Discography (picks in bold)
- In The Pocket ep [1985 Onset/offset PR2307]
- Dawn Parade ep [1985 Onset/offset PR2336]
- Bright Light cassette [1987 Onset/offset R1201]
See-Also
Tag: Onset/Offset
Ritchie Venus (and the Blue Beetles)
Ritchie Venus (real name: Michael Braithwaite) is a bit of an oddity in the Christchurch scene. A quiet, timid man in conversation, he’s been creating music since the first wave of New Zealand rock’n’roll way back in the 1950s – idolizing our original superstar Johnny Devlin.
Yet, unlike a number of other kiwi musicians, he languished in obscurity, even in his own home town – being known more for his Elvis impersonations (which he has done regularly for quite some time at Lyttleton’s brilliant Wunderbar) than his original music, yet has released a number of albums, full of his own original rock’n’roll classics. In the mid 90s and poignant documentary and the Renderers brilliant cover of his live favorite original Forbidden Planet led to a bit more exposure, but Venus still remained a relatively unknown character.
Discography (picks in bold)
- ‘Bleeding Heart’/’Josephine’ 7″ single [1981 Flying Nun FN008]
- Rebel Blood [1987 Onset/Offset PRA2387]
- You Can’t Fight It [1989 Onset/Offset RV008]
- Rockin’ to the Grave [1989 Onset/Offset]
- The Ballad of Ritchie Venus [2000 Onset/Offset RV11]
- Sunrise [2002 Onset/Offset]
See-Also
Sarah Richards
Scorched Earth Policy
Legendary early Flying Nun band (1982-6) that would later reform to become the Terminals, marking the debut of a young Brian Crook (later to form the Max Block and the Renderers). They put out a couple of highly sought after EP’s which contained some of the original versions of Terminals songs such as ‘Lolita’ and ‘Mekong Delta Blues’.
Initially they seemed more pop focused (well pop in the way that say, the Verlaines are pop) but the dark, rattled approach of Peter Stapleton soon turned them into something far more nefarious and disturbing. The Keep Away From The Wires compilation was put out by Medication in the late 90s and collects all their recorded material, along with live out-takes (though they’re of questionable quality). Pick up anything you can find from these guys.
Initially Stapleton (drums / lyrics) was flanked by a young Mick Elborado (bass / vocals – who carried a few songs from his Drowning Is Easy days) and Mary Heney (guitar, vocals, organ and drums – came from 25 Cents, a short lived ‘party band’, along with short stints in both the Victor Dimisch Band and the Pin Group) and Mick’s old bandmate Ian Blinkinsop – though he left before their first public appearance. Andrew Dawson soon joined to replace Ian on vocals, and brought around recently arrived ex-hastings lad Brian Crook who…
Was into German music at the time, y’know, Can and Faust and that sort of stuff. Some weird hybrid between German music and the Beach Boys I think I was kind of thinking about. Yeah, when i finally got to the Scorched Earth practice, the songs were y’know, two minutes long, or something. And Peter was really into that ‘Pebbles’ thing. And Captain Beefheart. Y’know, just, every practise, out would come the Captain Beefheart album.
– Brian Crook, taken from Wade Churton’s ‘Glam, Punk and Scorched Earth Policy’
Over the course of the bands 2 year run, Onset/Offset label-founder Campbell McClay (bass) and Catherine Upson (backing vocals) made contributions to their recordings.
Discography (picks in bold)
- Dust To Dust 12″ Mini-Lp [1984 Flying Nun Fn028]
- Going Thru’ A Hole In The Back Of Your Head 12″ Mini-Lp [1985 Flying Nun Fn042]
- A.D. Cassette [Live Recording 1986 Passage Passage10]
- Foaming Out Cassette [1991 Xpressway X/Way 20]
- Keep Away From The Wires [Compilation 1999 Medication Med04]
See-Also
Sam
Toerag
Discography (picks in bold)
- When The Moon Is Strong [W/ The Bottletops 1985 Onset/Offset Pr2305]
- Gaylene’s Tape Cassette [1985 Onset/Offset Tr001]
- Sing Along Cassette [1985 Onset/Offset Tr002]
- Live At Woodstock Cassette [1986 Onset/Offset Tr003]
- Vitamin E [W/ The Brothers Gorgonzola 1986 Onset/Offset Pr2345]
See-Also
Ziggy Stardust Band
Biography
Mysterious Onset/Offset group who recorded at Arnie van Bussell’s infamously low-rent Nightshift Studios using the aliases Ziggy Stardust, Rolandski, Polandski and Bollandro.
Members
- Ziggy Stardust (Guitar/Vocals/Synth, 1986 – 1988)
- Rollandski (Drums, 1986 – 1988)
- Pallandski (Bass, 1986 – 1988)
- Ballandro (Organ, 1986 – 1988)
Discography
- S7t [1986 Onset/Offset Zs001]
- Jammin’ With Ziggy’s Party Tape Video [1986 Onset/Offset Vc04]
- Martian Walk Cassette [With Stack Zowie 1987 Onset/Offset Zssz001]
- Trolex Island Cassette [With His Roxottie Band 1988 Onset/Offset Zssz002]
- Ziggy Stardust Band [1988 Onset/Offset Pr2392]
Links
Kathryn Tait
Strangeloves
Rex Bourke, Joanne Kickoff, Maria, Liz Cohor, Rebecca Shanahan, Noel Ward, Tim Mahon and Tane Tokona.
Discography (picks in bold)
- ‘When Judy Gets Out’/’She Said Let’S Kiss’/’You Cure Me’ 7″ Single [1987 Flying Nun Fn089] Rn
- See Your Colours [1991 Flying Nun Fn179] Rn
- ‘Turn Your Lights On’/’John Lennon’ 7″ Single [1991 Flying Nun Fn186] Rn
- ‘She Knows Whats Happening’/’Little Sickie’ Cassette Single [1992 Flying Nun Fn230] Rn
- The True Ep [1992 Onset/Offset]
See-Also
Bottletops
Biography
One of Campbell McLay’s original Onset/Offset groups, fronted by Sarah Richards. The Bottletops put out an EP in 1983, then took 2 years to resurface on a split EP alongside McLay’s Toerag.
Members
- Sarah Richards (Vocals, 1983 – 1985)
- Richard Coburn (Drums/Guitar, 1983 – 1985)
- Campbell Mclay (Guitar/Bass/Percussion/Vocals, 1983 – 1985)
- Jim Nicholson (Bass/Guitar/Percussion/Vocals, 1983 – 1985)
Discography
- Les Bottletops 7″ EP (1983, Onset/Offset, BOT01)
- The Flipside Split EP (w/ Toerag 1985, Onset/Offset, PR2305)