Hutt Valley Country And Western Society Band

(Leaway)

Guitar-Vocals: Tony Florance
Guitar-Vocals: Maureen Harvey
Vocals: Daphne Hansen
Lead Guitar: Wayne Svensek
Bass Guitar: Angela Hyland
Bass-12 string-Vocals: Dennis Hunt
Drums: Glenn Evans

Above L to R:  Angela Hyland - Glenn Evans - Heather Florance (band manager) -   Tony Florance - Wayne Svensek (standing) - Maureen Harvey - Dennis Hunt - Daphne Hansen

Above L to R:  Angela Hyland - Tony Florance - Maureen Harvey - Wayne Svensek - Glenn Evans - Daphne Hansen - Heather Florance - Dennis Hunt

"The Hutt Valley Country And Western Society Band" - 1970 - Which later evolved into "Leaway" - The band started in Wellington in the early 1970s and began by playing dances, weddings and other private functions before graduating to pub gigs in the Hutt Valley and Wainuiomata...(Information and pictures C/- ricko.co.nz NZ Circuit Bands and Musicians)

By 1973 the band was working for UBA and spent the summer months playing on the coastal pub circuit, mainly in the Waikanae Hotel but going further north to Levin and, on one occasion, Rotorua.  Backed John Hore and Steve Gilpin (in his pre Mi-Sex days) and toured with Maria Dallas, playing in most of the major pub venues in Wellington and the Hutt Valley...(Information and pictures C/- ricko.co.nz NZ Circuit Bands and Musicians)

The band played country classics and then current chart pop. The lineup was Angela Hyland (bass), Tony Florance (guitar/vocals), Maureen Harvey (guitar/vocals), Glenn Evans (drums), Daphne Hansen (vocals), Wayne Svensek (lead guitar) and Dennis Hunt (bass, 12-string guitar, vocals). One single was recorded, containing two original Tony Florance songs. 'Moonshine', and 'Mountain Dew', at Sonic Studios and released on Sonic...(Information and pictures C/- ricko.co.nz NZ Circuit Bands and Musicians)

By 1976, the band had dropped it's association with the Country and Western Society and the nucleus of Florance and Evans had been joined by Terry Pirihi (rhythm guitar), Peter Pirihi (bass) and Neville Berry (lead guitar) and was still active on the Wellington/Hutt Valley pub circuit playing pop and rock with a smattering of original tunes by Evans and Florance and some country classics...(Information and pictures C/- ricko.co.nz NZ Circuit Bands and Musicians)