Everybody wants to be a Rockstar(or just near one)!

Everybody wants to be a rock star and we, at Degree, generally think we are. The Degree restaurant floor is often mistaken for the cat walk and the Ice bar on a Saturday night for a headline stage. We flick our hair as we strut, we got the moves like Jagger and as we glide around the room we know you’re watching us with anticipation and adoration! (But really we know it’s got more to do with the food or beverage we’re carrying to your table so we do it quickly)

This week however we’ve had to contend with real rock stars. As the ‘Summer of Love’ finally arrives and with it the festival fever, the Viaduct suddenly fills with fans and bands alike. The very last Big Day Out has brought us the likes of Noel Gallagher strutting his stuff down the Viaduct on a cloud of adoring screams and unrequited love and even managed a wink to one of our star struck waitresses. Foster the People were kicking it with the little people and enjoying a quiet cider before heading to Mt Wellington for a very noisy one! And we’ve heard enough rumours concerning Kasabien’s whereabouts to last a lifetime, none leading to an actual encounter of course as they seemed to slip through our fingers like rock’n roll ghosts rather than gods.

But we’re not quite strangers to celebrities in Degree....the Vaccines popped into say hi to Rachel our London socialite duty manger and Jen our friendly Irish bar wench was greeted like best friends by the majority of the England Rugby Squad upon their visit with us.

New Zealand is one of those rare countries where the rich and famous can mingle with the mere mortals of Auckland and not be hounded. Every time the Vector Arena pulls in a new act we take delight in louring in the crowds of hyped up fans, but we to are always hoping for a quick glimpse of the star of the night themselves.

The All Blacks were as good as regulars during the run up to the Rugby World Cup and we had the pleasure of playing host to a number of the international teams too, including Ireland, Wales and France. We were just flattered when they came back to visit (and eat!!!!)  throughout the tournament.  Although, well chizz led sportsmen aside, out of all the star struck customers I’ve ever witnessed, nothing compares to a table of 4, mature, ladies from Cambridge who spotted Sir Cliff Richard himself as he strolled casually down the Viaduct. Not only was I shocked by the outrageous comments thrown in Sir Cliffs direction regarding his “nice bum” but I think, in my experience only a table of 18 year old girls who I recall had just spotted Justin Beiber could have rivalled the sheer excitement displayed.

A lot of it is not just the celebrity spotting or hoping we get the ‘BIG NAME’ inside. It’s the buzz that’s created and the atmosphere on the Viaduct which is nothing short of electric. This week I was even surprised by some out of towners from Oamaru who managed to hold back the ‘JAFA’ jokes as they were forced to come to ‘THE BIG SMOKE’. Once we managed to convert them from handles to pints and established where Oamaru was (south of Timaru north of Dunedin FYI) I thought I had finally cracked the Auckland V’s the rest of New Zealand’s 200 year old feud. Unfortunately one wise crack about tartan clad shirts reverted me back to my place as just another flipping Aucklander and the conflict was not resolved that day.

We have our next session already lined up next weekend as Laneway festival arrives for its debut year in the Wynyard Quarter as part of the Auckland Anniversary day Celebrations. The Summer of love will continue and we will keep on truckin’ to lavish you all with mussels and sauvignon blanc or fish and chips and a pint. Whatever floats your boat as you watch the boats float by and feed on the buzz of the rock’n roll and sunshine cocktails.