Drummer turns to ukulele

Photo: STEPHEN FORBES

FOUR STRINGER: Ben Collier will be playing with The Nukes during this weekend’s Ukulele Festival at Mount Smart.

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Long-time musician Ben Collier is no stranger to the limelight.

But the former Goldenhorse drummer is relatively new to the art of ukulele playing.

That won’t stop him from a stepping out in front an estimated crowd of 5000 during this this weekend’s BNZ Ukulele Festival at Mt Smart Stadium.

The annual show is now in its third year and includes a long list of international acts, workshops, demonstrations and open mike opportunities.

Ben, who will perform as part of the three-piece west Auckland trio The Nukes, first picked up a ukulele around two years ago.

He already knew how to play guitar and taught himself.

"I love it," he says. "It’s kind of like a musical rubik’s cube – you can sit there and play it for ages."

And he says there’s always something new to learn.

Ben looks forward to seeing some of the other acts on the bill, fellow performer Sione Aleki who he says is the ukulele’s answer to Jimi Hendrix.

Festival manager Richard Thorne says this year’s show will also include a world record attempt for the most people playing the instrument at the same time.

The existing record was set in East London in June when 851 people simultaneously played a rendition of The Beach Boys’ classic Sloop John B.

The 1300-strong Kiwileles children’s ukulele orchestra hopes to do better on Saturday.

Go online to www.bnz.co.nz/uke fest for more information.

- © Fairfax NZ News