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Venues
The Aranui Tavern at 317 Pages Road was a working-class pub in Christchurch's eastern suburbs that became one of the city's most significant live music rooms from the mid-1970s through the 1980s. Bon Marché and The Newz held a three-year residency from 1978 to 1981, nurturing emerging acts including Pop Mechanix and the Dance Exponents — whose own Aranui residency led directly to their Mushroom Records signing in 1982.
s artists
Mainstream kiwi pop-rock group out of Auckland with a very disputed history thanks to a split between the two key members - frontman and original song-writer Mark Loveys and guitarist / vocalist Deane Sutherland (aka Tommy Joy). Best known for their 1985 hit 'Destiny in Motion' and the 1994 single 'It must be love' - released by Sutherland's later edition of the group. #nzmusic #satelliteSpies
b artists
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)'.
c artists
Brilliant synth-pop group formed by former Whizz Kids / Pop Mechanix / The Swingers vocalist Andrew McLennan. Known solely for their one-hit wonder 'Sierra Leonne'.
p artists
Christchurch power-pop Pop Mechanix began their life as 'Splash Alley'. They built up a strong reputation locally and around the country with Dick Driver (and later, Peter McLennan) as front-man; but never quite made it to the next level in Australia.
Record Labels
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.
l artists
Auckland pop-rock 4-piece with a couple of D.D. Smash's members, who put out a major label debut on CBD before morphing into similar outfit Neons.
Record Labels
Biography Rob Mayes’ mighty Failsafe Records, a committed independent label that is as part of Christchurch as a warm Nor-Wester. The original home of…
