RUMOURS

Rip It Up, Issue 137, 1 December 1988, Page 44

RUMOURS

Dunedin Snapper season, it seems, has begun. Having entered the history of recorded music with their debut EP, the band has also rejoined the live party. Two nights with The Portage atthe European last . month, and in this, the yuletide season, a Christmas party atthe same venue on the -. December 15 and 1 6. Assorted guests, prizes and the like are promised ... Stephen are back with us, playing a . European weekend with Christchurch's Strangeloves. The word with those : who have heard their Auckland recordings seems to be "wonderful" ... / ■ both these bands feature on Radio ~ With Pictures NZ show, along with interviewees Roy Colbert and Paul Rose... Plagal Grind and The Dead C joined poet Dave Merritt in a sort of Xpressway party gig. Plagal Grind have made some demos, while the Dead C's . Stabbed EP is due out for Xmas. Other Xpressway news includes the strong chance of a Peter Gutteridge solo/ . Snapper tape being available in February. Another party on the same weekend featured the Danny Kayes (to tour Central Otago this month), taking time out from filling pubsand hearing their song on ; Radio One, and the Groovy Brothers ... Radio One has closed down for the year. , Big things are planned for next year with Simon Vare named as manager... the Nerve Centre had another airing, as SHC played their last with some Christchurch visitors. Their intelligent and ; well-constructed speed-rock will be ‘ missed ... Cactus Club also played their last in public at the Saltwaters Outdoor 1 - concert in Riverton. Preparations are being made for the long haul north ... while Drone, Bill Direen and Robert Cray visited during last month, the meagre turnout for the last act may mean it'll be a while before we see someone of this size again... R.E.M. are not looking strong possibilities forthe city... and could

the Oriental host its last gig this month? Sean Flaherty Wellington Barry Saunders and Wayne Mason of The Warratahs have just returned from a two week trip to the U.S. and had a favourable response from music publishers. They will be busy on thd road until the new year when they will enter the studio to record a new album... Former Warratahs Marty Jorgenson and John Donoghue have set up Pacific Sound studio as a companion to their Rock Solid publishing company which deals exclusively with Kiwi music. House engineer at the studio will be American Sam Negri. The Six Volts are playing live on Wednesday nights atthe real people exhibition in the City Art Gallery... The local Pagan party has been postponed

until the new yearbecause of the busy touring schedules of the participating bands and will now hopefully coincide with the release of the Warratahs and Chicago Smoke Shop albums. There are also plans fora record fair on the same weekend. Former Juke Jivers bass player, postie and artist Steve Hemmings, just back from the UK, is setto join Smoke Shop in the new year... Jean Paul Satre have just finished mixing their new album at Writhe fora Flying Nun release... The Skeptics new album is finally out and they have made several live appearances... As mentioned last month Terry Casey is joining Neil Jones' Heaters but only on a temporary basis as he is getting another band together. New Steve Garden-produced Stereotypes album is Where The Mowers Roam... Congratulations to the Magic Roundabout for being

awarded one of the Q El I Just Juice SSOOO recording grants... Benny Benzedrine has recorded demos from which he will release two singles. His alter ego The Cactus Kid hasa series of songs also demo'd for future release... Wazzo Ghoti who will have to package their album in cobwebs it has been such a long time coming, drew a full house to the Bunker recently and played an impressive tight show— until they blew up a bass speaker... New Plymouth's Sticky Filth were also impressive on a recent visit to promote theirdebutalbum, supported by Nazgul and Columbian Necktie... another new band are the Vas Def rens who were pelted with eggs (at their request) at their Clarendon debut. Alien's single has sold well and the B-side 'Solo Hello' has been picked up by ZMFM... the highlight of the last Comedy Jam atthe Southern Cross was Jimi "Jeremy" Hendrix and their stunning version of'God Defend New Zealand' complete with wailing feedback and crashing drums. They even got to play an encore... after the success and fun of the last rock and roll trivia quiz Radio Active's "You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet', another quiz is planned at the Clarendon... Wellington City Council's Summer City programme has a variety of music and film planned for the new year and will use the Zoo for outdoor gigs as well as the Dell, Soundsh.ell and beaches. One of the rumoured highlights will be a rare live appearance by Tex Pistol... Radio Active goes offtheairand will not have their licence renewal hearing until late Jan... a final message from the capital— buy NZ records for Xmas, and if you are going to drive, don't drink — you might cause some spillage. JohnPilley Auckland Be at the Gluepot for The Great Christmas Charity Show, Dec 21,22, featuring Blackie as MC, a special Nativity Tale and dance on both nights. Artists involved include Beaver, The Topp Twins, MahinaTocker and Chris Hegan, plusabouta dozen

others. The first night features The Cyclones, with Dave McCartney and Harry Lyon, second features Trudi & the Exceptions Proceeds go towards the purchase of a "cell sorter" machine for Auckland hospital (used in the analysis of leukemia and Aids-related diseases). Door charge at the Charity Shows is .$ 1 2, and both shows start at 8-.30 sharp. • _ ' .•/ -. < ;' As the Aotea Centre nears completion (looking for all the world like the zoo's polar bear enclosure) now is the time to' remind its designers that it was originally advertised as containing a live rock venue ... new Snapper and Drone clips were looking good on RWP... Bailter Space LP is selling well ...Murray Hancox & The Flames are recording their second album at Mandrill, due for release February.. Touring bluesman Robert Cray had his Auckland show saved by the Rock Shop. Bob's gear was still in Hawaii on the day of his gig so the Rock Shop lads spent all day hustling up guitars and amps for the nights' concert. Bob was most grateful to those who helped... Straitjacket Fits had a packed album launch at the Gluey, their gear was not left in Hawaii. Artwork for first single 'Hail' is bright and merrie as befits the Yule season... Xmas fun atthe Berlin when ■ management fired DJs Phillips & Urlich at 2am on a Friday night (a bad move); said DJs did pick up their records and depart faster than reindeer, leaving said owners and 300 dr so punters to their own devices ... and when police broke up a recent warehouse party in the central city all newscasters present were permitted to leave early. Everyone else had to hang round for an hour... .' .' Christchurch "q / There have been quite a few concerned people after the latest Just Juice QEII

ERRATA: In November Christchurch Rumours stated that the ROCK SHOP had disappeared from Cashel st. This was incorrect as the ROCK SHOP merely moved acrossj the street to their new shop.

Awards were announced — none of the nine given camefurthersouth than Wellington. Partly in response to this the Christchurch Music Lobby has been formed. Still in its development stages, the lobby consists of various promoters, musicians and suchlike who are investigating and trying to solve various problems faced here, such as funding... ■ further details as they come to hand. Things are picking up at the King George with a variety of touring acts playing there including Portage, The Warners and Casualty ... over the road the Subway has seen an increase in attendance with both Bill Direen and The Prodigies pulling good crowds... " Red Ferrari (formerly Point Blank) have not been having as much luck and rumour has it that the Carlton will become a disco... oh yes, and the Gladstone has. • been renamed the Durham Arms. Things have been quiet at Audio Access due to a few staff changes... Dolphin have recorded a cassingle there which has been released on Failsafe. Newest member of The Bats family, Rose, arrived last month — congratulations to dad Paul and mum Kaye! - Whilst the Friday Hight show has finished after putting various local and touring acts on ourscreens, RWPwas in town recently to film several bands and interview a few local personalities. Nowfor something completely. : different: the first local Rumours predictions for the coming year... ' Christchurch will finally get the venue it has been lacking ... business at local studios will boom and as a result a new South Island indie label will be formed ... people will / finally realise covers bands are not "inland the resurgence of Christchurch music will begin in earnest... Merry Xmas everyone! J.Greenfield