The Cadets were a great, original and shambolic live act who were runners up in Victoria University’s battle of the bands in 1984. They were very ahead of their time in those days and Rip It Up magazine (December 1984??) and Karyn Hay of Radio With Pictures rated them as number two best live act of 1984 behind Talking Heads!!!
Steve Butler
Regular Cadets were part of the Gisborne live music scene of the early to mid 1980s. Members Martin Kirk and (future television celebrity) Jackie Clarke would go on to find more success in later group Marching Orders.
They had a number one on Wellington student radio station Radioactive with Air-conditioned nightmare in late 1984 and played extensively around Wellington that year. As far as I know they never released any material other than the “Nightmare” single but were the subject of a lot of industry interest in that mid eighties period… Dave Williams has a family and lives in Christchurch these days, [whilst] Butler – a bloke who lived life as hard as he played – sadly died late last year.
Steve Butler
Members
- Martin Kirk (Marching Orders, Flaming Stars, Wasp Factory, guitar / vocals)
- Jackie Clarke (Marching Orders, The Ladykillers, When The Cat’s Been Spayed, Jubilation, Putty in Her Hands, Charlotte Sometimes, vocals / vibraslap)
- Dave Butler (vocals / guitar)
- Dave Williams (vocals / percussion)
- Shane Bolingford (The Boneshakers, drums)
- Ged Fanselow (guitar)
- John Scott (bass)
Discography
- The Air-Conditioned Nightmare single (1984)
Links
- Under Blue Skies: F Star Records (AudioCulture)