A band for The People
The People are Matt Edmonds, Georgie Ormond, Alex Penfold, Ian Bartlett, former WHS students Dylan Stanford and Debbie Head, Chloe Franklin-Brown and Stan Manthyng.
PHOTO: Tia Ranginui
Whanganui's newly-formed band, The People will make their debut at the Royal Wanganui Opera House next Saturday night.
When asked to describe their sound, founder Stan Manthyng says the nine piece collaboration have a punk-pop kind of sound.
"If the Sex Pistols and Bananarama had a baby, it might have sounded like us," he says.
Manthyng is better known as a painter of glittering art works than as a musician in Whanganui.
But in the early 1990s Manthyng was half of the goth-pop duo World Gone Wild with Michael Caulfield.
The duo had a minor hit with their single Shy Shy Jenny before Manthyng went on to co- host TV show Queer Nation.
More recently, the artist has performed as Manthyng with DJ Stevolicious and various artists including Mr "nek minnut" Levi Hawken.
"I haven't been doing anything musically for a while because I didn't feel like I had anything to say," says Manthyng.
"People have been asking me if I want to do something and this group of Whanganui people have come together and it's great fun."
Dunedin was home base for Manthyng and his partner Alex Penfold before they found their Don Wilson designed home on Bastia Hill in 2015.
"I heard the Chills would be playing the Opera House at the end of this month and I have the same management so I contacted them to see if we could play support," says Manthyng.
"They asked for a recording and we didn't have one so I sent them a recording of our next practice and they are happy with the sound."
Manthyng shares lead vocal duties with Chloe Franklin-Brown and Debbie Head.
"It's like that Bananarama sound of three vocalists all singing in the same key," he says.
"We also have a mature go-go dancer who will perform on stage with us."
"I saw her dance at a party and I thought she was fantastic so I asked her to join us and she agreed."
The People will play with The Chills and their special guest Anthonie Tonnon at the Royal Wanganui Opera House on Saturday April 29 at 8pm. Bookings at royaloperahouse.co.nz. Phone 0064 6 3490511
By Liz Wylie
Wanganui Chronicle 22/4/17