Rock star takes drug message to Beehive and Bay

American rock music legend Joe Walsh was early this afternoon at Hawke's Bay's historic Otatara Pa site, just 24 hours after a stunning visit to Parliament where even the notes of the hit Desperado by his own message had impact in a unique campaign against hard-drugs.
As the last notes reverberated around the Beehive's Banquet Hall, the crowd went wild, but the lasting memory, says Napier-based short-tour organiser Denis O'Reilly, was the five minutes the guitarist from The Eagles used to tell the packed hall of his own release from a life-destroying drug habit.
It highlighted how a "spiritual awakening" after visiting Otatara in 1994 had made him turn the corner, and Mr O'Reilly said as Walsh arrived in Napier last night: "It was awesome. You could have heard a pin drop. Some very special things happened down there."
The American, who has publicly battled cocaine and alcohol problems, says he has been sober and clean of drugs for more than 10 years.
He described drug addiction as an awful thing and said: "There's nothing good about it. It eats your soul. It eats a hole inside of you."
Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton oversaw yesterday's event, and said that while the Government had sympathy for those stuck in the cycle of drug abuse, it would come down hard on those who profited from drugs and crime.
Before Walsh performed, a strong Maori theme ran through the warm-up acts.
Walsh said he felt an affinity with the Maori community which he partially credited as the catalyst to his road to recovery.
Included in the message against methamphetamine (P) were performers Toni Huata, hip-hop act Te Amoe Parata, Branagan Kaa and Lance Sua.
Walsh's visit was arranged by Mokai Whanau Ora, a community programme that aims to educate people on the dangers of P. Spokesman Eugene Ryder said the group worked with a part of the community that no-one wanted to work with - a subset of society that was "seen by the community as hooligans and bums".
Black Power members performed a haka.
"Some gang members took off their patches to come to the concert today. That is a big thing for them to do," Mr Ryder said.
Walsh performed two songs. He said his message was clear: "You can have life after an addiction, and it's good," but the first step towards recovery was asking for help.
Walsh had flown in on his own account from the Australian leg of The Eagles world tour.
He said if he helped just one person get off drugs, the journey would be worthwhile.
Campaigners urge users, and worried friends and families, to contact addiction services (tel 0800-112334), other agencies and doctors for advice on how to help save the users and end the P problem.