Radio Active 88.6FM (formerly 89FM) is Wellington's independent alternative radio station, founded in 1977 as Victoria University of Wellington's student station and named in protest against the visit of nuclear warship USS Truxton. Granted New Zealand's first FM licence in 1981, it became the second station in New Zealand to broadcast on FM on February 22, 1982. The station was the first to play Shihad and Head Like A Hole, launched New Zealand's first hip-hop show in 1983, released early Fat Freddy's Drop recordings on its own label, and ran the landmark One Love Waitangi Day festival. Rescued from closure in 2017 by a charitable trust, it continues to broadcast as New Zealand's longest-serving FM station.
Blam Blam Blam was a politically-charged underground pop act with touches of post-punk guitar, intelligent lyrics and the melodic touch of Don McGlashan's vocals and Euphonium playing on killer signature tunes like 'There is no depression in New Zealand' and 'Don't fight it Marsha (it's bigger than the both of us)'.
Legendary and short-lived indie punk label that debuted right on the cusp of the New Zealand underground explosion (i.e. they predate and are noted as a precursor to Flying Nun). Ripper was basically where New Zealand punk first surfaced with the likes of the Suburban Reptiles, the fleetingly popular Swingers, Scavengers etc - basically the cream of the early New Zealand punk scene.
Ira Robbins (Trouser Press): "A jazzy-cum-classical nine-person ensemble with clarinets, cello, tuba and bassoon (in addition to guitar, bass and drums), New Zealand's determinedly oddball Avant Garage sounds like something Zappa might have done in his Dada orchestral phase."
Biography Excellent, and highly popular post-punk / new-wave pop act out of auckland in the early 80s. Achieved unprecedented success with the release of…
