Original reggae-funk band The Black Seeds will be performing in the Bay of Plenty on March 25, headlining the First We Eat festival, part of the week-long Flavours of Plenty Festival. 2023 marks 25 years of the band, and lead vocalist Barnaby Weir reflects on their past, future, and enduring popularity.
Barnaby Weir was performing at Lobo Fest in Dunedin last month when a 10-year-old boy asked if he and fellow band members, would sign his T-shirt.
Weir, 44, who’s just become a dad for the second time, says he felt “surprised” but flattered.
“When two generations of people - adults, and then their children, are into your music, you think ‘well, that’s cool’,” he says.
The Black Seeds celebrate their 25th anniversary this year and are infamous for helping to shape the millennial fabric of the New Zealand music scene in the late-1990s, following Kiwi trailblazers Salmonella Dub who formed in 1992.
Both groups crafted a new genre of music that fused funk, soul, afrobeat, dub and reggae.
“The Black Seeds were a bunch of guys who were really into or inspired by, Jamaican reggae, American soul, and dub music, and that was the scene in Wellington (where we lived) at the time,” recalls Weir.
“It came to fruition more in the early-2000s, when bands like Fat Freddy’s Drop and Trinity Roots also had their take on these styles.”
The Seeds grew a loyal local and international following, and are crowd favourites in the Bay of Plenty, where they’ll play at the gourmet food and music festival, First We Eat, on March 25.
Fans can expect a collection of their hits, including tracks from their latest album Love & Fire, released last year.
As well as exceptional playing skills, energy and spontaneity, the Seeds “vibe on flavour”, with Weir noting they’re a “foodie band” but “some of us are better cooks than others”.
“We get a lot of joy from simple, good quality produce and ideas, and often, when we’re on tour, food is the main thing we enjoy to relieve the tensions of the day.”
“You get all of those things together - good people, good food and wine, and music, and you have a good time. Enjoying those things and feeling good after all this (cyclone) carnage. Hopefully, there are fewer hard times coming and we can enjoy these festivals.
They’ll be joined on stage by Hello Sailor, Jon Toogood, Jason Kerrison, White Chapel Jak, Dan Sharp, Wildlanes and Ariana.
Over the last two decades, Weir, who is part-Māori, and last year was a part of TVNZ’s Waiata Anthems in search of his mum’s iwi, believes New Zealanders have become increasingly passionate about live Kiwi music, “less cultural cringe” of Kiwi accents, and more embracing of Māori language and culture.
“There is more passion. It’s cool to be a Kiwi and to be proud of that.”
Part of the Pacific soul group’s popularity is retaining a distinctive “Kiwi sound”.
“It’s a specific soul sound and I think it’s fairly original around the world.
“It’s not a light island sound, or a British sound, or a heavy Jamaican sound either. We sound very much like we’re from where we’re from. It’s a good lolly mixture of different grooves over the years.
“We might try a different drum or keyboard sound, or things that we haven’t done before, but we don’t try to reinvent the wheel.
The eight-piece band has had various members come and go over the years but the founding members, including Weir, were passionate DJ enthusiasts who worked at Radio Active in Wellington on Victoria St. They’d do covers, and take rhythms and “cool soul riffs” from other bands before evolving.
These days, they have seven studio albums, two remix albums and a live album, and Weir calls them “a band of brothers”. Like biological brothers, there can be “grumpy moments”, but they never last long.
“In terms of music, there’s a lot of respect there, and that guides us through the tricky times. I am one of those people who can be quite intense, but we all have good input.
“As long as you’re all working towards the same goal, which is trying to be a good band, and make the best songs, then it’s fine. It’s not about ego, or trying to be the man - we can smell that a mile away. Respect, longevity and friendship are huge for us.”
Weir moved from his hometown Wellington to Taranaki 18 months ago, in search of change and to buy a home, with partner Gemma, son Miles, 3, and daughter Ruby, 5 months. He has a dual role as frontman of The Black Seeds and also as Fly My Pretties musical director. Plus, he performs and records under his name and as Flash Harry.
He is a major contributor to songs for The Black Seeds alongside others, including bandmate Daniel Weetman. Weetman is more poetic in his lyrics, Weir reckons, whereas he generally focuses on the good and bad of relationships, and feelings, with inspiration building like a slow rolling wave.
“For me, it swells up, and then you find something musically that represents that feeling, or you’ve got something to say, or you might just start with a little chorus and think ‘where is that going?’ and you flesh that out. Our stuff is fairly timeless in the way that it’s not too specific politically, but there’s a lot of good messages and a lot of conscious thoughts.”
He is not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve because he gets more out of the writing process.
“There’s more emotion in the art”.
“My personal opinion is that I don’t necessarily think art should confront, but I think you should be able to relate to it or have a different opinion.
“One of the roles of an artist and musician is to play and express ourselves and the feelings that you as listeners have in your life because it’s all common. Depression, feeling bad about yourself, wanting to feel better, willing to work on yourself, in and out of love. We all feel. It’s an artist’s job to be able to express these feelings and then when you hear that back in music, it’s a wonderful thing. It’s a relief that someone else understands that you’re not the only one.”
As it is with life, music is an evolving beast. And Weir lives a quieter life these days, but his enthusiasm for his enduring enterprise is unfailing.
“There’s lots of work that we’ve done that’s not seen the light of day yet, so there’s more coming from us.
“We’re still creating and we’re not a lazy band. We give the people what they want. If they want to hear (the smash hit) So True, we love playing it, but we’re always working on the next song that hopefully might resonate with people as that one does.
“There’s a lot of life left in the band.”
#essence has two double passes to First We Eat to giveaway. To be in the draw, email essencebop@nzme.co.nz by March 6, and put First We Eat in the subject line. Winners will be notified by email.
First We Eat
What: Back for its third year, First We Eat, is a one-day R18 festival, running during the week-long Flavours of Plenty Festival. It celebrates the best food, chefs, wineries, breweries and musicians across New Zealand. There are four food “streets” featuring Sounds of the Sea; Plant Power; Rickshaw Ride; and Stars and Stripes. The two previous First We Eat events were sellouts.
When and where: March 25, at Wharepai Domain, Tauranga, from 12pm-7pm.
Tickets: firstweeat.co.nz. VIP options are also available.
Flavours of Plenty Festival
Now in its second year, the festival brings together events from right across the coastal Bay of Plenty to celebrate the rising foodie destination. For a full programme, visit flavoursofplentyfestival.com
