Rumours

Rip It Up, Issue 8, 1 February 1978, Page 3

Rumours

Nobody bothers much about Wellington these days, with fewer concerts than • most other places and much more bad weather. It isn’t just the overseas rock acts we're missing out on down here and believe me, we’re missing out on most of them but we re not seeing a lot of our Wellington groups either. It isn’t that Wellington bands are greedy or over-ambitious either, just very broke. I . couldn’t tell you what Rough Justice are up to, nor Schtungl, and Rockinghorse haven’t played here for ages. The Country ■Flyers moved to Auckland months ago. The Hinueraand Great Western Festivals will prove that many of the top up-and-coming New. Zealand bands are from the bottom of the North Island but Wellington has gained a reputation for being the most unprofitable place for a band to gig in. Venues are the main problem there is nowhere in Wellington to compare with The Island of Real or the Gluepot in Auckland. There’s the Royal Tiger if you fancy a squash, or the Broderick Inn/Oion Tavern/New Zealand Breweries typical pub scene. ' Hello Sailor played two shows at Doctor John’s Disco which wasn’t ideal, and the other :clubs in town (Uncle Albert’s Attic and Slack Alices) have resident bands and resident clientele. ■■ Most music-minded freaks would pay two bucks to see a good local band play in pleasant surroundings and perhaps the most promising rock event happened just a couple of Friday nights ago up at the Skyline Disco (top of the Cable Car). Spatz arranged and vigorously promoted a Rent Party there because over the silly season they had had to resort to Private Functions to pay the rent. I spoke to the manager of a Wellington band who told me how hard it is to make a living here unless you land a residency: “. . . you may get $350 for four nights at the Royal Tiger. Divide that between five and you can see how ridiculous it is. The Broderick and the Lion Tavern are better but the crowds aren’t as receptive.” . Incidentally, Spatz is the new name for Les Hots! Guitarist/singer Tony Backhouse says that no-one seemed to click on the original name, so they changed it, and now everybody wants to know why they changed it. , ... . - Lynne Attwood .

New Wave has finally established itself here. There are six bands already playing ...Johnny Velox and the Vauxhalls Doomed, Vacuum Blue Ladder, Vapor and the Trails, Soundchaser & Vandals. As the summer continues more bands are forming, with at least two in the making at the moment. The Gresham is the only pub, at the moment, where people can hear a new wave band play with the Vandals doing a three quarter hour set kindly donated by Maud and the Kippers., the resident band.

They seem to be drawing large amounts of people up there. Christchurch is currently undergoing a re-emergence in the active music scene, thanks to the club De Rox (situated downtown Colombo St., in an old ex market). It was started about four months ago by Vapor and the Trails as a place where they and their friends could play. It's proved so popular with the people that it has now become a regular fortnightly occurence where any band or variety act can perform (nobody gets paid). It’s $1 to get in, all of which is recycled into the club. The first date for the New Year . . . January 15 with Ollies Band, Doomed, Vandals, and Vapor and the Trails. The dates are basically, every two weeks on a Sunday, starting at Bp.m. Vapor and the Trails: Alan Park, guitar. Leagh Perry, lead guitar. lan Whitehead, vocals. Dick Cottral, bass. Murray Oldes, drums (replacing Karl Marsden). They play 60’s R&B with a new energy . . . most recent influences Johnny Thunders Heartbreakers & Graham Parker. Major achievements! Starting their own club and doing an abortive video for T.V.2 and consequently not scoring Radio with Pictures. Johnny Velox and the Vauxhalls: Johnny Velox, vocals; Kid Buick, guitar; Eugene Dipstick, bass; Dick Distant,

drums. First new wave band in CHCH, aspiring punks they play to get you moving, doing Velvets, Who and other old new wave bands. They also write their own material and one song “Bob Brown” is going down really well. They're working on more of their own material so they’re sure to have a few surprises up their sleeve when next they play. Doomed: Johnny Abort, vocals; lan Costello, rhythm guitar; Blair Alchurch, lead guitar; Tony Miller, drums; Peter McKelvie, bass. They’ve been together only for a short time, and the addition of Blair on guitar can only lead to better things. They play the only true punk that's been heard publicly here.

Vandals: Charlie White, lead guitar; Alan Park, rhythm guitar; Luke Neary, bass; Bob Ogilvie, drums; Christine Neate, vocals. Tony Peake, vocals. Originally a nine piece they play their own songs as well as drawing from Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Ramones, Feelgoods, Clash. Tight, sharp grinding guitar, manic vocals. To see is to believe . . . they’re coming to get ya. Tony P

The last of the local rock festivals for this summer will be the Riverhead Rock Sunday to be held 25 miles out of Auckland on Sunday the 12th of February. Running from noon to Bpm, the festival will feature a diversity of entertainment on its two stages. Besides the rock of Hello Sailor, Living Force, Urban Road, Tama's Band, Citizen Band and the Suburban Reptiles, there will be jazz-rock from Cohesion and theatre from the Boys and Ratz Theatrix. Emcees Rob Man and Neville Purvis will keep the show moving with a touch of humour. The venue, which is five miles out of Riverhead, will be clearly signposted on the day with signs from the top of the Albany Hill and from the end of the North Western motorway. The site features a natural swimming hole and is surrounded by native bush. Overnight camping sites will be available. Tickets for the Riverhead Rock Sunday are available from Taste Records, Record Warehouse and the Island of Real and are $4.50 pre sold. Tickets on the day will cost $5.

Congratulations to IZM and Hauraki for putting some effort into promoting local groups this summer. The Great Western Music Festival was well patronised thanks largely to IZM’s enthusiastic involvement and Hauraki’s rock concerts at Albert Park are going well, giving little known groups like Alien Blade a chance to voice their wares and the public a chance to air their vices . . . The company that is putting the effort in, Mandrill Records, has three singles released this month. Rick Steele has a self-penned piece, “Suzie Star ”, which features Red McKelvie and the rhythm section from Swayde. There is Alastair Riddell’s single and the new one by Citizen Band which is entitled “Out in the World” and is a G. Chunn/W. Sly composition. The Mandrill label is now being distributed by Phonogram. Golden Harvest are coming along nicely. Their single “I Need Your Love" has received much radio attention and their appearance with ELO should establish a fan following in Auckland . . . Barry Coburn, once manager, record producer, entrepreneur, publisher, promoter and managing director of White Cloud Records, Coburn Music Ltd and Coburn Artists Ltd is residing in Melbourne. He is involved with Brent Parlane’s group, Home Groan, and a group called Manning which features Aucklander Peter Cuddihy, formerly of Kindred Spirit, on bass . . . Watch out for Chapman and White, a very talented duo that have written a song entitled Nambassa' to coincide with the festival of the same name Watch out for the Tourrists .... N.Z.s largest punk rock outfit called the Mongrels (Wellington) have been in the news lately. The group achieved superstar status at Otaki recently for their song “Hey, What You Lookin' at, Mate". The flip side “I Wanna Scrap Your Face" has also been a smash hit. The group is a 17 or 28 piece depending on whether it’s Saturday and features four metal-workers on chains with the rest on bottles and sticks . . .

Wally Wilkinson (ex you-know-who) was in town recently however rumours that he is reforming Moses are untrue . . . Godley Head a group of over 30 years olds is due in Auckland for live work soon. The group carries $60,000 worth of equipment which includes an articulated truck which they supposedly sleep in. Sounds intimate. L.B. Sands