RUMOURS

Rip It Up, Issue 37, 1 August 1980, Page 4

RUMOURS

GEORGE KAY

AUCKLAND Mid-August the Swingers will record several tracks with Splint Enz producer, David True Colours Tickle. Mushroom Records will release a single from the sessions. 2 Demos were recorded (“Shona”, “Counting The Beats") in July at EMI Studio 301. The Rtoß clip of "One Good Reason" was screened on OZ RWP show, Night Moves and their tour with Sports is going OK ... Greg Clark will rejoin Citizen Band shortly in Sydney ... Features intend to go their separate ways. Some will head overseas ... Graham Brazier has demoed four new songs for CBS ... Fane Flaws has quit the Crocodiles and while Tina is in Oz for 10 weeks, Mike Chunn is standing in on bass ... a song to look out for is Dave McArtney’s "Pink Flamingo". Chorus goes "Getcha, getcha feathers away from my nose.” Very catchy ... in August the Valentinos are playing Mon to Wed every week at the Windsor Castle ... new Charley Gray venue fs open, it’s the Rumba Bar Victoria St West just yards from Queen St. Space Case resides there on Wednesdays. Coup D’Etat have sacked their drummer. Replacement is not known yet ...Steamshack posters read’South Island’s No.l Rock Bland''. Have they not heard of Toy Love or Newz ... Ripper has released Pop Mechanix single (vocal by Andrew Snoid). "Now” is A side. Ripper have scrapped Terrorways 45 plan ... Propellor have Marching Girl’s Aussie version of "True Love” out... late August the Comics from Christchurch hit town ... Airstrike have done demos at Mandrill ... Spelling Mistakes were deleted from Platinum Plus compilation as tapes were mislaid ... Respectables have recorded four originals at Harlequin. The band will do SI gigs in September ... Polygram Australia will release Flight X 7 single "I Lose Control" on August 11. Manager, Mike Corless is negotiating a 10 day Australian promotional tour for X 7 in September. Tigers will record their debut album at EMl’s Lower Hutt Studio August/September, with production by Bob Randle and Dave Marett (the Mi-Sex engineer). Like their new single, "All Night”, the LP will be recorded in NZ and mixed at EMI 301 Studio, Sydney ... new drummer for Modes is Rob Wilson ... new Radio Hauraki Programme Director is Milt Barlow, John Hood is in Perth and Barry Jenkin is back Bpm onwards at IZM. Was Barry late for the Ramones because he got a speeding ticket or did he get a speeding ticket because he was late for the Ramones? ... Llx broke the door attendance record in Hawera set by Mi-Sex in 1978. The Finns from Split Enz will holiday in NZ for a week prior to the US of A invasion. Recording of the new Enz LP is complete. David Tickle is mixing it all up. THE CORPORATION WELLINGTON ' Devotees of things Wellington may well rejoice, Connie D. Martin has taken over the Rumours. Former singer for Ambitious Vegetables Fagin, now fronts Mockers who played the Last Resort recently. Management refused entry to punks as there were too many.mods in attendance. Obviously they didn’t ask the band the obvious, are you mods or rockers? Meanwhile the rest of Veges became the Red and supported the 852 s to screams of, ‘listen they’re playing Th’Dudes’ "Bliss”.’ ' Supporting the Ramones, were Auckland band the Techtones and supporting the Cure were Lip Service, who went down surprisingly well and Puppettz who didn’t despite many successful gigs at Willy’s. By their fifth song the Cure realised they weren’t playing to the apathetic audiences they had in Auckland and Palmerston North and ceased doing covers of their own work. They transformed into a brilliant band dedicating "Boys Don’t Cry" to Life In The Fridge Exists and other songs to Shane (who they know) and Palmerston band Condemned Sector (who are looking for a bassist and are yet to make their debut). .The Terminus Hotel opened its doors to bands starting with Comics who hail from much further south. Unfortunately the only thing that hippies and mods have in common is 1968 ... Billy de Club is changing policies, not hairdressers as I once heard. Now they only take name bands from out of town and grimace at the chords while they count their dollars. The exception is Whizzkids who broke up here over a two week period of excellent gigs. They suddently appeared at a party organised by Life In The Fridge Exists and joined by Otis Mace played a fast "Thunderbirds Are Go”.

Wallsockets teamed up with Life, played all the covers your band wouldn't let you. Conspicuous by his absence was Phil O’Brien. Wallsockets have now laid down 12 tracks at Sausage Studios. Highlights are "Snerl", "H & C" and "The Muppet Song” which are all likely to appear on an independently produced album of underground Wellington music. If you were lucky you may have caught them on John Barry’s show ... the Steroids have a single in the works. Ricky from Ciose To Home is playing the King in The King and I, and I still haven’t received the comps, but this will come as no surprise to those who know what a lucky girl I am. O, well, till next time ... Connie D. Martin (and flatmates)

CHRISTCHURCH Androidss have just completed four BIG weeks in town, including the British, which is in use again as a rock'n'roll venue. When Droidss return in October, they hope to have vinyl to their name. Narcs look set for a residency at Doodles (ex-Adam’s Apple) and the Doodle plan is to go for the mainstream rock market ... Vacuum is now known as Kaza Portico and also are the nucleus of two new names around town, Superior Background Music and the Volkswagons Playthings will support Toy Love at the Hillsborough. Knox and Co will play Brevet Club on Sunday 31. Tickets are available at usual outlets or phone Martin at 790-512 ... Lance Parkyn’s Hoovers will support Members. Newtones probables for XTC. Richard Wrench’s new outing is Hard Sums ... expect to see soon Heavenly Bodies, Flight X-7, Pop Mechanix and Crocodiles ... don’t expect to see the Ambitious Vegetables. After two months of planning Christchurch gigs, they failed to come up with PA or transport ... Mike Waldegrave and the Cowboys are looking for classy vocalists and/or JBL horns. Ray’s lounge bar at the Gladstone, on Saturday afternoons will feature lesser known bands who are too hot for evenings at Gladstone or Hillsborough. Watch for the Straights ... competition between Hillsborough and Aranui hotels is still fierce with both managers recently seen driving newish BMWs. Mike Parker is no longer with the Jets ... Peter Trumic will leave Wolf City ... Superior Background Music are once again the Victor Dimicich band ... new are Roy Montgomery’s Murder Strikes Pink. And we leave you with the Newz who are currently wanting to sell their 2800 watt PA. Details are Linear Phase amps, JBL speakers, 16 channel mixer and Schure mics. Contact them at ... um...er... the Aranui. If you’re into sixties hits, see the temporary Newz spin-off. Eels is the name, covers is the game. JW DUNEDIN The Heavenly Bodies are definitely splitting up in September. Bassist Mick Dawson is going to Australia and Bevan Hudson may follow suit at a later date. That leaves Miles White, Neil Dobia and Kim Barron who may form a band with ex-Tibet bassist Hank Van Der Vis. The band are still scheduled to appear on RWP. Static’s lead guitarist Alister Penrose has left and is replaced by one time member Jan Breward who returned from Edinburgh at the beginning of the year. Singer Alan Blackman has left the Drones and so guitarist Lee Wood now handles lead vocals. The Drones and Flex will play at Coronation Hall on August 23. Powerhouse now called Prowler have returned from a North Island tour. Cruze have lost bassist Robin Murphy and he is replaced by Paul McCarthy ex-Stilleto. Another personnel change this time with Scooter who have lost drummer Bob Kennedy and is replaced by Hoax’s Brent Kennedy, no relation.