Biography Christchurch 4-piece with a heavy Birthday Party flavor comprised of Mark E Smith-channeling vocalist Janus Currie, Nick Cave look-a-like guitarist Herbert Palmer, drummer Kris Taylor and bass-playing Karate enthusiast Rush Jopson. These guys exploded onto the local scene in… Read More »Leper Ballet
Location: 299 Selwyn Street, Spreydon Current Status: Demolished post-earthquake Active as a live music venue: 2000’s Bar Manager: Andrew ‘Ox’ O’Connell Capacity: About 20 All-Ages: Yes Notorious local rock’n’roll vocalist and Downhill Mountain Bike clothing entrepreneur Andrew ‘Ox’ O’Connell ran… Read More »Rockstar Clothing
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.
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
Biography Long-running Christchurch trio (originally a duo under the name the Twin Towers… then the Distractions, finally settling on the Pickups in October 2003) fronted by William Daymond, with Isaac Mawson and Jared Kelly. A fixture of the Christchurch and… Read More »The Pickups
Eclectic pop-rock 5-piece based in the Garden City of Christchurch. Formed as a group of friends by former Bang! Bang! Eche! vocalist Ross Heath (keys/vox), the group was fronted by the OLovelys Laura-Lee Watson (vox/synth), with Will MacFarlane (guitar/bass –… Read More »Pop Hits City
Nick Hodgson’s lo-fi free-noise recordings from 1996-7, with a line-up that included percussionist Kurt Dyer (Hodgson’s bandmate in the Soul-Funk group Solaa), brother Lynton and Kyle Denovan, Ryan Condon and long-time off-sider Tim Macdonald.
Released at least 5 cassette’s including ‘Ininityland’ on the influential US independent Shrimper.
#nzmusic #montessouri #nickhodgson
A well-known, yet thoroughly underground troop that often swelled in numbers (sometimes up to as many as 10 members in the mid 1980’s). The group have been known for their artistic endeavours as well as their music.
#nzmusic #theaxemen
After a 12-year recorded absense, the Terminals finally return! One of Christchurch’s most-loved underground bands, the Terminal’s have laid dormant, playing one-off shows every year or so since their Flying Nun Records days, but with Brian Crook resurfacing back up… Read More »The Terminals
Biography Fuzzy, bluesy Rock’n’Roll from Martin Henderson, aka Brother Love. Henderson has lent his name to a number of groups (‘The Homebacon Gang’, ‘The Second Hand Emotions’, The Free Association’, His Dark Horses’, ‘His Far Out Space Nuts’ etc), featuring… Read More »Brother Love
Biography Excellent Christchurch guitar band that evolved from earlier group The Centre Will Hold. From that group Jamey Holloway (Guitar / vocals), and Nathan Bycroft (Drums) were joined by Nik O’Keefe (Bass, Vocals) and Marcus Winstanley (Guitar) to form the… Read More »The Undercurrents
Biography Written as ‘-2‘, as the name implies, the Terminals Stephen Cogle (Vocals / Acoustic Guitar), Mick Elborado (Organ) and John Christoffels (Bass) formed Minus Two as a side-project excluding Peter Stapleton and Brian Crook. Apparently most of the songs… Read More »Minus Two
Biography Short-lived 3-piece garage-rock group comprised of Palace of Wisdom and Ruling Elite duo Andrew ‘Ox’ O’Connell (vocals) and Chris Andrews (stand-up drums) along with The Convics’ Connie Benson (guitar). Made their debut in June 2017 with a short set at… Read More »The Feelups
A former plastic manufacturing business located in industrial Philipstown, All Plastics was originally leased by Nick O’Keefe of The Undercurrents some time in the 2000’s. O’Keefe, along with his band members (which included local sound-men Marcus Winstanley and Mikey Summerfield, plus Phantom Billstickers’ Jamey Holloway) began using the site as a recording studio and practice space.
Several house-party type shows were put on both inside and outside the studio space, before the last occupant (Rhett Copland of Doctors etc) left around 2013.
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