What’s your musical history in Whanganui?
It all started in a high school band when I was 17 at the Provincial [Hotel], which was in the building we’re in now. Our keyboardist was 18 and she was a waitress there. She got us the job. It was probably quite illegal. I’ve been in a million bands since. One was Spies Like Us, which went on for 15 years. We did half the weddings in town. I still get people coming into the shop saying “I remember you, you played at my wedding 30 years ago”. At the moment I have The Gatshack Project.
What inspired you to open the store? And what were you doing before?
Before this I was working for GDM, importing all their shop fittings. The Gatshack came about after a separation. We sold our house and I had a bit of money in the bank. I could have wasted it or invested it in something. I opened on Valentine’s Day on 2009. Connells closed that June and that left us as the only [music] shop in town. We’ve been here for 14 years.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I don’t think I do. I play guitar and I sing, and that’s it. Everybody already knows that.
What is one thing you would fix in Whanganui?
The only real issue I have at the moment is how they run the streets in this town. I’ve been arguing with the [Whanganui District] council for years about getting a loading zone and more disabled parking in this street [Ridgway Street]. I still don’t have a loading zone here after 14 years.
Has the Whanganui music scene changed much over the years?
We all used to play in pubs back in the old days but there aren’t so many of them around anymore. I spent years playing at the Rutland [Arms] and the Riverside [Tavern]. Kids are still into music though, for sure. We sell a lot of three-quarter guitars and a lot of keyboards.
How important is it to you to keep The Gatshack completely independent?
That was the best thing I ever did. When Connells closed, MusicWorks came to me three times in that first year wanting me to become one of their stores but I didn’t want my shop to be controlled from Auckland. I still sell MusicWorks stuff but I can sell Music Planet stuff as well. It’s only The Rockshop that’s a competitor. Staying independent also means that no one tells me what to do.
What is Whanganui’s best-kept secret?
People don’t realise how arty this town is, whether it’s music or art. You only have to look at all the murals painted around the place. For me personally, it’s the support for a local music shop. I’m a little bit disabled but Colin Luttrell, who plays in Hot Potato, told me the other day that if something ever happened to me, there were enough people to step in and run my business until I came right. Having that sort of support from customers is just awesome.
What advice would you give your 15-year-old self?
Don’t take on a job you don’t want to do. I’ve had too many of those, where you wake up in the morning and think “I don’t want to go to work”. I’ve always been happy to come here [The Gatshack] though, and I have been for the past 14 years.
