PSYCHO DAIZIES

Rip It Up, Issue 176, 1 March 1992, Page 16

PSYCHO DAIZIES

The Un-Famous Five

The Psycho Daizies are a scraggly cartoon of a band who just won't take no for an answer. They pestered and pestered for an interview and finally in desperation we relented. Anything to get'em off our backs.

The Psycho Daizies are demanding attention because at the end of this month the/re off on yet another tour on which they intend to subject hapless towns up and down the country to their unruly, rabble rousing rock 'n' roll riot. But right now they look a bit wilted, slumped around on ratty old sofas in the flat shared by four of them, typical muso bums with nothing better to do than drink cheap cider and take cheap shots at each other. An invitation to attend their next public egging in Aotea Square is politely turned down, as is their suggestion that someone from RIU accompany them on tour — not even the lure of sharing the back of the van with media god Marcus Lush is enough to tempt this reporter! Psycho Daizies are a motley crew comprising Johnny Psycho (vocals), Teagal Chicken (guitar), Wyldman (guitar), Rich Mixture (bass) and Steve Pikelet (drums). They were spawned when Psycho answered an ad from Wyldman who wanted to start a teen pop band and Psycho wanted to play 60s garage, but somehow the end result is the heinous mixture of noise, 60s garage, punk, glam, thrash and trash that assaults your ears today. Still, the Hard Ons liked them (their bass player did the artwork on the current tour poster) even if some members of the public continue to misunderstand. PSYCHO: "I think a lot of people don't get the joke. I'm all for people taking themselves seriously, but the/ve got to have a sense of humour."

TEAGAL: "We're the band peopl love to hate. There's an anti-trend against us, the/re scared of the aspect of enjoyment we bring out, they don't like the idea of people having a good time." That could depend on whether

your idea of a good time includes eggs or, at least, watching five grown men in ludicrous attire leaping around like loonies without a bin while playing Cavemen covers and originals with titles like 'Fast Food' and 'Feels Like A W>man' (which, along with another song called 'Big' will be appearing on a single the Psychos have just finished recording at Frisbee, 500 copies of bright red vinyl which should be out and about at the end of March). Yes, the Psycho Daizies, when the/re not lumped in the back of a tour van or slumped in their Ponsonby pad can be found ;

hanging out in the Frisbee bachelor lounge from which lofty vantage point they concoct their schemes for world domination, or at least try and work out how the hell the/re gonna play four gigs in 24 hours (two each

>le in Oamaru and Invercargill) when they haven't yet got themselves a driver. JOHNNY: "It's really fun playing lots of shows, in the first half of last year we played 45 shows, we're just a working band, you know."

You must be really good. "You get pretty deaf. We're trying to get a sponsorhip from the Health Department for earplugs." The Psycho Daizies are also trying to get hold of a game of Twister (first sighting since 1962 — Bill and Ted's Bogus Adventure) so they can do something other than get shitfaced after the gigs. If anybody out there has got a game of Twister (or swing ball) you can contact the band through RIU. Meanwhile, keep an ear out for these indomitable idiots in your town soon.

DONNA YUZWALK