined by Neil and Tim Finn, Dave Dobbyn, Bic Runga, Hollie Smith, Elemeno P, Nesian Mystik, the Opensouls and many others.
With the concert anticipated to sell out they will then be going on the road to Wellington, New Plymouth, Christchurch and Dunedin.
And smaller concerts are also taking place all over the country. Dunedin has a local fundraising show featuring the likes of the St Kilda Brass Band, highland dancers and the Dunedin RSA Choir. Even in tiny Foxton there was a benefit concert earlier this week in the local cinema with a host of Manawatu entertainers. It's personal there as well since Horowhenua has a well-established Samoan community and many seasonal Samoan workers; most working in agriculture.
And it's personal here in Tauranga. Kate Smith, a local Maori woman with extended whanau ties in Samoa was watching the news and thought, 'I just have to do something”. She contacted friends and the idea for the, One Love – Samoa Tsunami Relief Benefit Fundraiser, was born. It is happening Sunday, October 18, at The Colosseum in Harington Street.
Over a dozen bands will be playing during the concert, which will run from 12pm till 7.30pm and finish with a presentation of all money raised to Junior Meavao, a local of Tauranga who lost seven members of his family in the disaster. Junior will be accepting the money as a representative from Samoa and it will be passed to the ANZ Bank. Guitarist Tim Cooper, indefatigable organiser of such events as the Waitangi Day concerts, is in charge of the show.
'When Kate asked me to ask if bands in the area would be into playing I was a little apprehensive as it always seems to be that the musos are asked to give of their time for free,” says Tim.
'In saying that, on this one, the whole community has been involved in some capacity, and once again the local musicians have been overwhelming in their support, and I know we are just as much affected by hard financial times as anyone else in the community, yet as always, they just said yes.”
And it's personal for the musicians as well. Tim says the line-up was pretty much confirmed when Darcy Perry from Auckland rang saying they had to be involved. Craig Bracken, long time member of Darcy's band, is of Samoan descent and has been affected deeply by the tsunami.
All the musicians have donated their time and travel, including bands from Auckland, Tokoroa and Whakatane. Tickets will be $20 per adult and the concert is open to all ages (kids enter free). Activities for children will also be available.