Being Dad and rock star

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Would you let your daughter date a rock star? We asked Prime Circle’s bass guitarist, Marco Gomes this question and he had a quirky answer ready for that question.

“They can only start dating when they turn 30 …”

Prime Circle has stood the test of time since their debut back in 2002 with their album ‘Hello Crazy World’.

Their blend of rock, pop and bass undertones combined with Ross Learmonth’s distinctive voice was a breath of fresh air for local rock lovers. In 2005 they released ‘Live This Life’, which also charted well. In 2006 the band started touring as supporting act of the band Live. They performed at the 46664 Nelson Mandela concert and played alongside legendary American bands Metallica, Simple Plan and Good Charlotte.
Their third album ‘All or Nothing’ was nominated for four SAMA awards (South African Music Award) in 2008. The band continued to play alongside international bands that had concerts in South Africa, like Korn, Muse and 30 Seconds to Mars. The album ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ was released in 2010, followed by ‘Evidence’, 2012 and ‘Let the Night In’ in 2014.

Early in May they heard that their video ‘Innocence’ has been officially selected as Best Music Video which will be screened at this year’s The South African Independent Film Festival.

Prime Circle’s story began in a garage on the corner of Libertas Street and Gordon Road where Marco dreamt of having his own band.

“I have always been very passionate and determined to be in the music industry. So for me growing up in the then Witbank back in the day was always about finding musicians to start new bands and try and get out there to play as many shows as possible. There were many people that shared the same passion, so it was easy performing with different musicians. At times we didn’t have the platforms to perform, so we would often create our own platforms, by putting on our own music shows and festivals,” Marco said.

Since the release of their fist album it has been a rollercoaster ride.

Who would guess that the hard rocker is actually a father of four beautiful daughters and they have him in the palm of their hands.

“Amber, now 16 years old, is the eldest and the one that plays the role of big sister. She is a typical teenager and a great artist. Jasmine is 12 and has a tiny little heart. She always wants to take care of everybody, but at times can be like Dory from Finding Dory. Maybe she was a hippie in her past life.”

Marco calls 10-year-old Autum his mini-me, “She also has a very big heart but is my naughty kid with a mind of her own and a very strong personality. Autum is the one I don’t have to worry about when it comes to school reports, she always has good marks.”

Then there is five-year-old Bella. “Bella is my free spirit; she is always happy, always considerate of others’ feelings. Bella is my little performer, always dancing and singing. She will carry on with the music and stage legacy.”

Raising a daughter today is a difficult task and as a rock star dad we were curious to find out how he copes.

“Yes, it is hard raising daughters. I am dealing with personalities that are very different. Each one has a different outlook on life. So my approach to every one of them has to be different from each other.”

Then the ultimate question popped up, “How does a modern-day father protect his daughters against the ‘wolves’ in the world?”

“I try and protect my daughters by talking as much as I can to them about life. I believe I am open minded due to the life that I’ve been given, so when I’m having these conversations with them, it will be situations I have been in or exposed to, so I can give the right advice.”

Marco kept quiet for a few seconds and then said he always wants them to talk to him about anything and everything. He left us with some thoughts to ponder on, “Sometimes that balance can be difficult, but as parents we don’t always get it right, but we try our best.”

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