Wellington

Rip It Up, Issue 15, 1 September 1978, Page 6

Wellington

Are there any bands left in Wellington? Redeye have joined the long list of disintegrations. Ex-Redeye keyboardist Bob Smith has gone to England to work alongside Mannfred Mann’s Earth Band member Chris Thompson in a band that also includes NZers Billy Kristian and Mike Walker and also includes a drummer of unknown origin who’s worked with Robert Palmer"

Recent Opera House gig with Neville Purvis, Rough Justice and Alastair Riddell Band was a flop unfortunately all the promotion was mucked up with the newspaper strike. Nobody deserves that to happen in this city it only makes things bleaker. Rough Justice and Neville Purvis went down with a storm at the Last Resort drawing a record Friday night crowd. Rough Justice are working up to being one of the best bands we’ve ever produced. Would you believe that there’s an album in the wind from Roger Gascoigne? And maybe a children’s storytime one by 2ZB’s Dick Weir. EMI report remarkable sales of the Jodi Vaughn LP among Country and Western clubs etc. September’s Group of the Month of 2ZM is Dave Luther’s band he used to be in Hogsnort Rupert’s Original etc etc. Apolitical blues? Bunny Walters has just recorded the non-political version of the Labour Party theme song "Born to Be Free”. Still no definite release date for Kim Hart’s album but the Mike Harvey album is almost finished. Alan Parsons sat in on some of the mixing on his recent trip to Wellington and was very impressed with Mikes songs and production. Good response to the Children’s theatre at The Last Resort there have been two shows of "The House at Pooh Corner" through the school holidays. The Last Resort have been granted a BYO wine licence and are opening earlier for pre-theatre meals, and for lunch too.

The Royal Tiger Hotel was once Wellington’s oasis of good bands and music four years ago Midge Marsden and the Country Flyers were packing the place out. Now there are ugly stories that they are dropping their live bands and going disco. Buzz had the Cricketer’s Arms residency but that’s all fallen through and they’re putting a disco in too.

Ziggy’s don’t want to be forgotten on Thursday nights they have new wave band 52, Fridays they have a disco, and dance competitions, Saturday is rock ’n’ roll night and there's a talent quest, and Sunday nights are sleaze with cabaret and burlesque. Rocky Horrow Show has had disappointing reaction in Auckland but bookings are good in other centres they’ve put an album together in a 3-day session at the EMI studios for Stetson records and there’s a chance that it will get international release because of Gary Glitter’s involvement.