OFF THE RECORD

Rip It Up, Issue 50, 1 September 1981, Page 22

OFF THE RECORD

There's a growing division between Auckland and Wellington rock and roll musicians and fans. That's what you have to conclude after reading Wellington magazine In Touch. Personally, I can't see any point;in imagining that Aucklanders are born with a silver spoon in their guitar case. While it may be a handy way of building up a sense of local identity, I don't think it goes very' far- towards explaining why there are so few places to play in the capital; Nor does it justify violence against Auckland musicians as happened on the recent Screaming Blamatic Roadshow. . The letters columns of In Touch seem to. be more and more concerned with questions of whether Auckland is better /worse than Wellington, . and Rip It Up than I.T;, while comments about the easy life in Auckland surface in articles and interviews. Perhaps if Wellington musicians and fans were less combative towards the rest of the country, and each other, they

would be able to escape from the violent and negative slump they seem to be in at„ the moment. And speaking of violence and negativity, Britain still serves as a fire for the New Zee'a id frying pan. One of the countless refugees in London is former RIU ' helper and Hot Licks' editor, Jeremy Templer (remember when everyone used to. call RIU, Hot Licks? Ahh nostalgia). He is just on the point of establishing a magazine in Britain, currently under the working title of Mental. Francis Stark