RUMOURS

Rip It Up, Issue 141, 1 April 1989, Page 27

RUMOURS

UK & USA Banana rama to record with Prince! At least that's what they say ... Prince will also produce a solo album by Cat, the star of his recent Lovesexy tour ... Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant has been working with New Order's Bernard Sumner in Johnny Marr's home studio in Manchester, as a test to see if Tennant can be the one to produce Sumner's planned solo album. They should get along since neither can sing Morrissey ■ collaborator Stephen Street has took out an injunction to prevent the release of the former Smiths leader's new single 'lnteresting Drug'. Street's reason for the court action was cited as "dispute over payments." Morrissey denies there is a rift (riff?) between the two and says single release will go ahead, though the BBC are threatening to cut the video, which r „ features schoolboys in high heels. George Clinton and Mavis Staples will soon release their first singles on Paisley Park... Bruce Springsteen has been found guilty by a New Jersey court of wrongful dismissal of ■ three former employees. The case relates to the infamous "canoe incident" of 1987. The Boss could have to pay fines of, well, a hell of a lot of money... new Wendy & Lisa LP is called Fruit At The Bottom (sick, sick title, girls)... CHRISTCHURCH Into The Void and Axel Grinders are set wreak havoc in Wellington mid-April after finding Aucklanders receptive to their wall of sound. Both F bands are now managed by Celia Patel and are hoping to release something on vinyl later this year with possible assistance from Just Juice and Flying Nun. Enterprising Radio UFM DJs Greg and Glen have been keeping things hot at Romanov where they spin the latest in rap / hip-hop / House and funk every Tuesday night admission is free! Life at Audio Access has been on the up lately especially now that there has been a . shake up in the staff department. New manager there is Jay Berkovitch, who has an impressive background having worked in England forthe BBC before moving to NZ to work for TVNZ and Harlequin. The studio's engineering course has proved so popular that the next series is already full. Recently recording there were a host of new bands plus some old favourites including Chris Knox. New bands around include J'Reo, Taboo, Twelve O'clock High and as yet unnamed outfit including Kane Tares (Asylum, Brixton Boys, etc) and Ben Stockwell (Triffids, Verve, etc). ■ Eve Flain has left her music column - duties at the Star a nd has been replaced by Craig Dowling ... which reminds me, has anyone noticed how little press coverage the local scene recieves these days? J.Greenfield WELLINGTON Holidaymakers are off to Japan this month to play at the Asian and Pacific music festival in Fukuoka and then drop into Sydney for gigs on the way back . Magic Roundabout have their QEII funded EP out soon and Luke Hurley has re-issued his album Police State on cassette only through Jayrem. Also out nowon Jayrem isTuriiya's cassette Waiting — The Album which combines their 1 985 EP and extra tracks digitally remastered...

Six Volts have been recording with Harry Sinclair and Don McGlashan of the Front Lawn. New eight-piece rude buy Ska band Skapa debuted recently to a home audience at the Londoners Club and then supported the Holidaymakers at Orientation... The Bluetts have been rehearsing new material and playing gigs again ... Clapometer have applied for a QEII grant through Lost In Space records ... following their successful REM support Let's Planet are also openingforthe Proclaimers. Bassist Peter McLaughlan has joined Alien which will hopefully allow them to play live to support their recent single 'Eighties Lover'... Putty In Her Hands and 6 Volts play the Gluepot later this month and Flesh D-Vice embark on a rare national tour in the last two weeks of this month ... Upper Hutt Posse are to move to Auckland and begin by taking . over Roma on May 4th to showcase Wellington hip-hop and rap acts ... new band Bump And Ugly have a sound that crosses the Time with Frank Zappa... with bass player Kevin returning from Sydney there are rumours of a Number 9 reformation. Wazzo Ghoti have released the cassette of their album Gone Ghoting in a 7" sleeve package, and the vinyl is now to be pressed at Modem records ™ The • Cricketers Arms tavern with the Sticky Wicket bar (home base for the Warratahs) and the aptly named bunker bar has. closed and is likely to be knocked down. The Southern Cross has been taken over by Dominion Breweries who have major ' renovation plans that will improve facilities as a venue. They are also aiming toward the student market with feature and theme nights, bookings can be made through Juliana on 675-538 ... Radio Active have their subscriber card up and running and is a worthwhile purchase for $25. Issue three of RAD is also due 500 n... Local record buyers have lost a good friend and a wealth of specialist music knowledge with the tragic death of Mike Dench at Easter. John Pilley DUNEDIN Sneaky Feelings filled the supposedly defunct Oriental (which will open for local bands who have been away but not local bands, it seems) twice in almost definitely the last gigs we will ever see them play, and achieved fame at last with a guest spot on regional television programme The South Tonight... The Verlaines have finished recording their third album, tentatively titled All The Wrong Moves. It'll be a short time before this is out, but thank God there is now some sort of recording regularity... Stephen's debut EP Dumb is finished and will be available on Flying Nun at all good record stores... The Genius Move is the name finally decided on by the Groovy Bros I Virgin Urge. The band will record two songs at Radio One this month: 'Sex Machine' (not James Brown written) and 'New One'. 'Sex Machine' in particular is well overdue for eternal preservation on tape. The 'Timbomb' single by Alister Galbraith and Graeme Jeffries will be out on Xpressway halfway through next month... live it's been quiet, although youngsters Fun House and Perfect Garden have been playing with some regularity ... the latter supported The Portage at the Empire and if I was James Bradford I'd say that David and Hamish Kilgour were spotted bopping the night away ...Alley

Oop number six is out with stories on SJ Fits and Plagal Grind and the Terminals ... Billy Bragg sold 800 tickets at Sammy's and Charley Pride sold out the huge Regent Theatre weeks ahead of time. Dunedin lives... Sean Flaherty AUCKLAND The Front Lawn have their album Songs From The Front Lawn out soon, featuring music from the show plus new material. The LP was recorded in March at Mandrill ancLjsn'tquite a comedy record," they say. First singtef rom the LP, When You Come Back Home' will be rocketing up the charts in late April; watch also for

the controversial new video going to air on C/soon. "It contains a dramatic, off-screen walk out by Dennis Conner and his entire crew," quoth a spokesman. Front Lawn tour starts May 4. Billy Bragg had a good show and a good piss-up the following Sunday. Said piss-up was also a farewell to Festival Records man Simon In the years in which we came to know Simon and to spell his last name correctly he was an , endless source of good cheer and free samples and he will be missed, missed, missed. Byeee! New singles are on the way from Rhythm Cage and Greg Johnson Set, the latter pulling a good crowd at

Club Roma and even getting them moving thanks to young Greg "speeding the drums up a bit' ... American hip-hop man Ice T will appear at the Siren for two nights, live; don't approach him with your hand in your pocket, kids. (Let's hope Paul Holmes does the TV interview.)

Is Your Gig Listed? If your band or venue is not listed in the Coruba Calendar in this month's Rip It Up maybe you forgot to tell us your dates. Listing is free, just post the info to Rip It Up, P.O. Box 5689, Auckland by the end of the month prior to your gig. (Or fax to Auckland 761 -558.) Venue bookers — please inform us when you change your phone number so that our chasing you every month is a more fruitful activity.