Marcel Martin of Whanganui reggae band Come On Up.
Marcel Martin is a founding member of and saxophonist for Whanganui reggae band Come On Up.
What has the band been up to and what’s coming next?
A lot has been happening lately. We released our second album Fearless just a couple of weeks ago. It’s been a lot of work, but that’s good over the winter months. Record in winter, play in summer - that’s the plan. From August/September onwards, that’s when the live music scene really takes off around the country.
Which gig from history would you most like to have been at?
Man, there are so many. Am I allowed a couple?
The first one would be Stevie Ray Vaughan. I got brought up in that blues era, and when I first heard that guy play the guitar I was blown away. If I could watch anybody, it would be him.
The other would have to be a Bob Marley concert - maybe when he came to New Zealand in 1979. That inspired a lot of the reggae groups that still play to this day.
What is one thing you would improve about Whanganui?
To see more music events here would be awesome - festival-type things. I know there was one out at Oceanview Speedway (Sound Valley Festival). That’s a beautiful venue for Whanganui, especially in the summertime. Events would be well-received here because there are so many people here into music and the arts.
What are some of your earliest live music memories?
Wow, we are going back to a few old pubs. I started off in a music course in 1990, and we used to play at all the little clubs and pubs around town like the Foster’s Hotel, which is Stella now. I used to go out and watch a couple of the cabarets they held at the Palm Lounge as well.
Outside of music, what keeps you ticking?
Personally, I would say family. That’s where you spend your time and it’s where your support comes from. We are a close-knit, big family. Music is intertwined anyway. Someone’s always bringing out the guitar at mealtime. But yeah, it’s family. I spend the majority of my time putting my energy into my kids and siblings and parents. I’m very grateful to have them.
Is the Kiwi reggae scene strong?
Definitely. Again, it goes right back to when Bob Marley came here. He inspired pioneers like Herbs.
The biggest reggae concert in New Zealand at the moment is One Love in Tauranga. If you go to one of those, you know our reggae scene is thriving and doing very well. We haven’t played there yet, but that’s one of our top goals. If we can get there, we can say we made it in some kind of way.
Come On Up was started to honour your dad - the late musician Johnny Paki. What was some of his music advice as you grew up?
It wasn’t so much saying as a lot of doing. As kids, we followed and looked up to that musician lifestyle. The one thing he always drummed into me was to practice hard. Do heaps of work so when you play, you can enjoy yourself. He told us that, but he also did it himself. He’d spend many hours playing his saxophone. That in itself was a good lesson.
Is it hard keeping an independent band going?
It is. We’ve applied for NZ On Air funding, but haven’t been lucky enough to get any yet. Everything we’ve done has been self-financed. That can add up to a lot, especially when you put in studio time, music videos and time and travel to gigs. The second album was quite a struggle to get done.
We’ll keep persevering, but it’s definitely not an easy road. I can see why a lot of bands pull out early.
What’s your favourite thing to do in Whanganui?
I really love to spend time around the (Whanganui) awa, especially on a good day. There are so many people that get out and use the walkways now. I do that quite regularly. You just can’t beat it.
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.