NEW ZEALAND Music Month has come and gone and inspired hundreds of aspiring young musicians like Patrick Hickley.
There are hundreds like him, every year picking up an instrument and fighting for a place on the Wellington stage. This is a story of a dream and one very talented musician.
Patrick, a Massey University student, seeks inspiration from other bands and musicians with a similar taste and style.
Practising takes a large amount of Patrick’s time and after almost five years of playing the guitar, drums and a little piano he believes he is ready to make the most of his talent.
He spends countless hours learning new covers, writing new material and figuring out ways to improve his music.
Patrick is also no stranger to the industry, having played guitar in the highly successful rock quest group, taking the fall.
The San Francisco Bathhouse offers Patrick the opportunity to get amongst bigger and smaller names of the music industry.
“Having somewhere to find inspiration isn’t always easy,” the 18-year-old says. But he seems content taking pointers from Wellington’s music hot spots.
Other inspiration comes from seeing live music at Wellington’s array of bars, such as mighty mighty or the San Francisco Bathhouse.
“It just brought a head rush: It’s amazing,” he says. He boasts about his equipment, and says one of his weaknesses is buying high-end gear to enhance his music.
Patrick has been playing gigs since he was 15 and recently has been apart of an acoustic duo playing in venues around Dunedin.
Many musicians begin on the street and Patrick has spent hours busking in Dunedin, where he can make almost $200 with a couple of hours’ work.