RUMOURS

Rip It Up, Issue 29, 1 December 1979, Page 6

RUMOURS

WELLINGTON Tigers, new band led by former Heartbreaker Nick Theobald is stalking the wilds somewhere north of the capital and somewhere south of Queen city. Barry Saunders, Mike Knapp, Simon Morris (temporary) complete the line-up. Si’s just started a new fashion craze badges! (What next, we ask).

Graham Parker audience in Opera House loved support the Steroids so much they demanded an encore. So when are they gonna record? (their version of “Waiting For My Man” leaves Lou’s for dead). New ex-Rough Justice band is called Detours... Ashley Leinhart has left Reel to Real. The band’s looking for a new guitarist (if interested phone 847-528)... the groups confirmed for Last Resort this month are locals Smashed Executives, Ambitious Vegetables and Jet Lag. GARY STEEL

AUSTRALIA Rocktober finished on Nov 4 with The Concert of the Decade’ stages, on the steps of the Opera House with a crowd of over 100,000. What a line-up, Split Enz, Mi-Sex, Dragon etc etc, and free too, on a hot Sunday afternoon. Split Enz have completed their new album. It's tentatively titled Take One and Tim Finn reckons this could be the one that breaks the band internationally. But meanwhile the band gear up for an ‘Enz of the Decade’ tour around Oz while Mushroom Records are gearing up to release a compilation of early pre-A dental Notes singles, titled Beginning of the Enz. Sports are touring in the States. Their album is getting the attention it deserves ... Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons have struck gold twice for their album Screaming Targets. And talking about the yellow stuff, Mi-Sex have hit paydirt with Grafitti Crimes which went gold a few weeks ago.

At a lavish affair at the Manzil Room, CBS honoured Mark Williams and his new album Life After Dark. His new single, “I Don’t Want You Any More” is getting good airplay. A week later it was Marc Hunter’s turn at Sydney’s nightspot-bizarre, ‘Stranded’, where society freaks and mutants entertained the crowd. Marc was at home and shattered his glass on the floor before making some endearing comments to CBS. The album Fiji Bitters is getting lots of airplay. JON ADAMS

DUNEDIN Rockylox will be in Wellington over Christmas to record an album tentatively entitled Get Your Lox Off. Their recently pressed single of 400 copies has already been sold on local advance orders alone.

Ex-Growing Pains Andy Coome is holding off forming a new band until the New Year because of problems of finding a suitable bassist... Shuffle are working on a new original song for 4XO promotions ... After Dark are going to continue as a five piece next year after the departure of lead vocalist Reparte Hebenstreit.

The Lion Tavern is well and truly back on the live music scene with a recent three night stint by Heavenly Bodies.

GEORGE KAY

AUCKLAND Th’Dudes returned to Australia after the record awards to do a final Members gig in Brisbane and a week of extra work in Sydney. Roadie Richard Morris flew to Oz for the week of work that included headlining at the prestigious Stagedoor ... Citizen Band have been working in Sydney and Melbourne with big acts including Dragon and Jo Jo Zep. CB have been pleased with their performances and public reaction. The new album and single ("Rust in My Car”) were released on Nov 19. Bassist, Mike Chunn, hopes radio stations will "join the party and make it a Merry Xmas.” It seems Marching Girls (formerly The Scavengers) are returning to NZ at Xmas, for four weeks of work. Things have improved in Oz for the band, they’ve had regular work and are getting some FM airplay for their tape. Rip It Up has heard whispers that Ronnie was asked to join Hello Sailor. But he’s staying with Marching Girls. Johnny and the Hookers have split. Johnny Batchelor and Jeff Warr have stayed in Sydney and singer Paul Andrews and bassist Gil, have joined the Furys for an NZ tour ... making waves (new-ish ones) on the Sydney circuit is Matt Finish, a four piece with ex-Rockets, Glenn White on guitar and Jeff Clayton on bass ... the Mi-Sex single “Computer Games” is No 1 selling single in Australia. In four years only two other Aussie based acts have had No 1 singles, Little River Band and Dragon ... back in NZ, the Jon Stevens single “Jezabel” is the first locally produced No 1 single since Mark Williams’ “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” in 1977.

Bassist Roland Kileen, a founding member of Sheerlux, has left the band. The replacement, Peter Soloman (ex-Easy Street) rehearsed with the band for a week before they commenced their December work ... at the Terrorways’ final performance, an Auckland radio station used its 25,000 DOLLAR pocket calculator to multiply four arrests by 10 and get, “40 punk rockers arrested at Mainstreet Nightclub ...”

But the Terrorways have not given up, it’s likely that Peter Mesmer, Gary Hunt and Chris Orange will start a new group with vocalist Hamish Kilgour of Clean fame. Midge Marsden is back in NZ to form a new band. He will perform at the Hamilton Seddon Park concert on the afternoon of December 16. On the same stage will be Rick Steele, Beaver, Sam Ford’s Verandah Band, Busker Band (with Sonny Day and Dave Maybe), Cruze and Chris Thompson. New Wellington band, The Tigers will also be playing the Seddon Park Rock’n’Blues concert. Rick Steele and the Hot Biscuit Band have a new line-up. Guitarists are Mike Myers and Ray Chaber, bassman is Mike Parker and Mike Abbott’s the drummer. Rick & band can be found at the Mon Desir in December and he is playing most of the summer's outdoor gigs Hamilton Seddon Park (Dec 16), Nambassa Beach Festivals (Jan 3 Mt Maunganui, Jan 4 Waihi Beach, ■ Jan 5 Whangamata) and the Helensville Country rock festival. Also at Helensville are Impulse Dance Theatre, John Hanlon, Sam Ford & Band, Cockroach, Sam Hunt and Gary McCormick. Wellington’s Crocodiles make their Auckland debut at the Cook Street Party, Dec 12, Mainstreet. The grapevine tells us that the Crocs now features two Wide Mouthed Frogs, Jenny Morris (vocalist) and Tina Matthews (replacing Mark Hornibrooke on bass). Sheerlux, Street Talk, Gary Havoc & the Hurricanes and two cabaret acts will also perform ... new band in town is BBC, Smartie drums, Brian Fergusson bass, Cliff Andrews guitar/vocals and Bill “Fingers” Hill, lead guitar ... Aellian Blade are on the road, playing the pubs ... Golden Harvest’s ex-vocalist Karl Gordon will make his solo TV debut on the TV2 New Year's eve show, Pop Encounters '79 ... THE CORPORATION

RIANZ RECORD AWARDS 1979 Winners were Single of the Year, Th’Dudes “Be Mine Tonight”. Album of the Year, Street Talk Street Talk. Top Group of the Year, Th’Dudes. Most Promising Group of the Year, Street Talk. Top Male Vocalist, Rob Guest. Top Female Vocalist, Sharon O'Neill. Most Promising Male Vocalist, Jon Stevens. Most Promising Female Vocalist, Tina Cross. Producer of the Year, Steve Robinson. Engineer of the Year, Gerry Smith. Sleeve Design of the Year, Geoff Chunn/Peter Burt/Dale Wrightson for Just Drove Thru Town.