Biography
Late 1980’s punk group that succeeded Stooges-obsessed proto-punk groups Dum Dum Boys and The Henchmen. Feeling under-appreciated in New Zealand, The Henchmen‘s Tony Collins, Anthony Norman and Billy Williams relocated to Sydney to find their fame. They managed to secure a distribution deal in Europe with well-known French label New Rose Records; however due to there being an old Australian group also called The Henchmen the group chose the new name Reptiles at Dawn to start the next chapter.
‘Naked in the Wilderness’ was released as a stop-gap album under the new name, bolstered by some old Henchmen songs. They followed this up with the ‘Zenith’ single, which found some success on US college-rock charts. However in Australia they failed to find a foot-hold, playing only 3 shows under the new name before making their next move – this time to London.
The group recorded ‘Dressed in Flesh’ in Paris, with french drummer Gurvan Guellac joining the group, then toured England and Europe until their Visa’s ran out and returned to New Zealand.
Their 1991 release ‘Lost Disciples’ was a short-run lathe cut recorded back in Auckland with a new line-up of Collins and Norman, plus new drummer Tony Gallagher and Mike Weston (of Crystal Zoom fame) on Keyboards and Horns.
Members
- Tony Collins (Dum Dum Boys, Drugstore Spiders, Lost Disciples, vocals)
- Anthony Norman (Dum Dum Boys, The Henchmen, guitar, vocals)
- Andrew Hume (bass, vocals)
- Billy Williams (Dum Dum Boys, drums)
- Michael Austin (drums, vocals)
- Gurvan Guellec (Pungy Sticks, drums / vocals)
- Tony Gallagher (drums)
- Mike Weston (Crystal Zoom, Black Girls Machine, Cardboard and Computers, Pedestrian, Street Pacifique, keyboards / horns)
Discography
- Naked In The Wilderness (1986, Cadaver, YPRX2369)
- ‘Zenith’ / ‘Borderline Ring’ single (1986, New Rose Records)
- ‘After the Plague’ double-7″ EP (1987, New Rose Records)
- Dressed in Flesh (1988, New Rose Records, ROSE133)
- Nighthawks In Exile EP (1989, Ima Hitt, Hitt Me 11x)
- Lost Disciples Lathe Cut (1991, Ima Hitt, Hitt Me 16x)