Biography
Thee Strapons were formed in Dunedin in 1988 – initially a trio comprised of brothers Malcolm and Donald Campbell, along with Donald’s partner Beverley Greene. While in Dunedin the group were associated with the Nerve Centre – a venue on Bond Street that served as the gathering-point for local punks. The group recorded a handful of cassette-only releases there – showing elements of an industrial, experimental edge.
In 1993 Don and Bev relocated to Christchurch and the group went on hiatus for a period. While in Christchurch they formed the alternative fashion and music shop Generation X (on Manchester Street); which brought them to the attention of local musicians. Finally after a few years in limbo, friends in King Loser encouraged further excursions into music.
Matt Johnstone joined this new Christchurch-based lineup primarily as their drummer, contributing vocals, guitar and song-writing. This lead to the group taking a more direct rock’n’roll style – particularly when performing live.
Campbell and Greene formed the Solarphonic label to release their recordings, including the Anastasia Strapon solo 7″ from 1998 and also a release from one of Matt Johnstone’s other bands – The Hi-Tone Destroyers. The bulk of their output was on Peter King lathe cuts or DIY cassettes, adorned with brilliant artwork taking elements of cult b-movies and film noir. Their recordings were captured by Don Campbell and kRkRkRk‘s David Khan, with the industrial co-releasing their various releases.
Eventually Johnstone moved North to Auckland, and from late 1999 The Strapons were augmented by kRkRkRk industrial musicians J-Mz Robinson and then Mikel Goodwin, inspiring an exploration of the groups more experimental side. This continued on several more releases and performances until the birth of Greene and Campbell first child, which prompted the duo to relocate to Wellington.
A wonderful collection of lounge-rock numbers and synth-pieces recorded 1996-99. Longer, more keyboard-driven compositions. Lots of local musos are on this recording inc. Joanne and Sharon Billesdon, George Churton (Gene-Pool Belmondo of Gas etc), Chris Rigby and even moi. Bits from Come Back To My Place And Lost Found Sound were originally released on kRkRkRk in early 1997 on the tapes Beyond The Valley Of The Strap Ons and Fingerless Love.
David Khan on The Lost Found Sound
After a lengthy absence, Thee Strapons finally resurfaced in Wellington in 2004, appearing on the rather mixed Stop The Bypass compilation, but subsequently disappeared again.
Members
- Beverley Greene (aka Anastasia Strapon) (guitar / organ / vocals, Anastasia Strapon, The Lost/Found Sound, Thee Strapons)
- Donald Campbell (aka Don Gone) (blues harp / percussion / synthesizer / vocals, Shoes This High, The Hi-Tone Destroyers, The Lost/Found Sound, Thee Strapons)
- Malcolm Campbell (vocals, Mindfuckers, Thee Strapons)
- Paul Francis (Thee Strapons)
- Carla Potter (drums, Snort, Thee Strapons)
- Daniel Brady (guitar, Stuka, Thee Strapons, Tony Valens and the Incisions)
- James Robinson (aka J-Mz Robinson, Antibody, Brainlego, Circuit Monster, MiG-21, Placenta Cookbook, The Aesthetics, Tycho Magnetic Anomaly One, NoTV)
- Joanne Billesdon (guitar, Dark Matter, Demolition, Lo liners, Outsiders, Snort, The Axemen, The Renderers, The Stepford 5, The Thunderbirds, Thee Hellfire Club, Thee Strapons)
- John Billows (bass, Dark Matter, MEDaL, The Renderers, Thee Strapons)
- Lynton Denovan (bass, Montessouri, Assetstripper, Bearded Iris, CM Ensemble, Matt Alien, Montessori, Montessouri, Satan’s Pitbull, Satanic Rockers, Strap Ons, The Aesthetics, The Incisions, Thee Strapons, Tony Valens and the Incisions))
- Matt Johnstone (aka Matt Alien) (vocals / guitar / drums, Black Panthers, Slavetrader, Space Dust, The Hitone Destroyers, Alien, Black Panthers, Hi-Tone Destroyers, Human, Levitating Churches, Matt Alien, Matt Alien and the Slaves of Elvis, Slavetrader, Space Dust, The Hitone Destroyers, The Lost/Found Sound, The Palace Of Wisdom, Thee Strapons)
- Mikel Goodwin (bass, Flinch, leonard Nimoy, MiG-21, N.U.T.E, Oh Mental Hospitals, Placenta Cookbook, Thee Strapons, Wormwood)
- Chris Rigby (bass, Alien, Chapel Of Gristle, Convulsion, Dying Of The Light, Matt Alien, Meatyard, Thee Strapons)
Discography
- Soundscapes (1989, R.I.P Tapes)
- The Eight Nerve (1989, R.I.P Tapes)
- Love Grunts (1990, R.I.P Tapes)
- Infectious Substance cassette single (1991, R.I.P Tapes)
- Knuckle Under cassette EP (1991, self-released)
- Taboo lathe 7″ (1995, Solarphonic, SP6)
- Pretty Ugly Things CDr (1997, Solarphonic)
- King Kool Flipped lathe LP (1997, Solarphonic)
- Get Outta Town lathe 7″ (1997, Solarphonic, SP05)
- Predator Sway lathe 7″ (1997, Solarphonic, 002 SP)
- Thee Strap-Ons lathe 7″ (1997, Solarphonic, 00I)
- Come Back To My Place CDr (1998, kRkRkRk / Solarphonic, KRK105 / SS001CD)
- Easotica lathe LP (1998, Solarphonic)
- So Flexible, So Firm, So Strong 7″ (1998, Kato Records, KR 710)
- Lost Found Sound CDr (1999, kRkRkRk / Solarphonic, KRK106 / SS004CD)
- No Time To Be A Work Of Art CDr (1999, Solarphonic)
- Dance All Night With Thee Strap Ons lathe 7″ EP (1999, Solarphonic, SP11)
- Eat The Mess Age CDr (2000, kRkRkRk, KRK108)
- Thee Early Fears Part I CDr Compilation (2000, kRkRkRk / Solarphonic, KRK102 / SP05)
- Thee Early Fears Part II CDr Compilation (2000, kRkRkRk / Solarphonic, KRK103 / SP006)
- Bottle CDr (2001, kRkRkRk, KRK115)
- Hellbox CDr (2001, kRkRkRk, KRK116)