When Tuna Colada last played at the Senior Citizens’ Hall, the crowd packed the room so tightly that it was standing room only. Now, good news for fans of their country-blues sound: the Ōpōtiki band is back on December 13 for a special Christmas show.

The Ōpōtiki band are made up of four multi-instrumentalists – Chris Waters on guitar and vocals, Sheryl Waters on guitar, squeezebox, harmonica and vocals, Sandra Thomson on bass, violin and vocals and Ross Palmer on drums and vocals.

“After we played last time, a number of people asked, ‘When are you guys playing again?’” Palmer said. “There’s not a lot of music in town these days, so it’s nice to be part of something people enjoy and get the response we did. We knew right away we wanted to do it again.”

The band have been busy preparing for the Christmas gig, and fans can expect fresh material.

“We’re looking forward to it. We’ve got about a dozen new songs to introduce, along with a few favourites,” Palmer said.

He describes the group’s sound as a blend of influences. “We call it rock and country blues, with some Americana thrown in. Some people call us an Americana band, and that wouldn’t be inaccurate as we play songs by Steve Earle, Wilco, and others associated with the Americana scene.”

While Tuna Colada haven’t played often in Ōpōtiki recently due to the limited number of local venues, Palmer hopes that could change with the development of the hotel.

“The Citizens Hall, though, is a great venue,” said Palmer.

“We’re definitely looking forward to opportunities to play elsewhere too, possibly Ōhope or Whakatāne,” he added.

The musicians have been playing together for about three years, with roots in Ōpōtiki’s open mic community.

“The band traces back to Chris Waters’ efforts doing the open mic night for eight years,” Palmer said. “When I moved here, that was the first place I went, and that’s how I met Chris. Sandra and Chris had played together before through Irish music.”

Palmer said he knew early he wanted to form an Americana-style band featuring Thomson on violin when he first heard her play.

“She’s a classically trained and accomplished violinist who taught herself to play bass. That’s been a great addition, we were missing a bass player. Chris plays bass on a couple of songs, too.”

As for the show itself, Palmer promises a lively night out. “There will be lots of fun music to dance to. We’ll probably play for a couple of hours, and I think it’ll be a fun evening.”

Tuna Colada Rock & Reelin Christmas in Ōpōtiki
■ Where: Senior Citizens Hall
■ When: 7pm, Saturday, December 13
■ Tickets: $15 at door