Flashback to the Flying Nun Records 30th Birthday show, November 19th, 2011 at the CPIT Students Association with High Dependency Unit and Delaney Davidson
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Flashback to the Flying Nun Records 30th Birthday show, November 18th, 2011 at the CPIT Students Association with Ghost Club, Shayne P Carter and Popstrangers.
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Simon Griggs’ mighty fine Propeller Records – was (along with Ripper Records) the label that kicked off New Zealand’s independent record scene with an absolute hoard of excellent singles through the first few years of the 1980s.
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Double Happys brought together former Bored Games bandmates Shayne Carter and Wayne Else – originally with an unreliable drum-machine (named ‘Herbie Fuckface’), but eventually replaced with their High School friend John Collie. A wonderful, sometimes confrontational group who came to a tragic conclusion with the accidental death of Wayne Elsie in June 1985.
Indie pop-rock out of Christchurch based around Joe Sampson (guitar / vocals / keys / bass etc) with James Sullivan (drums) and Ben Ordering (bass) on most of their recordings.
Strong on melody with big chiming guitar and unfussy rhythmic backing, their songs have a timeless quality to them – sometimes jangling, sometimes driving, and with Sampson’s powerful guitar playing always ready to attack.
Victor Dimisich Band was formed in 1980 by the song-writing duo of Peter Stapleton and Stephen Cogle while both were members of Vacuum Blue Ladder.
Though only around for 18 months and with scant recorded output – they got the ball rolling for successive bands such as Scorched Earth Policy and the Terminals.
Excellent early Flying Nun band from Christchurch featuring 3 future Terminals (Stapleton, Elborado and Crook).
Some terrific songs that build suspense and tension with galloping drums, rumbling bass and a cacophony of guitar, organ and violin.
The key group of New Zealand underground legend Peter Gutteridge (despite being a founding member of BOTH the Clean and the Chills). Snapper made driving, droning guitars-infused with synths post-punk throughout the 1980s and 1990s before Gutteridge disappeared from the public eye.
Roy Montgomery is an exceedingly prolific artist with a deep catalogue of music; solo, in collaboration or as part of several groups. His music has varied from deep-throated post punk to glacial guitar drones and seen release by over 15 labels around the world.
Before Dimmer, before Straitjacket Fits, before even the Doublehappys, Shayne Carter was in a Flying Nun Records-type punk band called Bored Games, who opened for the likes of the Clean and Toy Love before the lads had even left high school.
Auckland trio Drill were formed in 1989, featured on the 1st ‘Freak the Sheep’ (bFM Kiwi radio station) compilation, put out the single ‘Happy Home’ and a self-titled album -all on Flying Nun Records in the mid 1990’s. The songs were collected from sessions going right back to 1990.
One of the lesser-known Flying Nun Records releases, young singer-songwriter Nick Smith put out a largely unremembered EP on the label in 1987 after appearing on the ‘Outnumbered by Sheep’ compilation.
He also recorded a preceding EP (with the help of Chris Knox), released on record store Real Groovy Records own imprint back in 1986.
Smith would go on to have a successful career as a journalist.
One off x-mas theme side-project (joke release?) from Toy Love’s Chris Knox and his soundman cohort Doug Hood (who both lived in Jessel Street in Grey Lynn, Auckland) featuring their partners Barbara Ward and Carol Hood. Sometimes credited to David Kilgour and Martin Phillips too.
Though lasting just 18 months, Toy Love were one of New Zealand’s most influential groups. Chris Knox, Alec Bathgate and Mike Dooley had come from The Enemy were joined by the Christchurch duo of Paul Kean and Kate Walker to form the most brilliantly dynamic new wave group.
Large old school hotel with upstairs lodging, a pokie room, kitchen and a large live music bar that’s went through quite a few changes between the early 1980’s and when it was closed, just prior to the Christchurch Earthquakes.