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Vibraslaps

Biography

Vibraslaps were an all female post-punky outfit best known for an EP put out on Flying Nun Records in 1985, and for (briefly) being at the forefront of New Zealand’s lesbian feminist music scene during the turbulent mid 1980s.

In late 1983 Donna Savage (nee Donna Fletcher, now Dons Savage) was the front-woman for popular like-minded Auckland group The Freudian Slips. Savage encouraged Clare O’Leary and Dianne Civil to form their own group, before augmenting an early line-up of the new group for a handful of shows around Auckland – including playing with Marie and the Atom; fronted by Civil’s sister Gill.

Savage would eventually be replaced by Gina Cole, with the trio recording two songs for the Industrial Tapes compilation ‘A Spanner in the Works‘ (released in June 1984) along with a handful of demo recordings.

Eventually the group expanded to a 4-piece with the addition of Sarni Darragh, and the group began getting noticed around Auckland – with Chris Knox encouraging the group to record for Flying Nun Records.

With the help of a QEII Arts Council grant and their new labels backing, Vibraslaps decamped to the Coromandel, recording their 5 song self-titled debut at the remote Aerial Railway studio.

Unfortunately the group broke up not long after the EPs release, however in 2016 the group resurfaced with a BandCamp release comprised of unreleased songs dating back to their initial incarnation as a 3-piece in 1983, including regular set numbers like the excellent ‘Cold Cold Air’.

Donna Savage later formed Dead Famous People.

Members

Discography

  • Vibraslaps 12″ EP (1985, Flying Nun Records, FN038)
  • The Lost Tape (2016 retrospective release, self-released)

Links

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