NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Manawatu Guardian

Palmerston North business group launches May Music Month

Judith Lacy
By Judith Lacy
Judith Lacy is editor of the Manawatū Guardian·Manawatu Guardian·
30 Apr, 2024 11:47 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
The Passengers are (from left) Adrian Fou, Jeffrey Edmonds and Anton Kennett. The family guys and musos have a penchant for Hawaiian shirts and hot chillies.
The Passengers are (from left) Adrian Fou, Jeffrey Edmonds and Anton Kennett. The family guys and musos have a penchant for Hawaiian shirts and hot chillies.

The Passengers are (from left) Adrian Fou, Jeffrey Edmonds and Anton Kennett. The family guys and musos have a penchant for Hawaiian shirts and hot chillies.

Palmerston North is turning up the volume for NZ Music Month with free gigs featuring homegrown talent scattered around the CBD until May 31.

Launching May Music Month on Thursday is three-piece acoustic-driven The Passengers.

Bing Turkby founded the band in 2009 and the current line-up has been together for 12 years. The covers band was originally named The Passengers Acoustic Trio.

Anton Kennett is the lead singer and plays bass and harmonica.

Guitarist and father of three Adrian Fou is the original member, while the drummer is Jeffrey Edmonds.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Kennett says Edmonds, a father of four, is the joker.

“He’s the one we have to rein in all the time because he’s trouble.”

They love playing covers, painting over other people’s canvases and giving them a little bit of Passenger flavour.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Kennett says they play classic rock, easy listening, and a little country and disco from the 1960s to 2005-ish.

“If we can do it we will play it. If it sounds good we will keep it, if it sounds crap we won’t.”

Kennett says when the three get together good things happen.

“It’s fun with a bunch of guys who enjoy the same things, which is entertaining a crowd and playing instruments.”

They all live in Palmerston North and Speedway Garage is a regular venue.

Since the pandemic, The Passengers have got into playing at weddings and 21st birthdays. “Give us a stage and we’ll be there.”

Kennett and Edmonds went to Tararua College together and as 14-year-olds were in the band Idol Fret. In 1996, it was renamed Murray’s Tractor and continued until 2005.

Kennett juggles managing The Passengers with being a stay-at-home dad to two boys.

Read More

  • Palmerston North’s Simple Truth Theatre explores femininity ...
  • Laurence Olivier Award-winning play Prima Facie to ...

May Music Month is a Palmy Bid initiative and Jeff Carr from Music Planet has selected the musicians. He has brought in musicians who don’t always get the chance to play in the central city and 11 acts are former or current UCOL performance students.

The programme will connect artists and venues and bring people into town, Carr says.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“The list of musicians I couldn’t put into places is gigantic.”

All musicians will be paid and Carr has designed the programme to be as inclusive as possible with no genre bias.

From Mozart to metal, there’s something for everyone’s ears.

NZ Music Month started in 2000 and this year’s theme is amplifying Aotearoa.

The Passengers play Thursday, May 2, 5-8pm near The Verdict in Te Marae o Hine/The Square.

On Saturday, there will be a May the 4th Be With You market at Downtown, 4-7.30pm, ending with a Star Wars parade.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The full programme is at palmybid.co.nz/musicmonth.

Judith Lacy has been the editor of the Manawatū Guardian since December 2020. She graduated from journalism school in 2001 and this is her second role editing a community paper.


Save
    Share this article

Latest from Manawatu Guardian

Manawatu Guardian

White-tailed spider bite leaves man in hospital for a month with deadly infection

Manawatu Guardian

Police appeal after woman shot in Palmerston North

Manawatu Guardian

All Black's legacy lives on at Romney Lane Homestead


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

White House lashes out at ‘South Park’ Trump parody
World

White House lashes out at ‘South Park’ Trump parody

Ozzy Ozbourne’s adopted son living in Wellington
Wellington

Ozzy Ozbourne’s adopted son living in Wellington

Tense exchange: Trump, Powell dispute Fed building costs
World

Tense exchange: Trump, Powell dispute Fed building costs

Maxwell grilled by US official as Trump faces Epstein case scrutiny
World

Maxwell grilled by US official as Trump faces Epstein case scrutiny

Auckland man jailed for brutal attack on Taiwanese tourist in Mission Bay
New Zealand

Auckland man jailed for brutal attack on Taiwanese tourist in Mission Bay

'Freezing conditions': Police rescue man on Tongariro Crossing
Rotorua Daily Post

'Freezing conditions': Police rescue man on Tongariro Crossing



Latest from Manawatu Guardian

White-tailed spider bite leaves man in hospital for a month with deadly infection
Manawatu Guardian

White-tailed spider bite leaves man in hospital for a month with deadly infection

Andy Stewart pushed on with his motorbike trek despite his growing pain.

02 Jan 04:00 PM
Police appeal after woman shot in Palmerston North
Manawatu Guardian

Police appeal after woman shot in Palmerston North

16 Dec 08:35 PM
All Black's legacy lives on at Romney Lane Homestead
Manawatu Guardian

All Black's legacy lives on at Romney Lane Homestead

13 Dec 04:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Manawatu Guardian e-edition
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search