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The Wallsockets

Biography

Highly active in the Wellington scene during the early 80s, the Wallsockets featured Fran and Martin Walsh (lead guitar and bass respectively), Brett Carstairs (rhythm guitar), and originally Tennessee (another guitarist) and drummer Nuzzie, though the band brought in new vocalist Lynette Moss and drummer Simon by 1980 – and it was this line-up that completed their recordings.

The band were one of the more persuasive Wellington outfits, organizing gigs and parties, along with establishing practice and performance spaces in central Wellington. Spending time in Sausage Studio‘s made the band much tighter, and by the time of their initial recordings, they were a honed and professional outfit, capable of pop-flavored punk with a dark edge.

Then there was The Wallsockets, a band whose own music was an already-dated style of punk in 1979, but whose pragmatic endeavours  worked as a kind of unofficial management device for the whole scene. It was The Wallsockets who organised the run-down Thistle Hall as a venue for the nascent scene at a time that hiring venues or getting gigs in pubs or clubs was almost impossible; it was The Wallsockets who negotiated with the Wellington Council for a series of Sunday afternoon gigs at Cuba Mall; and it was The Wallsockets who got it together to arrange the only real recorded evidence of the scene ever released: the legendary ****  – known as Four Stars – compilation.

The Wellington Terrace Scene 1979 – 1981 (AudioCulture article)

Fran was also a one-time member of fellow Wellington band Naked Spots Dance – both bands contributing to the Wallsockets-organized **** compilation featuring four post-punk bands from the era.

Members

  • Fran Walsh (Naked Spots Dance, Guitar, 198?)
  • Martin Walsh (Bass, 198?)
  • Brett Carstairs (Guitar, 198?)
  • Tennessee (Guitar, 198?)
  • Nuzzie (Drums, 198?)
  • Lynette Moss (Vocals, 198?)
  • Simo (Drums, 198?)

Discography

Links

3 thoughts on “The Wallsockets”

  1. Hi. The original Wallsockets drummer was Nuzzie, not Nezzie. I know cos that’s me! I was bummed to miss the recording sessions but I was in London at the time, trying to make it big (didn’t happen). I was sent a copy of the Sausage studio LP though. I might have some original Wallsockets practices on tape. They were a great band totally dedicated to fun and gigging.

  2. I found an original poster for a Wallsockets gig at Thistle Hall, Sep 29th 1979 if you want to upload it.

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