By Ali Ikram
At tomorrow night's APRA Silver Scrolls the New Zealand music hall of fame will have no fewer than 17 new inductees.
For three decades Herbs has played music with a message as well as a beat.
An old school house, Whare Rapere has been the home of the band for 30 years.
Original band member Dilworth Karaka has felt at home there from the start.
“I felt like I was walking into history that's what it means to us too this is our turangawaeawae.”
Ancestors hang alongside gold discs.
Herbs has provided the soundtrack to New Zealand history including ban the bomb protests, dawn raids and the tour.
And Rob Muldoon was the hate figure de jour. But legend has it the feared prime minister got his early education within these four walls
“You can almost hear his laugh he he,” Karaka says.
He even drank the band under the table at an awards night
“I've never been so drunk in my life he just peeled back what was in front of us,” Karaka says. “We got all messed up he was messed up but he was able to get up and walk away, I don't know how.”
A total of 17 past and present members of Herbs will be inducted into the hall of fame tomorrow night. But Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh who was with the band for a couple of years won't be.
“I felt that he still deserved that honour to be inducted with Herbs but being an offshore man it probably wouldn't work. The thought was there.
“One of the things Joe tried with us was the Gulf war happened and he was asked to do a concert on the Nimitz he asked the CIA if he could bring this New Zealand band to do a concert on the Nimitz.
As for taking the trip from this hall to the hall of fame, it's only just sinking in.
“It's not so much doubtfulness it's just thinking what have we done to deserve this but when you think about what the band has achieved and then the reasons flow.”
It will also be a time to remember two members Fred Faleauto and legendary vocalist Charlie Tuamahai who are no longer with us.
3 News
source: newshub archive
