Lead singer Paul Wickham
By Jamie Melbourne-Hayward
Hikoikoi?s sound was born in a Petone boatshed. New Zealand?s latest reggae sensation is set to rock a home-gig at the end of their first nation-wide tour. The band is quick to remind the country Petone is home, a place the band rattled out their organic sound, and where they now rehearse in Gracefield. Lead singer Paul Wickham says Jackson Street Festival was one cornerstone that built the bands confidence playing for larger crowds. ?We first played together in a Wellington flat; we dragged some amps and guitars up steps and jammed a Blackseed-guys flat-warming,? he says. He says reggae and politics go hand-in-hand, because messages of bands like Trinity Roots cannot be ignored. ?Politics affects everyone?s lives, and politics are the roots of all reggae. ?We try to put out the idea of healing and solidarity between Maori and Pakeha, we have sympathy for the hurts of the past,? says Mr Wickham. Hikoikoi?s nation-wide tour has taken them to remarkable places such laying down a hangi beside Lake Waikaremoana and jamming with Tama Iti. ?Parihaka was our ultimate festival, they were very bold and courageous with how they carried out that movement, and the spirit lives on today.? The band used to be called Hikoikoi reserve, because they set down a lot of their tunes there. Hikoikoi means to ?walk out to a point?, but the modern meaning is ?to walk the walk?. ?Petone?s culture has been slowed down with all the industry, but it?s starting to come back strong now. ?There has never been a great venue to play in Petone, so we are going to drag some big amps into Backstage and rock the place,? he says. Their self-titled debut album features Mr Wickham?s dynamic vocals and righteous keyboard tunes that are ?right on the money?. The band?s latest single Blood in the Sand endorses their commitment to sharing messages of peace, unity and solidarity. Hikoikoi will be playing Petone?s newest live venue Backstage Bar (the old establishment) on June 20. For more information visit myspace.com/hikoikoi
