Humours

Rip It Up, Issue 110, 1 September 1986, Page 8

Humours

UK & USA Bad News gave their debut gig at a heavy metal festival last month, supporting Motorhead. Described by NME as “execrable" they encouraged the audience to yell “Fuck off Bad News” and throw urine samples on stage. Underneath the wigs were the Comic Strip team Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Adrian Edmonsdon and Peter Richardson. It was all filmed for the follow-up to TV’s Bad News on Tour.

Jazz trumpeter Thad Jones, brother of Hank and Elvin, partner of drummer Mel Lewis, died of cancer in late August aged 63 ... Todd Rundgren is to write the music for Crime Story a new TV show from the Miami Vice people. Also, Rundgren is to write a musical around Up Against It, the late Joe Orton’s script written as a follow-up to the Beatles’ Help!, but never used. Mike Nesmith attended a Monkees reunion gig — sitting in the audience. “I was proud of the guys,” he said. “They put on a good show. I sort of wanted to be up there — but it would be like Ronald Reagan making another movie” Springsteen Comes Alive? A double live LP is in the works

...Hail! Hail!Rock & Roll is a biopic of Chuck Berry, with Chuck in the leading role, Keith Richards “musical director” and The Band’s Robbie Robertson (wake up, Robbie) “creative consultant”... Cactus World News, on a plane flight with Teddy Kennedy, presented him with a copy of their The Bridge LP. Teddy wasn’t amused. Talking Heads have swamped the market with a new single, album (True Stories), film and book

... is Patti Smith about to make a comeback? ... singing round the piano after a performance of Tom Waits's musical Frank's Wild Years in Chicago last month were Waits, Elvis Costello and the Pogues ... joining Prince on-stage at an apres-gig jam in London were Ron Wood who played ‘Miss You’, and Eric Clapton, who played Al Green covers.

Tina Turner, in London for the recording of her new album Break Every Rule, (a real “with a little help

from my friends" effort, and Tina’s got lotsa friends) played for Prince Charles’s charity at Wembley. Backed by Phil Collins, Elton John, Mark Knopfler, Howard Jones, Ray Cooper and Midge Ure, Tina, Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney sang ‘Get Back’... Whiplash Smile is Billy Idol’s first album in over two years ... Motorhead’s new LP Orgasmatron has been compared to ZZ Top’s Eliminator by critics. Due to the video ban, we’ve missed Lemmy’s appearance in the ‘I Wanna Be A Cowboy’ video. Kiwis in Oz: Dragon’s new album Dreams of Ordinary Men was recorded in the US by Todd Rundgren ... Tina Cross's band Koo De Tah were judged best new artist by critics in Oz Rollingstone... Marginal Era’s ‘How Can I Explain’ is out on Centre Records.

Auckland Early next month the longawaited Dance Exponents and Hello Sailor albums will be released on Zulu. Both have been mixed, if you hadn’t heard, in New York ... country singer Al Hunter goes to Sydney this month to record an album, to be produced by Stuart Pearse for CBS. Al, who fronts a country show on BFM every second Sunday night, can be seen performing at the Shakespeare Hotel in Albert St on Monday nights. Recently Red McKeivie sat in on pedal steel, while Tex Pistol propped up the bar.

An Anti French Rage is to be held at the varsity cafe on Friday September 12. Playing are reggae band Rainbow Musik and funksters Peace Korp (both include members of Dread Lion). Proceeds go towards sending a ship to Tahiti to support the “struggle against the murderous French"... watch for another heavy metal special at the Galaxy soon featuring Knightshade and Strikemaster. After a debut at the Performance Cafe in late July, the Drone have released a single ‘Land of the Free7‘The Farmer’s Song; currently playlisted on BFM. They financed the 7” themselves and it comes in an attractive, if grim, sleeve. If you can’t find it in a store send $4 to 19 Islington St, Herne Bay. Watch for them playing live with Fetus Productions and Insect. CD Presents/Strange Weekend

Records in San Francisco have released Flying Nun’s Tuatara and a NZ compilation album Unexplored in the United States. Both cost US$6 plus $6 (air) or $2.50 (sea) postage for up to two records from CD Presents Ltd, 1230 Grant Avenue, Suite 531, San Francisco, CA 94133. On the Unexplored compilation is: Blam Blam Blam ‘Marsha’, Johnny Bongo ‘Falling; Car Crash Set ‘Scarred’, Screaming Meemees ‘Dancing With Stars in My Eyes’, Sonya Waters ‘Grey Rooms’, Androidss ‘Auckland Tonight’, Ponsonby DCs ‘Queen St; Big Sideways ‘Conversations With a Machine; Scott Calhoun 'I Like to Drive’ and Martial Law ‘Strange Weekend’.

Sing Sing have a new EP out on Ode Records called Owning the Sharks ... Send the Boats Away is an anti-nuke/peace songs album from NZ singer/songwriters released by Cityfolk Records (PO Box 919, Hastings), with all proceeds going towards a peace fund ... IQU and Satellite Spies have been recording new material.

The Khutze band’s northern jaunt finishes on September 20 at the Gluepot, but a South Island tour is planned. In the band, which plays 60s covers, are Kim Willoughby, Simon Alexander, Andy Dickson, Tony Waine, Paul Dunningham and Greg Clark... booking the Gluepot now is Dean Thompson, available through the hotel itself ... a Chills bootleg of their Dingwalls gig is appearing in Australian bootleg catalogues ... a 16-track recording studio has opened in Rotorua, with Brendan Dugan being an early client. Jazz group Sustenance travel to the Singapore international jazz festival next month, while the NZ Youth Jazz Orchestra go to a festival in Vancouver, Canada ... Gas and the Glorious Sun are Mark Clare, Weston Prince, John Quigley, Chris Watts and Stephen Mapston. They’ve been recording ‘No Doubt About You’ and ‘Vacuum Hotel’ at Harlequin ... finally, here’s a warning: Humdrum are coming! Chris Bourke New Plymouth and Palmerston North New bands in New Plymouth: the Unics, a four-piece including Hamish Anderson and Ross Johnston, the Elastic Dog Rangers with

Paul Winstanley, Andy Smith and Brian Hatcher... Sticky Filth have a cassette The Lion and the Witch available from Ima Hitt Records (P O Box 407, NP) ... Ima Hitt’s Brian Wafer is now co-booking the White Hart. Phone (067) 89096 or (067)83301... No Comment currently working on a video ... Bananamen is now a fivepieci) and is willing to play your town. Phone Urenui (06723) 387 and ask for Tim.

Planning to return to NP is Palmerston North’s Harry Death, along with new band Goldilocks and the Free Bears. A recent visit by both bands to Paihiatua was reportedly cut short when the locals began to take exception to Harry Death’s style of rock and roll ... Harry Death is one of the 11 bands featured on Meltdown Record’s compilation album of past and present Palmerston bands. Send $9.99 to Meltdown, Box 1099, Palmerston North.

Waikato managed to retain the Rockfurly Shield despite a determined performance from the Manawatu contingent back in July

... the alternative venue the Swamp has been drained due to the new management’s policies, but watch for a new live venue at the Superliquorman Hotel, to be used for the launching of Cement Garden’s EP The Only One ... Meltdown plan a one-day music festival in March. Gerard Martin

Christchurch With the winter nights apparently keeping quite a few of the punters at home local venues are making a few changes with the most drastic being the closure of the Zetland’s Jazz Alley (nee Friday Night Club). The Sandridge is building its new lounge bar by their restaurant and the Gladstone is considering enlarging its public bar and decreasing its lounge bar; also, the Aranui has been bought by lan McKenzie (who didn’t have song written about him by Iva Davies). On the recording scene Mea Culpa, Pinhead and Two Bob Bit have spent time in the studio, no word yet on the outcome, although Two Bob Bit hope to release an eight-track tape in the near future... Haemoglobin’s new album is now being pressed and should be out soon on the South

Indie label. The band are also considering reforming for one night in October... No Idea are hoping to do a live album before heading to Australia but as yet have not been able to secure a venue.

Bits and Pieces: Tanzen Jungle have lost their drummer and guitarist... Axemin are back to being the three-piece Axemen... the Record Joynt is finally moving to a bigger shop in Gloucester St and will be known as Galaxy Records ... Rent Hamilton (Connoisseurs) recently married Allison Dalzell and apparently the second generation of Connoisseurs are on the way! ... the Itch have become Stuka. Martin McPherson has moved from the Arts Employment to take over the Venue (Youth Centre)...

the Smithereens have finished at the Firehouse and could be heading to Australia before they start at the New Chancery Niteclub ... Vibrations remains closed, although Radio U will hold their second soul/ska/reggae disco there on September 13 ... anyone wanting posters pasted round town should phone Jim and Pete at 65374 — yes the glue war is on again!

New bands around included Rio, Mainland Blues Band, Twith and the Jam Tarts (Helen Mullholland, Ross McDermott, Tralee Denegrie, Leons Kearns, Mark Kahi and Danny Wilson), and Rebel Blues. John Greenfield Wellington The Electric Ballroom will be no more after the end of September, as it’s being demolished, but check out the last two weeks’ programme in the Coruba Calenda ... the Resurrectionists have a new direction and maybe a new name soon; a South Island tour is planned ... Bill Direen has a new Builders single out on his South Indies label this month ‘Ginger Jar’ b/w ‘What a Hoombah’, both tracks recorded at EMI Lower Hutt in March. A film clip is planned and a Builders tour is underway.

Also out on South Indies this month is ‘Psychodelicatessen’ by Chch fun-time band the Haemogoblins ... Wazza Ghoti have been recording demos at Underground Studios in Elsdon ... Crawbilly Creeps are working on a video for ‘Day in Lucky Gulch’, with

live footage from early May. They’re busy writing and rehearsing new material ...in Frontier have been Putty in Her Hands recording an ER blues guitarist Neil Jones, a new three-piece synth band Origin, the Stand with another ER and John Mcßae for a new single. Mcßae’s ‘She’s Sweet, She’s Somebody’ has been receiving airplay. Out on Jayrem soon is Robert Wyatt’s ‘Shipbuilding’, a 12” import, Laughing Clowns 12” ‘Eternally Yours’, and an overseas compilation of NZ heavy metal bands Attack From Downunda which is being imported, and the debut album from Died Pretty, an Aussie five-piece who will be touring in early October ... Aotearoa have been in Marmalade working on an album; their single ‘E Hine’ is out on Jayrem... the Wild Poppies are a new psychedelic four-piece recording on their bassist’s eighttrack ... the Primates forthcoming album may be called Tales of Mister Conductor ... Idiot Sun is the new Spines album on Flying Nun. Andre Upston