His music shop was one of those rare little gems where you could pop in for a pack of strings only to leave three hours later after a cuppa and a chat.

So when friends and customers gathered en masse outside Elephant Music last week to pay their respects to co-owner Dennis Halberg following his recent passing, it came as no surprise.

Dennis had helped save Gravesend's only music shop from permanent closure in 2015 and was described locally as a "real pillar of the community".

He took over the Harmer Street store and ran it alongside business partners Rob Sherwood, Ross Williams and later Johnny “Jukebox” Batelle, after more than 20 years of business.

The popular musician and Fringe Festival organiser died at ellenor Hospice on July 16, aged 60, after living with bowel cancer for seven years.

His funeral procession took place last week and gave him one last visit to the shop where he was met by a crowd of friends and customers, dressed in vibrant band T-shirts and Hawaiian shirts, before a ceremony held at Thamesview Crematorium.

As son Robbie, 23, said: “Dennis was born in New Zealand. He came over about 30 years ago and did a lot of travelling through the Middle East and Europe, then he ended up settling here where, in 2001, he met my mum Lindsey.”

Dennis worked for more than 10 years as a web designer for his company Sticky Toffee Internet Design but didn’t have the same passion and drive he found when working with musicians, guiding many of the town's youth to their first instrument or music lesson.

He later formed a band with his business partners and friends called Moriaty and the Negative Waves.

“He really came into his own when he was on stage behind the drum kit, blasting through Highway to Hell, which was the exit music at the funeral and had people head banging on the way out,” said Robbie.

Dennis loved all sorts of music but some of his favourite bands were The Beach Boys, Steely Dan and The Who.

Prior to his passing, the accomplished drummer got to see another of his favourite acts, Crowded House, perform live thanks to the kindness of one of its members.

After multiple attempts to see the New Zealand outfit were scuppered due to Covid, a friend wrote to the group's frontman Neil Finn, a fellow Kiwi, who got back in touch to set up a personal live stream to their gig from his bedside.

"One of his favourite bands is Crowded House. We tried to go three times and because of lockdown we missed it every time," explained partner, Lindsey, 61.

“Dennis was in hospital at this point and it was a great spirit lifter to have the gig streamed to his bed. He even recalled Neil Finn dedicating his final song to him 'Better be Home Soon'."

Dennis also had a passion for helping youngsters gain confidence through music.

"He had a way with people in general and understood that the music shop was a safe space for many of them," explains Lindsey.

"They would come in and he'd be able to talk with them. He was very good at getting the best out of people and getting them to come up on stage and play."

The music shop co-owner was a big supporter of Northfleet's Beat Club, a free music club for 11 to 17-year-olds.

"His influence on us was immeasurable," said Richie Mansfield, who runs the community organisation with Danny May.

"Beat Club was, and still is, a project aimed at mentorship and advice for young local musicians in a safe inclusive collaborative environment and all for free, the spirit of which appealed to Dennis.

"He heard we were having to relocate from our previous venue and threw his studio open to us, such was his kindness."

Dennis also played an active role in supporting local bands and arranging acts for the bandstand for the Gravesham Festival.

With Lindsey, he would go every week to see as many bands as possible and would always support bands and talent where he could.

Around the same time his wife got the all-clear for breast cancer, he received news of his own devastating cancer diagnosis.

Dennis had taken over the running of the Gravesend store not long after his liver resection, and despite various rounds of chemotherapy he did not let the impact it was having show and often made light of his situation.

"In public he would often make a joke about his colostomy bag," Robbie said. "He was very, very resilient. I had never seen him ill, not even a cold."

Besides his love of music the drummer also had a love for motorbikes and boats.

"He loved to go out with his friend Jim who also lost his life to cancer nearly three years ago," added Robbie.

"They would forget their compass and go out and get lost and wash up somewhere days later."

Another of his proud claims to fame was as an acting credit as an extra in the 1983 Japanese-British war film Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence in which he got to meet David Bowie.

"There were thousands of slaves and he kept saying 'is that me?'," quipped Robbie.

Dennis's funeral took place at Thames View Crematorium in Shorne on Friday last week, organised by W Uden and Sons.

In a departure from the usual rules around laying loved ones to rest, friends and family members performed the Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

"We got everyone to experience it one last time," said Robbie, in reference to his dad's famous routine.

"We used to go to parties and birthdays and he would get five pints in him and a look in his eye only for one song. He would do the most strange dance moves."

Lindsey and Robbie thanked customers for their loyal support over the years and asked people to continue supporting the shop and local live music venues.

The family would also like to encourage people to get tested and regularly check for signs of bowel cancer.

"It may not always mean cancer, but it does mean something isn’t right," they said.

"If the NHS offers you a test use it! This may save your life."