BnP
Brash, noisy, post-Earthquake Christchurch group who made a bit of a splash with the ‘Welcome to Mediocrity’ release on local label Melted Ice Cream in 2012.
Band
1/3 Octave Band
A Bill Wood and Jules Desmond ambient/noise/drone duo from Wellington, sometimes with contributions from Ben Spiers. Quite a pleasant listen as far as drone recordings go – their recordings often posses a haunting quality.
The Stoutfellows
Christchurch Celtic Rock who played all the local Irish pubs all across New Zealand (and occasionally Australia) from 1999 to 2002.
Made up of members of a number of local hard rock groups. Recorded an album at Blast Studios in 2000.
Gas
Gas were a 3 piece garage-rock 3 piece from Christchurch, featuring ex-members of The McGoohans, Drowning is Easy and Scorched Earth Policy. Formed in 1995 and ended in 2002.
The McGoohans
Christchurch-based punky proto-grunge outfit that formed after the dissolution of Ian Blenkinsop’s Drowning Is Easy, a 4-piece that featured Blenkinsop along with future Scorched Earth Policy band-mate Mick Elborado, Craig Davison and Andrew Valance. Noted rock music historian George Churton would replace Elborado on bass and eventually become the lead vocalist.
The Shallows
The Shallows were a short-lived Christchurch trio fronted by Roy Montgomery in 1985. Backed by Mick Elborado (bass) and Mary Heney (guitar / vocals) the trio recorded and self-released a sole 7″ single over a couple weeks in May, 1985.
The single was the result of a $750 government arts grant – the group laid out their exact expenses on the inside sleeve of the single.
25 Cents
25 Cents were known as being an impressive, ass-kicking party band in Christchurch in the early 1980’s, flush with a range of 1960’s garage numbers, Velvet Underground and Pere Ubu covers.
Sisters Mary and Susan Heney would go on to influential groups like Victor Dimisich Band, Scorched Earth Policy and The Terminals.
Victor Dimisich Band
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.
Knightshade
Popular 1980’s hard rock group formed in Te Puke. Guitarist Paul Martin would later become a popular radio host on The Rock radio station before joining popular metal group Devilskin.
Snapper
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.
The Digits
The Digits were a Wellington proggy post-punk outfit that evolved out of the earlier group Smashed Executive.
Featured on the ‘Wellingtonzone’ compilation – a not quite as successful follow-up to the acclaimed ‘****’ release from the previous year.
Jamboree
Auckland-based rock group from the mid 1980’s with an atmospheric sound. Put out an EP on Jayrem and a 2nd on Hip Singles. The members would later resurface in Hoi Polloi
Dawn of Azazel
Auckland black metal group lead by bassist/vocalist Rigel Walshe. From 1997 till 2017 the group went through several line-ups and produced a number of well-received, polish albums; touring across the world.
Datura
Totally under-the-radar stoner rock band that formed in 1992 in Hamilton.
They were a trio comprised of Craig Williamson (bass and vocals – now performing in a solo capacity as Lamp of the Universe), Brent Middlemiss (guitar) and Jon Burnside (drums), and that they released 2 albums of drawn-out stoner-psych jams on the unknown Cranium label, and actually reissued on U.S. label Brainticket.
Airport
The very wayward guitar/electronics duo that eventually gave birth to Birchville Cat Motel.
Beguiling atonal plonkery and profound multi-stringed shingle slides by two irrepressible young guns utterly oblivious to the fact that most people wanted to stone them to death with spare change. I can’t believe we did this in public.