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Rip It Up, Issue 6, 1 November 1977, Page 15

Country Flyers

Island of Real The Country Flyers are more than a band They re a collection of musicians whose combined experience includes a wealth of diverse influences. And they re hot. They opened up their Sunday afternoon set at the Island of Real with a fine Junior Parker blues, sounding more than just a bunch of white boys with the blues, a cruisy beginning. They followed with the Amazing Rhythm Aces 3rd Rate Romance", which Ive heard them do better, and from then on, they never missed. Some of the high points for me were It Should ve (Ray Charles), The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff), and a reggae version of “It's All Over Now . Surprise of the night was a song with a slow rhythmic intro which took a tasty ten minutes to turn into a very different version of Randy Newman's You Can Keep Your Hat On . Country they re not. Certainly, they play with a light, clean guitar sound, but any

band that can play that range of stuff ain't no bunch of rednecks.

Its hard to pick a standout in a band like this (and I couldn't get close enough to see too well), but for my money. Richard Kennedy stood out on guitar with some blues solos Freddie King would have thought twice about. Midge Marsden is a commanding frontman as well as a singer, which is a nice change from yer typical NZ band. George Barris held down the other half of the guitar section with taste born of years of playing. I couldn't catch the names of the rhythm section, but they were holding the whole thing together with a flair rare in this country. In short, a bloody great little team. John Malloy.

Citizen Band Island of Real Once to a packed Sunday afternoon audience, once to six assorted family and the rubber plant, Citizen Band played the Island. Formed around a nucleus of the Chunn brothers, Geoffrey and Michael, Citizen Band convincingly introduced themselves to Auckland. It was just sad that their exemplary midweek show went so unattended.

On the Sunday the band were noticeably nervous, only unwinding in the second half. But in the subsequent gig they attacked their eclectic (Pacific pastiche to new wave) range of songs with real energy and no little skill.

With brother Michael on bass and drummer Brent Eccles behind him, Geoff Chunn is at last given a rhythm section of class, ftis melodic talents and Greg Clarke s tasteful guitar contributed to a highly encouraging debut. There is an album due out in the intermediate future. “In a Lifetime”, the single is out now. Don’t miss them: Citizen Band promise much. Bruce Belsham

Cohesion Windsor Castle If you can remember when ‘punk’ was a colloquialism for worthless’ and if you think that instrumental solos should be more than gaps while the vocalist catches his breath, then you may get off to Cohesion. Colin Hemmingsen, Berklee Jazz College alumni, ex-national orchestra bassoonist, saxophonist, highly respected music teacher, (not to mention magazine columnist) gathered some of the cream of

local talent to form his group and they are currently appearing on Saturday afternoons at the Windsor Pub. The line-up of reeds, electric piano, guitar, bass, drums and percussion, provides scope for varied colourings. The material is basically jazzrock, largely drawn from the likes of George Benson, Tom Scott, and the Crusaders, although the occasional original is added. Tommy Adderley has a vocal spot; in this setting he sounds strikingly like Georgie Fame. The playing is, at the least, very able and at times quite brilliant. The rhythm section pushed things along nicely and I particularly enjoyed Martin Winch on guitar. It would be peevish to niggle when I enjoyed the band but I hope that, given time, they come to rely less on such close copying of others' material and produce further fine originals. With continued experience together they will surely get tighter. Look, if you feel like a jug this Saturday afternoon and fancy grooving to a bit of live music without risking your eardrums, get along to the Windsor. It’s very pleasant. Peter Thomson

Ratz Theatrix Island of Real What do you expect of something called Ratz Theatrix’? Stage vermin? Dancing rodents? Raßa the clarinet playing rat?

In fact Ratz Lis guerilla theatre grown up. At the Island ofßeaJt he players presented three sketches, all satirical mould of street theatre, all on the subject of victims. The first introduces notorious Dr Volt and offspring Lobotomy and E.C.T. (electro-convulsive-therapy). Like the Specials in Sleeping Dogs the Volt family are called in to deal with a wayward New Zealand. All three million of us plug dutifully into the national grid and go out on a rousing chorus of “Today’s the Day the Citizens have Shock Treatment” (sung inevitably to the tune of “Teddy Bears' Picnic”). And so it continues. The second is a charmingly cyclical tale about love, neurosis, jealousy, Dr Paul, Hospitals and suicide. To finish the programme a fast foods epic: what happens to a country bread, toasted sweetcorn sandwich when she comes to town? Will she escape the clutches of the greasy American hot dog? Who is Madame Hawaianburger? Well, ferret out the Ratz at their next appearance for illumination. As it used to say in large red letters in View Rd, Mt Eden: Ratz are alright'. Bruce Belsham