Robert Scott
Dunedin bassist, guitarist, and songwriter at the heart of New Zealand’s underground music scene since the late 1970s. Co-founder of the Every Secret Thing cassette label and fanzine, bassist in The Clean, and frontman of The Bats.
The Weeds
This Kind Of Punishment
After Nocturnal Projections went their seperate ways in the early 80s, the two Jefferies brothers formed This Kind Of Punishment, a group that expanded their song-writing capabilities, and added variety to the Joy Division-styled approach of their former group.
Mr Big Nose
Recorded in a typically DIY fashion and released straight to cassette in 1989, this rucous live album features a stellar band line-up. Bob Scott was joined by future 3D Dave Saunders (just arrived in Dunedin), Australian guitarist / vocalist Ken Stewart, former-Chill Alan Haig on the drums, and billed as a special guest on organ; Peter Gutteridge – just prior to the release of his incredible solo album ‘Pure’.
#mrbignose
Straitjacket Fits
Biography Straitjacket Fits were a corner stone in New Zealand independent rock from their formation in 1986 till their inevitable break-up in February 1994. Though predominantly a kiwi indie-rock group, they were at times dissonant (and incredibly loud), hiding their… Read More »Straitjacket Fits
Tanaka-Nixon Meeting
Mid 1990’s free-noise duo made up of Danny Butt (Flies Inside The Sun) and Michael Morley (The Dead C etc). Released three ultra-rare Peter King 8″ lathes on Morley’s Precious Metal imprint, along with 2 albums and a single. Went from noise, scrapes and drones to releasing their own take on electronic dance music with 1998’s ‘Twelve Inches Heaven’.
#nzmusic #undergroundmusic #freenoise #tanakanixonmeeting
Gate
The mostly-solo recordings of The Dead C’s Michael Morley. From noise, destructive guitar in the late 1980’s and 1990’s through sampling diversions and drones in the 2020’s, Morley has been a particularly creative force.
#nzmusic #undergroundmusic #gate #michaelmorley #deadc
The Rip
Legendary New Zealand underground musician Alastair Galbraith’s first band. Flanked by Robbie Muir and Jeff Harford they put out 2 extremely hard to find EP’s in the mid 80s that show-case Galbraith’s brilliant talent for song-writing at an early age, particularly on their second EP – ‘Stormed Port’.
#nzmusic #undergroundmusic #therip #alastairgalbraith #flyingnun
Double Happys
Double Happys brought together former Bored Games bandmates Shayne Carter and Wayne Else – originally with an unreliable drum-machine (named ‘Herbie Fuckface’), but eventually replaced with their High School friend John Collie. A wonderful, sometimes confrontational group who came to a tragic conclusion with the accidental death of Wayne Elsie in June 1985.
The Cartilage Family
The Cartilage Family were a short-lived Dunedin group featuring Peter Gutteridge (and a bunch of his best early songs), Shayne Carter, Lesley Paris and Francisca Griffin. No official recordings exist and they only performed live twice; but the Cartilage Family were an important stepping stone for New Zealand Music.
Trash
Noisy Dunedin rock group formed by Ex-Alpaca Brothers Bruce Blucher and Paul Cahill. Robbie Yeats was their primary drummer, but their recordings feature contributions from a number of well-known underground performers. Released 3 albums and a couple 7″ singles.
Bedford Tours
A bizarre cassette release from Robert Scott and Andrew Strang; providing incidental sound and commentary of the long drive (in a Bedford van) from Christchurch to Dunedin.
Bored Games
Before Dimmer, before Straitjacket Fits, before even the Doublehappys, Shayne Carter was in a Flying Nun Records-type punk band called Bored Games, who opened for the likes of the Clean and Toy Love before the lads had even left high school.
Every Secret Thing
Every Secret Thing (aka EST – also the name of a comic/fanzine that Scott published) was a home taping label established by Rob Scott and incorporated a lot of his home demos (usually as Electric Blood, but also in many other totally unknown bands) along with ultra-rare recordings from the likes of Wreck Small Speakers on Expensive Stereos, the Weeds and various compilations featuring many Dunedin and Christchurch bands.
The Clean
The Clean have left a giant stamp on New Zealand Independent Music. The group that came to define ‘The Dunedin Sound’ had a terrific topsy-turvy career that spanned 5 albums and a number of EPs, singles, compilations and live releases over a 31 year time-span.
Jousting Vandals
One of Rob Scott’s many one-off bands – this time with R. Dejoux and Sarah Robin. They put out the Ground Level cassette on Scotts’ own Every Secret Thing label in 1985. Scott reissued the Ground Level cassette as a CDr in 2022.