On the 12th of this month Quay Arts hosted an ‘Electro Acoustic Extravaganza’ show-casing the talents of local musicians Staff Brett and Tali Trow whilst raising funds for, and awareness of, the Tiger Sanctuary at IOW Zoo in Sandown.
Tali opened with a lyrical acoustic set, very ably accompanied by ‘Mr. Brad’ on baby grand.
They were followed by Staff Brett, backed by guitarist Carl Perkins (no relation). Staff’s raw vocal style cannot help but evoke a young Rod Stewart but, thankfully, he exhibits none of the old geezers naffness.
The highlight of the evening was a hilarious encore with all musicians onstage, belting out that classic Mud anthem ‘Tiger Feet’ complete with tiger slippers and a dancing ‘tiger’. It certainly had the audience a in roaring (sorry) good mood as they left with Staff and Tali’s CDs (proceeds also to the Zoo) and the donation bucket doing brisk business.
The £600 + raised will go towards the IOW Zoo’s work in conservation and education. With sixteen resident tigers it has the largest collection in the UK and that number is soon to rise to seventeen with the arrival this week of Rambo from the South Florida Rehabilitation Centre.
Raised as a circus tiger before being reduced to opening supermarkets and the like, he was rescued by the centre which now faces closure due to lack of funding.
The IOW Zoo has stepped in to rescue him for the second time and after six months in quarantine it is hoped that Rambo will take up residence in Phase 2 of the Tiger Sanctuary Development, named after Bandhavgarth National Park in central India, which is currently under construction.
At £3 admission for Island residents, the Zoo has got to be the best value attraction on the Island. If you’d like to visit try to do so by the end of the month as November will see weekend opening only and that will also be ‘weather permitting’. It then closes in December, opening again for February half term next year.
If you do miss out how about adopting an animal?
Details can be obtained on their website.
It also makes a neat (that’s neat, that’s neat) gift. At least two of my friends are going to wake up Christmas morning the proud parents of panthera – that’s tigers to you.
