Palmerston North business group launches May Music Month

The Passengers are (from left) Adrian Fou, Jeffrey Edmonds and Anton Kennett. The family guys and musos have a penchant for Hawaiian shirts and hot chillies.

Palmerston North is turning up the volume for NZ Music Month with free gigs featuring homegrown talent scattered around the CBD until May 31.

Launching May Music Month on Thursday is three-piece acoustic-driven The Passengers.

Bing Turkby founded the band in 2009 and the current line-up has been together for 12 years. The covers band was originally named The Passengers Acoustic Trio.

Anton Kennett is the lead singer and plays bass and harmonica.

Guitarist and father of three Adrian Fou is the original member, while the drummer is Jeffrey Edmonds.

Kennett says Edmonds, a father of four, is the joker.

“He’s the one we have to rein in all the time because he’s trouble.”

They love playing covers, painting over other people’s canvases and giving them a little bit of Passenger flavour.

Kennett says they play classic rock, easy listening, and a little country and disco from the 1960s to 2005-ish.

“If we can do it we will play it. If it sounds good we will keep it, if it sounds crap we won’t.”

Kennett says when the three get together good things happen.

“It’s fun with a bunch of guys who enjoy the same things, which is entertaining a crowd and playing instruments.”

They all live in Palmerston North and Speedway Garage is a regular venue.

Since the pandemic, The Passengers have got into playing at weddings and 21st birthdays. “Give us a stage and we’ll be there.”

Kennett and Edmonds went to Tararua College together and as 14-year-olds were in the band Idol Fret. In 1996, it was renamed Murray’s Tractor and continued until 2005.

Kennett juggles managing The Passengers with being a stay-at-home dad to two boys.

May Music Month is a Palmy Bid initiative and Jeff Carr from Music Planet has selected the musicians. He has brought in musicians who don’t always get the chance to play in the central city and 11 acts are former or current UCOL performance students.

The programme will connect artists and venues and bring people into town, Carr says.

“The list of musicians I couldn’t put into places is gigantic.”

All musicians will be paid and Carr has designed the programme to be as inclusive as possible with no genre bias.

From Mozart to metal, there’s something for everyone’s ears.

NZ Music Month started in 2000 and this year’s theme is amplifying Aotearoa.

The Passengers play Thursday, May 2, 5-8pm near The Verdict in Te Marae o Hine/The Square.

On Saturday, there will be a May the 4th Be With You market at Downtown, 4-7.30pm, ending with a Star Wars parade.

The full programme is at palmybid.co.nz/musicmonth.

Judith Lacy has been the editor of the Manawatū Guardian since December 2020. She graduated from journalism school in 2001 and this is her second role editing a community paper.