Graham Wardrop


A decade before the Dunedin sound became a thing, a band from the city was cutting an impressive swathe across New Zealand soundwaves. Lutha was a critically acclaimed five-piece progressive-rock band operating in the early 1970s. It combined melodic original songs with strong, guitar-driven instrumentation. The lineup was Garry McAlpine (vocals, percussion), Graham Wardrop (vocals, lead guitar), Kevin Foster (keyboards), Peter “Big Pete” Edmonds (drums) and Peter “Little Pete” Fraser (bass, vocals).

Lutha at Mojos Nightspot, Dunedin, 1971. L to R: Peter Fraser, Peter Edmonds, Graham Wardrop, Kevin Foster
Photo credit: Gordon Spittle collection
Graham Wardrop performs Things We Said Today
Graham Wardrop - 'Speed of Love'
Graham Wardop performs 'Vincent'
Graham Wardrop performing with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra
Photo credit: Gudrun Gisela
The reformed Lutha, 2007: Graham Wardrop, Garry McAlpine, Peter Edmonds, Kevin Foster and Peter Fraser
Graham Wardrop and Suzanne Lynch performing at a house concert, 1996
Flyer for the 1973 tribute show to Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen, performed by Otago University students in Dunedin and Auckland. Among the performers, many would achieve success in a variety of fields: Lea Wyber as songwriter Lea Maalfrid, Graham Wardrop as a guitarist, Tim Hazledine as a professor of economics, Ian Taylor as an animated graphics entrepreneur, Robin Mohi as a TV newsreader, Ross Somerville as an historian and editor, and Lachland Rutherford as an EMI executive. 
Photo credit: Ross Somerville collection
Graham Wardrop with men from Daulo, Papua New Guinea
Rosa Shiels and Graham Wardrop: a publicity photo taken for their show at the 2009 French Festival in Akaroa
The 1990 APRA Silver Scroll went to Guy Wishart for 'Don't Take Me For Granted'. He's seen here with finalists Martin Phillipps and Graham Wardrop.
Lutha in 1973: Graham Wardrop, Garry McAlpine, Peter Fraser, Peter Edmonds and Kevin Foster
Graham Wardrop performs Classical Gas
Goldie R School
Graham Wardrop at EMI Studios, 1972
Graham Wardrop and Rosa Shiels
Anne Kirkpatrick Band, 1978
Lutha at their 2007 reunion show: Peter Edmonds (obscured), Graham Wardrop, Garry McAlpine, Peter Fraser and Kevin Foster
Lutha, 1973: Garry McAlpine, Peter Edmonds, Peter Fraser, Kevin Foster, and Graham Wardrop
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