Levin drummer Mario Kerehi humbled by response to stolen kit

Peanut Slab drummer Mario Kerehi has been humbled by the response from friends and whānau following the theft of his drum kit.

A well-known Levin musician has been humbled by the support he received from friends and whānau following the brazen theft of his drum kit.

Mario Kerehi's entire playing set of drums was stolen from his Queen St address a fortnight ago, leaving him high and dry for gigs that had already been booked.

Kerehi was drummer for hugely popular local band Peanut Slab, who were in hot demand and had gigs booked most weekends.

Peanut Slab drummer Mario Kerehi.

A few days after the theft, the band was the headline act for the Purebread Music in the Park festival at the Levin Adventure Park.

Kerehi had missed band practice during the week, but was able to take the stage and join the rest of Peanut Slab with borrowed gear.

News of his plight travelled quickly and resulted in a flood of support. Fellow drummers had offered to lend him gear.

There was a kinship between all musicians, but the bonds between drummers possibly went deeper still.

"I was a bit low there for a few days so it was very humbling to have that support," he said.

"I have a lot of friends and whānau who are drummers. It's not a competition. There is a lot of awhi for one another and support for each other."

"That's one good thing about being a muso. There's a music whanau."

Levin drummer Mario Kerehi from Peanut Slab had his playing kit stolen.

The particular pieces of his Tama kit were accumulated over a long period of time and to his taste, like the Phil Rudd signature snare he purchased brand new a few years ago for $800.

He still held out hope for the recovery of the gear.

While he had taken time to come to terms with theft, it was one low point for Kerehi in amongst a galaxy of highs since he first started playing drums as a youngster.

His own musical journey would take hours to regale, but it started off at the encouragement of a cousin to pick up the sticks in the garage.

Peanut Slab band members Gary Hibbs, Mario Kerehi, Moe Tamaako, Mark Tui, Foggsta Heke. Photo / Gerry Ronowicz.

The wider whānau were all musical and Kerehi indicated he wanted to learn the drums, so from then on was always encouraged to play.

Kerehi said in the early days there were no theory tests or industry standards, it was all about learning to play by ear and instinct.

He was given his first opportunity to play in a band as a teenager by his cousin Eugene Henare, and learnt early on to fake it until you make it.

It was all about having a go, in the early days cutting his teeth at jam nights at the Telegraph Hotel in Ōtaki.

"I said 'what if you don't know the song?' "

"You either wing it ... make eye contact with someone else in the band, or hand the sticks over to someone else."

Peanut Slab.

Since then he had played in countless bands and with well-known musicians as a session drummer, and enjoyed the challenge of new styles of music.

He was fortunate to have had some fine tutors over the years, and in recent times had embraced the theory side of music and had graduated to grade 8.

"I am still learning today. You never stop learning, and you are never too old to start," he said.