Masterton DJ bringing Scribe to town

Nathan Crombie
Jermaine Kerehi aka DJ Main-1 is mad on dropping beats and this week lands Scribe in Masterton for his next step in hip-hop world domination.
Kerehi, Ngati Kahungunu, who counts Makoura College in his musical evolution alongside Jemaine 'Conchord' Clement and Ladyhawke Pip Brown, first started spinning discs at the now defunct Alcatraz bar in the Empire Building in Masterton, he said.
He soon afterward took up DJ residency at a pub owned by his uncle Doug Kerr in Paraparaumu before shifting transtasman and sliding in with the then up-and-coming Priority One Crew after a chance sound booth encounter at the Spacebar in Sydney.
During his time Sydneyside, and not realising Priority One "were at that level", he worked international concert tour after-party events and various clubs where he met hip-hop heavy hitters including 50 Cent, Neo, Chris Brown and The Game among a galaxy of other visiting stars.
Three years ago he returned to Masterton and completes the Wairarapa to Wellington plane of a "golden triangle " between here, Kapiti and Auckland as a third of Te Paepae Soundsystems alongside Katchafire bassman Ara Adams-Tamatea on the Kapiti coast and Dawn Raid producer Aaron Davies in the City of Sails.
"A lot in my family are involved in music and I play in (Masterton band) Whero, but my instruments of choice are my turntables."
His next career move will be producing music for other artists, he said, and this will also pace his place as resident DJ at a Masterton bar and involvement in bringing recognised performers to Wairarapa, especially for the young.
"When I was growing up here there was a skate rink and Blue Light discos, a pool hall and an arcade. It wasn't much but it was a whole lot more than what young kids have got here now. I came back and hello, there's really nothing for kids to do on a Friday night or at the weekends now."
He said the opportunity to bring performers like Scribe to Wairarapa is more importantly also a chance to stage all ages concerts aimed exclusively at an audience aged under 17.
He said he successfully negotiated with Scribe to play earlier on Friday night at the Masterton Town Hall for an under 17-year-old audience and now "it's all gravy".
"It's an alcohol free gig and we've got the police and a security firm on board as well to make sure everything stays tight and everyone keeps smiling. I'm going to work on the night as well and I'm going to throw it back on the kids that if they behave there's a chance to bring even more acts to town," he said.
"We can bring Katchafire, P Money or even Smashproof they are all available and the young deserve an opportunity to see the best in their day. I mean make music and the kids will come. It's who they are."
* Scribe plays the all ages alcohol-free date at the Masterton Town Hall from 5pm to 8pm on Friday with door sale tickets available at $10 each; and at the Horse & Hound alongside local acts Da Rock, Kane, K-1 and DJ Main-1 from 10pm on Friday at $20 a head.