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The Civilians feature in Canta, September 1998. The band performed at Players and Hustlers during 1998.

Players and Hustlers

Players and Hustlers was a pool bar and live music venue at 96 Oxford Terrace on Christchurch’s The Strip, hosting DJ nights, rock, and metal acts through the late 1990s — including a Judgement Day dance party in 1997, a Brutal Truth show in 1998, and performances by The Civilians and Gaia. The building previously housed the Player Tenpin Bowling Centre, largest in New Zealand in 1995. The venue was demolished following the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes; the site is now the Riverside Market.

Thee Strapons

Long-running stylistically variant group based around the duo of Don Campbell (aka Don Gone) and Bev Greene (aka Anastasia Strapon / Nova Technova). Prolific during 2 distinct phases – based in Dunedin in the late 1980’s – early 1990s then in the mid 1990s to early 2000’s in Christchurch.

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The Sweethearts

Adam McGrath’s early 2000’s attempt at a vocally-driven song-writing group after years of playing in punk and hard core groups – featured a teenage William Daymond; essentially a pre-cursor to the Eastern. Put out an album that went unnoticed.

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Matt Alien

Matt Alien is the long-standing nom de plume of Matt Johnstone; a multi-instrumentalist born-frontman from the likes of Christchurch groups The Hitone Destroyers and The Black Panthers, Auckland group Slavetrader, and most recently Melbourne group Levitating Churches. Harnessing the swagger of early Aerosmith or AC/DC, but with a great deal more noise and the feeling that things might just fall apart at any moment.

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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.

The Palace Of Wisdom

Underground rock’n’roll lifers from Christchurch fronted by enigmatic and sometimes confrontational front-man (and downhill Mountain Bike enthusiast) Andrew ‘Ox’ O’Connell. A long cast of supporting characters and a handful of rough-and-ready recordings – all self-released.

The Black Panthers

Biography Late 90’s sleaze rockers out of Christchurch and featuring Garden City rocker extraordinaire Matt Alien (aka Matt Johnson also of The Hi-Tone Destroyers). Made a habit of being even more extreme than The Hi-Tones, with Matt constantly baiting the… Read More »The Black Panthers

The Hi-Tone Destroyers

Biography During the mid 90’s, no man represented the Christchurch underground rock movement more than Matt Alien (aka Matt Johnstone). As the leader of blue-revivalists The Black Panthers and his long-surviving scuzz-rockers The Hi-Tone Destroyers Matt was the equivalent of Iggy… Read More »The Hi-Tone Destroyers

Space Dust

Biography A Christchurch institution of absent idols (only John Christoffels still resides in the garden city from the classic line-up), dating back to 1993 but seldom surfacing more than a single gig every couple of years. The group was original… Read More »Space Dust