Thorogood, Destroyers set Christchurch date

Press, 31 March 1989, Page 23

Thorogood, Destroyers set Christchurch date

George Thorogood and the Destroyers will return to New Zealand in April to spread more blues about. The American guitarist and his band will play at the Christchurch Town Hall on May 11. * ♦ ♦ 3 Guesses will be the featured band at The Subway tomorrow evening and on Saturday evening. The venue is in the New Zealander Tavern. ■The Christchurch band, made up mainly of former members of the early ’Bos band, The Androids (who held a reunion recently), are picking their own support acts.

There is no appeal for bands at London’s Town and Country Club these

days, according to “Melody Maker.”

The management of the club has blacklisted bands such as The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Fields Of The Nephilim, and Swans. The club’s general manager, Ollie Smith, is quoted as saying that there is a policy of screening acts. Any bands likely to incite disorder or attract “horrible, scuzzy, down-at-heel” audiences will not be allowed to play.

Others banned include Anthrax, Front 242, Fish-

Noteworthy Nevin Topp

bone, Sonic Youth, Psychic TV, and Guana Batz. The club’s image is represented by bookings for May, which include The Men They Couldn’t Hang, Southside Johnny, Pixies, James Taylor Quartet, Big Country, John Hiatt, Courtney Pine, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Apparently, a lack of audience reaction to some bands, and drug abuse, both hard and alcoholic, caused the club’s management to review bookings. Not all bands are happy about the new policy. Genesis P. Orridge, of

Psychic TV, is quoted as saying that the bands that the club was now banning had put Town and Country on the map as a venue.

Billy Idol’s new album has become the first victim of uncertainty about the future status of Chrysalis, the record label.

The English label has been the subject of takeover rumours, including one that Geffen has taken between eight per cent and 25 per cent of the shares, and another that BMG (which owns RCA and Arista) was on the verge of buying the label. The vice-president of the label, Joe Keiner, said that the company was holding talks, but the organisation would remain independent.