“Our life experiences can always pull a hit song out of us.”
Te Hot 8 Brass Band, straight outta New Orleans, are the genuine article. Together since their school days, they’ve been through some very tough times but continue to bring their huge, intense, joyful show to people across the world – this month they hit up the Arts Centre. I spoke to the band leader and tuba player Bennie "Big Peter" Pete about Hurricane Katrina’s legacy, learning from your elders and what makes a great party.
18 / July 2016/
outlineonline.co.uk
You’ve been going for 20 years! Tat’s a real achievement. What have been the highlights for the band so far? It is truly a blessing. Some of our highlights have been touring with Lauryn Hill, playing Glasgow Festival, and our version of Sexual Healing featuring in the movie Te Chef and also the movie Focus. Later on this year we will be playing a number of festivals and sold out shows in London. Te Hot 8 got together in high school back in the day. Are schools in New Orleans still encouraging young people to get involved in learning instruments? Te band started when we were in high school playing in the marching band - at that time the band was named Te Looney Tunes. We were all just starting out with the whole brass band thing. Once we graduated, that's when Te Looney Tunes were on the verge of breaking up so the remainder of us and about four guys from another local band joined up and we named ourselves Te Hot 8. I believe the schools are all rebuilding, trying to encourage young people to get involved with instruments, but they just don't have the resources. Te young people are so stressed out they can’t focus on being involved. It’s too big a task.
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