Rowdy’s Rose
Two Waipā talents who are scoring well on the national and international scene are joining forces for a community concert they say will ‘bring Nashville to Te Awamutu.
Dan Cosgrove and Rosie and Blair Shaw will bring a touch of Nashville to Te Awamutu. Photo: Viv Posselt
Husband and wife duo from Kihikihi, Rosie and Blair Shaw – aka Rowdy’s Rose – are partnering for the December 6 concert with country rock bands Te Awamutu-based The DCP (Dan Cosgrove Project).
They have secured funding for the gig through the Waipā District Council’s Creative Communities Scheme.
Rowdy’s Rose are coming at it with several top American awards under their belts. They are three-time nominees for the Josie Music independent singer/songwriter awards held at the Grand Old Opry in Nashville, making the top 12 out of 86,000 worldwide submissions. In 2024 they won the Hugs Radio’s Best New Artist Award in Pennsylvania, and the International Songwriter of the Year at the Who’s Hoo Country Music Awards in Indiana. They also scooped this year’s International Band Single of the Year at the ISSA Awards in Atlanta.
Dan Cosgrove, regarded as one of New Zealand’s top country guitarists, was crowned ‘Top Musician 2023’ by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand. When not leading The DCP at festivals, he also heads up New Zealand’s premier AC/DC experience (aka NZ/DC) and does covers of KISS hard rock numbers.
The upcoming concert at Te Awamutu Intermediate is the second time Rowdy’s Rose will team up with The DCP for a Waipā event. The first was a country rock concert held as part of Cambridge’s Autumn Festival earlier this year.
Both sets of musos have told their stories to The News before. Rowdy’s Rose launched their music career in the depth of the Covid lockdown, using social media to get themselves noticed. They now homeschool their boys, 11 and 8, to facilitate their travel requirements, and run a handyman business on the side.
Dan Cosgrove teaches music at Hamilton’s Southwell School four days a week and runs his home-based DC Studio from where he records, mixes and produces for musicians around the country. He’s out and about playing most weekends, either with his own bands or with the Che Orton Band.
The now-tight Rowdy’s/DCP collaboration is relatively new.
“We kept hearing about this amazing production studio, but it’s only in the past year that we’ve actually worked with Dan,” Rosie said. “I wish we’d done it before. Our first joint concert in Cambridge was such a massive success that it prompted us to organise this one for Te Awamutu.”
Swelling the talent on the night will be Auckland-based fiddle and piano player Nick Jones, and Pāpāmoa-based pedal steel guitarist/songwriter, Bill Bassett.
Rowdy’s Rose – aka Blair and Rosie Shaw – performing at the Cambridge Autumn Festival. Photo: Viv Posselt
