rumours

Rip It Up, Issue 176, 1 March 1992, Page 36

rumours

CHRISTCHURCH', The Bats hope to base themselves in London for two months, heading off next month to capitalise on their deal with Rough Trade... 98 RDU is going through ■ more changes, this time moving into new studio offices complete with windows and air conditioning... new cassette label ' Flat City has two releases out already — another Christchurch compilation and Golfcourse Alligators' Mad Dogging The Elephant. i Love's Ugly Children's recording .at Geronimo turned out to be rather , frustrating due to time and cost. An ER is still planned, though, and in the meantime their popularity continues to grow as the gig at the Dux DeLuxe proved .. . James Wilkinson has broken up his jazz band ' Hampster and is currently touring Australia with Rua. James has just released an eight-song cassette Wilding Pines... after numerous final Fat Sally gigs, Keith Palmer is off to Australia. His solo cassette has had interest from Pagan among others... Amez-Amez have split after around five years of holding residencies all over town. Paul Mason is to retire whilst Justin McLaren is threatening a 'muscle' band. One of Paul's former colleagues, Dick Driver is back in town and considering putting together a band. . . the Christchurch Rock Shop now boasts the South Island's first drum shop. .. new bands around town include John Wayne On Acid, Pumpkinhead, Excellent Soul Therapy, DVB and Selium 19. J. GREENFIELD , AUCKLAND The Trains were spotted performing on New Zealand Today, part of singer/ songwriter Greg Fleming's enterprising quest for exposure. The band have just finished recording their debut album with Matthew Heine in the Lab and have made a video with Grant Cambpell, although they're still shopping fora label deal ... Dead Famous People have been asked to contribute a track to the Leonard Cohen tribute album I'm Your Fan which will also feature tracks from the Pixies, REM, John Cale and Nick Cave. DFP are currently working on their second LP due for release later this year... Palmerston North's Lung have signed a . -. distribution deal with Plastic Head Records in London to put Cacti in shops across Europe in conjunction with their imminent USA and European tour... still in Palmie, Ethiopian Lard Farmers are a new punk band featuring the great hulk who belly danced on stage at Fugazi. Also new are Fruithead, while the Flickering have split, as have Noddy On The Cross. Melodic Levin pop band the Same are putting out an EP on cassette, Rake are planning a release

on Yellow Bike Records, speed metal band Josephine Bewitched are now a four piece and there will be no more gigs at the Stomach. If you want to read more about the PN scene, write to Valve Magazine, PO Box 586, Palmerston North. Nightline ups pop content — Freak The Sheep's Lisa Van Der Aarde, in assocation with TV3's Suzanna McNamara, will soon be presenting semi-regular music reports. If you think you've got something worth seeing, contact Lisa at BFM or Suzanne at TV3. ' New promotions company Positive Projection Productions aims to supply musicians with an alternative to self-promoted and self-funded gigs. They also hope to expand contacts overseas. Their first show is an April Fools Day Party at the Gluepot with the Headwaiters, the ANZACS, the Peter Thornley Experience and Hard To Handle. Phone Gireesh on 4785-478 for more information. DONNA YUZWALK WELLINGTON Head Like A Hole have recorded their debut album at Writhe with Brent McLachlan. Look out for a single soon on Wildside... also due soon is a six-track square vinyl live set from Flesh D.-Vice on Spizz Records... Paul Urbana Jones has recorded an album at Marmalade with Nigel Stone and Trevor Reekie at the controls for a mid-year release... the Warratahs have parted company with drummer Rob Clarkson and are looking for a replacement for a South Island tour, a trip to Europe later in the year and the recording of their fourth album. Ross Burge is a likely replacement initially. Barry Saunders still has four songs to do to complete his solo album, but is having trouble getting into Marmalade - with Annie Crummer busy with her album. .. the Inhalers have their second album Holy Family Three Pack out now on tape and CD on their own Henry Boy label and they have been busy up and down the , country on their Orientation tour... Darren Watson has a new band in the pipeline and look out for a big showcase debut gig. Watson's current duo partner Dave Murphy is off to the States again for three months to take up offers of work and take in the New Orleans Jazz Festival ... Cool Disposition guitarist Julian Dixon so impressed US visitors the Le Roi Brothers that they took him to Auckland to play support... Amazing Broccoli have lost their keyboard player and changed their name to Clay. Both Clay and This Will Kill That will be the first releases on Paddy Moran's new local indie label. These will be tape-only releases with a CD compilation to follow.. . Codhaven have recorded three tracks at Writhe... the new Spines line-up is ’ Jon McLeary, Neill Duncan and Andy . Craig with strong new McLeary songs and a more straightforward rock sound than earlier Spines... Naked Angel has folded in the present building, but may

come back at another venue. Snapper had to move their gig to Bodaga, which is having problems with late night noise... Operation Music Storm, the Carpark Battle of the Bands, is running at the moment with the final on the 21 st. Next door, the Exchange is now running live music on Fridays... the streets are alive with the sound of music, with the International Festival and Fringe drawing good houses and offering an endless variety of entertainment. JOHN PILLEY DUNEDIN Big news for the month is the debut release from the recently formed Yellow Eye label instigated by Simon Vane. Weetbix Boys, Funhouse, Cynthia Should and My Deviant Daughter feature on this compilation, three specially recorded songs per band. The cassette is available this month with a CD version to follow. Keep a lookout... Dunedin's Family, the Chins have put various properties up for auction. One being Sammy's Cabaret, a bit of a worry as it is our biggest accesible venue... Able Tasmans provided the new-look Crown with its first full house of the year and proved a full Crown is now a comfy Crown. The venue is booked solid for the next two months and the Verlaines and particularly the Bats have expressed interest in booking weekends. Those who value their hearing will be pleased to know, thanks to Stephen Kilroy, the Crown has a decibel meter and it's being used to protect that sensitive sense... David Kilgour played a dazzling record release — with no record. But Here Come The Cars will be out by end March... just one of lots and lots of Dunedin releases looming. Radio One's Solid Cold Hits is promised to transpire at the end of the month (if you don't know by now, it's a young-ish artists compilation)... the multi-talented (and highly motivated) Andrew Spittle has released his second solo cassette Songs of Shallow... Sandra Bell's Dreams of Falling adorns record shelves now.. . 3Ds play a Super 8 Hellzapoppin release gig Friday 18th, the actual release won't be far behind... Snapper have found their drummer, ex-Toy Lover Mike Dooley. Shotgun Blossom is out now... although the bassist has moved to Christchurch, Kid Eternity vow to remain a band as he will return for gigs... Ada Delroys are no more and haven't been for a while really; Paul Forde now assists the Webbsters... Super B's been getting into the groove with dance parties, including a non-alcoholic, under age affair— the likes of Radio One's Mike T have been drawing crowds of hundreds : to what looks likely to become a regular' event. Meanwhile Super B's been moving into the fire protection area, a good idea. .. three-piece Stiltskin are making a , name for themselves as something to ‘ keep an eye on

NATASHA GRIFFITHS