As part of New Zealand Music Month, Waimea Weekly is featuring local bands and musicians throughout May, showcasing the talent and stories behind the region’s thriving music scene. This week, Kate Russell speaks with Crossroads.
There are not many bands where the bassist is 80 and the keyboard player is 19, but Crossroads is not your regular band.
The six-piece ensemble features 19-year-old keyboardist Mackenzie Manton alongside bassist Nigel Howard Beaumont, who, at 80, is still happily hauling out the bass guitar after years playing in bands in the United Kingdom.
Formed about a year ago from a local church music team, Crossroads was created with the aim of taking its music out into the wider community while also pushing its musical boundaries, according to vocalist Sue Birchfield.
Mackenzie, who is “just taking off with his keyboard skills”, brings a love of jazz, while guitarist Andre Manton leans heavily into the sounds of the 1980s after more than 25 years playing guitar.
Fellow guitarist Fin Manton is described as being “born with a passion and talent for music”, while drummer Glenn Ross only bought his first drum kit in his 30s after always wanting to play.
“I don’t know how many sets he has now – there are a few rumours that there are several,” Sue quips.
Sue herself started singing in her early 50s and has spent the past five years training with Claire Stanley’s vocal family.
“The diverse ages and backgrounds of the band, of course, add to the mix of songs we love,” Sue says.
“We are all willing to give new sounds and genres a try, but I think it is fair to say we all love those screaming guitar sounds of the 80s.”
The band recently released an original single, Depths of Your Love, featuring Fin and Sue, which is available on Apple Music, YouTube and Spotify.
“We are currently working on another recording at Studio 7010, which we hope will be ready to release at the beginning of June,” Sue says.
Crossroads performs monthly at the Richmond Market on Salisbury Rd and has a gig booked at the Honest Lawyer on 18 July.
During summer, the band is a regular fixture at outdoor venues such as Sundial Square and Washbourn Gardens.
One show at Sundial Square still stands out to the band – mostly because of the weather.
“It poured with rain during our set and our amazing techies got drenched saving the gear from frying,” Sue recalls.
Another memorable performance was at Nelson Cathedral, where the band played an acoustic set.
“What a joy to be able to experience the sound in that piece of Nelson history.”
The members’ musical tastes are just as varied as their ages. Nigel enjoys The Beatles, The Animals and Wilson Pickett, Glenn is “a bit of a B52s man”, while Sue grew up on the Eagles, Billy Joel and Kiss.
Sue describes the Nelson Tasman music scene as “very vibrant and diverse”.
“Even though it is a small region, we are spoilt for the amount of bands and concerts we can experience. It is great to be part of that momentum.”
