rumours

Rip It Up, Issue 46, 1 May 1981, Page 2

rumours

Graham Donlon

UK & USA . Bubbling under the NME Top 40 Chart is Prayers On Fire, the new album by Aussies, Birthday Party. NME writer, Andy Gill described the album as a great debut of 'Bl, writing: "This sound is beautiful, it's perfect!" It's on Missing Link (through RTC here) ... Pink Floyd will perform The Wall for five nights at London's Earls Court. The concert will be filmed for Alan Fame Parker-produced movie of The Wall ... Canned Heat lead singer, Bob Hite died of a heart attack, April 6. Their late sixties blues hits included 'On

The Road Again' and 'Goin' Up Country' ... Clash are once again managed by Bernie Rhodes. Their new UK single is 'Magnificent Seven' remixed by Pepe Unidos, a Puerto Rican producer ... Dexys have recprded tracks with Bowie producer, Tony Visconti. The

band claim they have left EMI ... Chic will be involved in next Blondie album ... Mercury act Teardrop Explodes have a UK hit single with 'Reward' ... new Echo and Bunneymen 12 inch single features four live tracks from the film Shine So Hard ... the Who bassist John Entwistle

told NME: "I like playing heavy metal I just can't stand listening to it ... the same way some people like the smell of their own farts but don't like smelling anyone else's." ... first Adam & the Ants' album Dirk Wears White Sox (on Do It) is now in the UK Top 20. Kings Of The Wild Frontier is still number one ... in Berlin Bruce Springsteen performed two John Fogerty songs, 'Who Will Stop The Rain' and 'Rockin' All Over The World'. Fogerty, the ex Credence Clearwater frontman is recording a solo album for Elektra/Asylum ... the Gary Glitter comeback single is 'l'm Not Just A Pretty Face' ... Stranglers are on Stiff in America ... new Robert Fripp band (Discipline) features Bill Bruford, Adrian Belew (toured downunder with Bowie) and Tony Levin. New UK albums include Dave Edmunds Twangin', Scars Author! Author! (on Charisma-owned new wave label, Pre), Girlschool Hit & Run, Kraftwerk Computerworld (first since 1978), Cramps Psychedelic Jungle, Gillian Future Sfiock, Tenpole

Tudor Eddie, Old Bob, Dick Gary, Foreigner Silent Partners, Greg Kihn Rockihnroll, Joe Ely Musta Notta Gotta Lotta and the Fall Slates (a ten inch on Rough Trade). Auckland Out now is the Blams 12 inch EP ... Ainsworths and the Regulators have recorded a double. A sided single for proposed Olympic Presentations.

Songs are 'Coin' and 'Neat Boy' respectively ' ... _ Rhythm Method are recording 'Creating Criminals' at Harlequin. Their new permanent members are Phil Steel on vocals and percussion and Matthew Flynn on sax .

Rick Bryant has a brand new band, the Neighbours with Andrew Clouston (Rodents), Paul Kurnac and ex Local Heroes Sam Ford, Trudi Green, Ross Cameron and Ken James. Neighbours will play tunes by Sam and Rick and soul standards. They're looking for a soundman. Write to PO Box

47-135 if able ... bassist Adam Holt has left the Ainsworths to start a band with Terry Toweling ... ex Snipes drummer Norman Knox and brother Chris (yes, another one) are looking for a guitarist. Phone 'em at 568-384.

Hammond Gamble returns from the USA May 10 and commences a Far North Tour with gigs in Kaitaia, Dargaville, Kaikohe and Whangarei. See Calendar for dates.

Next 45 on Ripper is Otis Mace and Rex Reason performing the Gene Pitney hit, 'Mecca' on May 11 Screaming Meemees will complete their Propeller 45, 'See Me Go' and record flip, 'Till 1 Die'. The recording was delayed a week as Split Enz were in Harlequin mixing the sound for their Night Moves (Aussie RWP) Special of a Sydney concert ... Phil Yule will produce and engineer for Mascot Studio based Warrior Records. Yule was at Stebbings 1973-76 and more recently has worked in UK studios.

Wellington The Wellington Zone Concert that drew a capacity crowd to the Concert Chamber' was in fact recorded. A live album of the concert is due out early June with two Digits tracks and three each from BRF, Steroids and Mockers. The Red have done a RWP clip for upcoming posthumous single ... filling R&B gap left by demise of the Rodents are Private Eyes. Prospects of a Rodent revival vary according to who you talk to and on what day of the week. Meanwhile John Nyland is playing keyboards with Preservatives. Condemned Sector are now Neoteric Tribesmen ... gigging again and impressing after a layoff are Naked Spots ... old Mockers single 'Good Old Days' is available again ... there is talk of further Town Hall shows and of a Wellington Zone Tour. Les Crew Christchurch Newtones have recorded an EP. The four tracks 'Paint The Town Red', 'Santa Anna', 'China' and 'Christchurch' will be released on their own label in late May ... a Christchurch indenendent has been formed.

Flying Nun Records. Hip Singles are Dick Driver, guitarist Bill Direen (Vaccum) plus Melbournites. The band resides at the Hillsborough in May ... Dunedin bands in town recently, Clean and Elevators at Gladstone and Broken Models at Cave Rock ... Knobz packed the Aranui. Ralph recording artist Snakefinger will play the Gladstone May 21 & 22. The much loved Playthings have split. They played their final night May 6 at the Gladstone ... Sandra Gargette (guitar) has joined 25c ... new band, Dave McKenzie (Returns, Nameless), Mike Williams (Vauxhalls) and Roland de Bere, play Pil, Banshees influenced material. Rose Stapleton Dunedin Split Enz's capacity show went down a treat. Tickets were sold out in two days. The Elevators supported but puzzled many with their unorthodox repetoire. The newly formed University Rock Society are encouraging new bands by providing varsity venues. A successful virtual new band night featuring Stones (boasting ex-Same Geoff Batts on vocals), the Verlaines (featuring another exSame Craig Easton), Requiem Paradise, the Chills and stalwarts Bored Games should be encouraging for RocSoc.

The Clean made friends in Christchurch's Gladstone and have been re-booked. 3ZM also have them down for a forthcoming station organised stint and the band should be up north sometime during May. George Kay Tours May's surprise is visit by guitarist/Resident, Snakefinger

of Ralph Records fame. His band is Miguel Bertel (guitar), John Paul George (bass) and Johnny Ryan (drums). The tour commences May 21 & 22, Gladstone. NI gigs are Last Resort May 23 & 24, Hillcrest 27, Auckland Uni's Maidment Theatre 28 and Gluepot 29 & 30. Snakefinger's new album is out now on RTC. It's titled Greener Postures. Several top bands cross the Tasman in May to play Mainstreet. Expatriots Mi-Sex play Tuesday 12 & Wednesday 13. The band have recorded a new album and they will feature new material including current single, 'Falling In And Out'. Midnight Oil conclude their NZ tour at Mainstreet May 8 & 9, legendary Aussie rock and rollers OL'55 play May 19 & 20 with the Blue Flames and Cold Chisel may do the same late May. Other OL'55 dates are May 14 Bellblock New Plymouth, 15 & 16 Framptons Hamilton, 18 Onerahi Whangarei, 21 Rocks Rotorua, 22 & 23 Lennons Hastings and May 24 Wellington. Since 1975 when OL'55 stalled into action they've released three albums in NZ: Take It Greasy, Fives Live Jive and Cruisin' For A Brusin'. Their new album is known as The Vault.

Grammy award winner Billy Joel makes a flying visit to Auckland in May. See him at Logan Campbell Centre, Friday 22 and Saturday 23. Sam Rivers and band, Herbie Hancock with Ron Carter. Wayne Shorter and Tony Williams. There is talk of Adam Ant and ' Clash touring this year. Devo may tour September.

SNAKEFINGER

The last week in May will see New Zealand beseiged. No, the

reds aren't coming, and it's not the yellow peril either. Commencing on May 21 at the Gladstone, Christchurch, and finishing on May 30 at the Gluepot in Auckland, Ralph recording artist Snakefinger will stun us with his weird blend of avant-rock and mutated blues. For the uninitiated, Snakefinger was born in London on June 17, 1949 as Philip Lithman. Lithman played with the unknown Juniors' Blues Band and Smiley in the late sixties before teaming up with German musicologist N. Senada to record bird song in the Bavarian forests. This was led to the duo being absorbed into the emerging musical deviants now known as the Residents. When Senada made a pilgrimage to Greenland, Snakefinger drifted back to the UK to form the brilliant but under-rated Chilly Willy and the Red Hot Peppers. Despite two stunning albums, Kings of the Robot Rhythm and Bongos over Balham, Chilly Willy never received their due acclaim and splintered, with members later turning up in the Rumour and the Attractions. Snakefinger returned to the Residents after abortive ventures with such diverse acts as Long John Baldry, Ace and Hall and Oates. Since rejoining the Residents' fold in 1976, Snakefinger has

appeared on four of their albums, Fingerprince, Duck Stab / Buster and Glen, Satisfaction and the recent Commercial Album. He has also cut two of his own, the superb Chewing Hides the Sound and the recent Greener Postures. As well as playing violin, keyboards and steel guitar, Snakefinger is, along with James 'Blood' Ulmer, the most original guitarist to have come to prominence in the last five years. Utilising a tone that sometimes sings, only to fracture into dissonant shards of sound. If your tastes extend beyond the Top 40, you owe it to yourself to see Snakefinger and sample such weird and wonderful delights as 'Kill the Great Raven', 'Jesus was a Leprechaun', 'Golden Goat', 'The Man in the Dark Sedan' and 'Save Me from Dali'.