Biography
Short-lived super-group who’s key line-up centred around guitarist, vocalist and song-writer Alastair Galbraith, with Peter Jefferies (Nocturnal Projections, This Kind Of Punishment) on drums, Dave Mitchell (The 3Ds, Goblin Mix, Ghost Club etc) on rip-roaring guitarm and Galbraith’s former The Rip bandmate Robbie Muir on bass.
The history of the group was quite complicated, reflecting how intertwined Dunedin (and Christchurch) underground groups were during the furtive 1980s. The story begins with the Jefferies brothers:
Peter and Graeme Jefferies had shifted down to Dunedin around this time and began recording This Kind Of Punishment’s crucial coda In the Same Room. They played at the Oriental, and after the gig talked to Galbraith about recording The Rip – three years after the first EP and at a point when The Rip were barely playing at all. TKP were recording on a TEAC 4-track in their home studio, and encouraged The Rip to do the same.
AudioCulture article on Alastair Galbraith
Galbraith was gradually laying the foundations for both his solo career and the eventual birth of Plagal Grind – songs such as ‘Starless Road’ would appear not only on The Rips’ posthumous swan-song ‘Stormed Port’, but also his live solo cassette Hurry On Down AND the Plagal Grind EP.
Meanwhile Graeme Jeffries was making his own noise in Christchurch. When Galbraith returned from a short stint in Melbourne, the duo collaborated together. However this stint was short-lived, as Galbraith was soon moving once-again, this time returning to his home-town of Dunedin, and forming a new group with Graeme’s brother Peter!
Not to be outdone, Graeme came down to Dunedin and joined Peter and Alastair, and they utilised the new name, Plagal Grind. But the Jefferies brothers were done working together and Graeme shortly headed back to Christchurch.
AudioCulture article on Alastair Galbraith
With (Graeme) Jeffries departure the group drafted in The Rip’s Robbie Muir on bass and At Swim Two Bird guitarist Jono Lonie, with piano accordion player Helga Hunke joining for some live appearances. Eventually Dave Mitchell would come on board as a 2nd guitarist – which would culminate with Lonie leaving the group prior to the recording of the groups stellar self-titled EP.
The ‘Plagal Grind’ EP was recorded in 1989 and released (with the help of a QEII Arts Council grant) a year later as a 500-copy limited edition 12″ on Bruce Russell’s Xpressway label – the sole full-sized vinyl release in the labels catalogue. Its a brilliant EP – melting together fractured, fiery guitar with dar, moody narratives and fragile folk songs.
Circa 1990, Mitchell’s future 3Ds bandmate Dave Saunders would briefly join on bass, before the groups dissolution. Mitchell and Saunders would then contribute to Galbraith’s 1991 solo release ‘Gaudylight‘.
In 2000 Plagal Grind surprised everybody by reuniting to perform as part of the Dunedin in Sound live recording – a retrospective live performance organised by San Francisco-based radio station KFJC, the results of which were thankfully captured to tape and are available on YouTube.
Members
- Alastair Galbraith (Vocals / Guitar, $100 Band, A Handful Of Dust, Cobweb Iris, Lame & Sorry, Plagal Grind, The Rip)
- Peter Jeffries (Drums, 2 Foot Flame, Cyclops, Dimmer, Mecca Normal, Nocturnal Projections, Plagal Grind, This Kind Of Punishment, Anita Anker Trio)
- Graeme Jeffries (Guitar, Nocturnal Projections, Plagal Grind, This Kind Of Punishment, Cakekitchen)
- Robbie Muir (Bass, The Rip)
- Helga Hunke (Piano Accordion)
- Jono Lonie (Guitar, At Swim Two Birds)
- Dave Mitchell (Guitar, The 3Ds, Chug, Evil, Floating Eels, Ghost Club, Goblin Mix, Heliogabalus, Leather Apron, Plagal Grind, Exploding Budgies, The Magick Heads)
- Dave Saunders (Bass, The 3Ds)
Discography
- Plagal Grind EP (1990, Xpressway, X/Way 13)
Links
- Discogs entry
- Wikipedia entry on the Plagal Grind EP
- AudioCulture article on Alastair Galbraith
- A Q&A with Graeme Jeffries – Hamilton Underground Press