This is what 45 South in Concert has to say:
"Sierra 1986-91
Country, Rock ‘n’ Roll Covers
Band members:
Stu Carr, drums
Robin Crooks, vocalsGraham Dowdall, vocals
Dick Hegan, drums
Taff Hewton, bass guitar, vocals
Brian Kennard, guitar, vocals
John McDonald, bass guitar
Dave Reid, vocals, bass guitar
Sierra launched themselves on the Southland public with a gig at the Waiau Hotel in Tuatapere playing country and rock ‘n’ roll. People liked what they heard and word soon got around as the band played country pubs around Southland.
Dowdall left to take a job in Australia
A few days before being inducted in the Southland Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, Nicci McDougall of the Southland Times wrote the following piece about Stu Carr for its 21 September edition.
"Nice one, Stu!
As an obsessed youngster he tapped on plates. Fast forward to September 2011 and the self-proclaimed "musical prostitute" Stu Carr is about to be inducted into the Southland Musicians Club Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.
"I'll play anywhere, anytime for money," he said.
Growing up in a musical family with seven siblings, Carr became obsessed with the drums, ruining his mother's pots and pans to make drum kits in his bedroom.
At age 11, he taught himself to play the drums, drawing inspiration from the drummers of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Who, and by age 13 his young creative flair ran rampant and he and guitarist Gary Mark formed a rock band called Lordz.
Every second weekend the band would take a road trip to Te Anau or Alexandra and perform to a pub crowd. "I was only 13 at the time, but I looked nine, playing in pubs ... it gave me a real education for a young boy from Southland still at school," he said.
But it wasn't enough for Carr, who at the age of 17 felt deprived.
"I wanted girlfriends and fast cars," he said and with that he left the band, moved to an Invercargill flat and started "drifting in a bad direction and hanging out with the wrong crowd".
A couple of years later, he felt the addictive itch of the drums and jumped into another band, Sierra. The band had more of a country approach than the rock he was used to, but eight years later he was still in Sierra, and loving it.
With an electrician trade under his belt, Carr decided it was time to travel and flew to London where he joined the Drum Institute, playing in a couple of bands. He pegs this time of his life as the biggest highlight. "I was on the verge of becoming a rock star."
Three years later he came home and back in Invercargill he became the lead singer for the rock band Whiskey Dust.
But then, every drummer's worst fear crept up on him and in the mid 90s he was diagnosed with carpal tunnel.
"I was told to give up for a while, but if I don't play music I start to get a bit stir crazy. It's addictive, it's in the body, gotta do it, gotta get your fix."
The break did not last long as the enthusiastic drummer missed his passion too much and jumped back into it full steam ahead, drumming and singing in another rock band, Witch Wayz Wytch.
He started teaching audio production at the Southern Institute of Technology, passing on his skills and experience to eager musical students. He plans to stay there until he gets kicked out.
Now in his mid 40s, Carr is still performing, in the band Bad Deeds.
His induction into the Southland Musicians Club Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame will be held at the Something Different show at the Invercargill Workingmen's Club on September 24, where Sierra will get back together for one night only.
"It's been great fun pulling the guys out ... I haven't won any awards or anything and just to be recognised, after all of it, is a huge honour," he said.
Source: The Southland Times"
More photos of Sierra
A few days before being inducted in the Southland Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, Nicci McDougall of the Southland Times wrote the following piece about Stu Carr for its 21 September edition.
"Nice one, Stu!
As an obsessed youngster he tapped on plates. Fast forward to September 2011 and the self-proclaimed "musical prostitute" Stu Carr is about to be inducted into the Southland Musicians Club Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.
"I'll play anywhere, anytime for money," he said.
Growing up in a musical family with seven siblings, Carr became obsessed with the drums, ruining his mother's pots and pans to make drum kits in his bedroom.
At age 11, he taught himself to play the drums, drawing inspiration from the drummers of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Who, and by age 13 his young creative flair ran rampant and he and guitarist Gary Mark formed a rock band called Lordz.
Every second weekend the band would take a road trip to Te Anau or Alexandra and perform to a pub crowd. "I was only 13 at the time, but I looked nine, playing in pubs ... it gave me a real education for a young boy from Southland still at school," he said.
But it wasn't enough for Carr, who at the age of 17 felt deprived.
"I wanted girlfriends and fast cars," he said and with that he left the band, moved to an Invercargill flat and started "drifting in a bad direction and hanging out with the wrong crowd".
A couple of years later, he felt the addictive itch of the drums and jumped into another band, Sierra. The band had more of a country approach than the rock he was used to, but eight years later he was still in Sierra, and loving it.
With an electrician trade under his belt, Carr decided it was time to travel and flew to London where he joined the Drum Institute, playing in a couple of bands. He pegs this time of his life as the biggest highlight. "I was on the verge of becoming a rock star."
Three years later he came home and back in Invercargill he became the lead singer for the rock band Whiskey Dust.
But then, every drummer's worst fear crept up on him and in the mid 90s he was diagnosed with carpal tunnel.
"I was told to give up for a while, but if I don't play music I start to get a bit stir crazy. It's addictive, it's in the body, gotta do it, gotta get your fix."
The break did not last long as the enthusiastic drummer missed his passion too much and jumped back into it full steam ahead, drumming and singing in another rock band, Witch Wayz Wytch.
He started teaching audio production at the Southern Institute of Technology, passing on his skills and experience to eager musical students. He plans to stay there until he gets kicked out.
Now in his mid 40s, Carr is still performing, in the band Bad Deeds.
His induction into the Southland Musicians Club Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame will be held at the Something Different show at the Invercargill Workingmen's Club on September 24, where Sierra will get back together for one night only.
"It's been great fun pulling the guys out ... I haven't won any awards or anything and just to be recognised, after all of it, is a huge honour," he said.
Source: The Southland Times"
More photos of Sierra
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