KING SHAG COLUMN

Rip It Up, Issue 70, 1 May 1983, Page 22

KING SHAG COLUMN

The Birthday Party had§& never really been; one of my favourite bands but when the circumstances cropped up for an extra lugger. to join the touring party, I wasn’t one to say no. 7 After learning there wasn’t enough room in the truck for yours truly I set off ’itch ’iking to Palmerston North, this proved to be about as boring: as the ; Meemees on a good night - 1 bar one incident ; when [[became one of the stars in a remake of ! GoodbyePork Pie. Now Parmesan cheese and i Pal me North s ’ave ; n e thing . in common i— they both stink. If there’s one thing 11" V r .’ate it’s 90% of all students and 100% of all Massey t§" students: You] know the type, sweatshirt, jeans and track shoes with * a big thirst .fojYrx. horrendously brewedtDßr -r 7

Yeech. But at least some of them ’elped with the lug in J, f and it was onto soundcheck. Both Nick and Tracey were trying frantically to 'accustomise Des to the job of :drumming and, trying to lengthen the short 40 minute set. But the poor bloke just didn’t J seem to be cut out : for it. The Skeptics opened "and the students got drunk, making absolute pigs out of themselves. I really didn’t think they knew what they were in for. They were ready to “rage” but not ; ready { for the Birthday Party. Through the t set, pissed,\they-kept falling ■ over and wondering what the ’ell was ’itting them - they just didn’t understand or ; maybe : it was just a capping stunt for them. , Next day, Wellington, not my favourite! town? The j last contact I t had with the place was a punch in the nose and a few other places, last) New Year’s eve, New Plymouth. Lugging in and out was a real

bastard. Four flights of stairs, straight up. Fish School opened to a fairly small crowd which was later to swell ; to only 500. Next up was MXI 1 Marching Girls , - a [band ? I •#- thought i might ! improve . the more I saw them. Alas they didn’t. Due to an incident a while back, alcohol was not 5 served ' at this s gig and I watched Sy Birthday Party straight for the first time. Fuck it was good. From the first notes ; of ‘Deep in the Woods’ V knew t this . was to be one of the best concerts I Lave*ever seen. Nick Cave . and Co just pissed over the support and the supporters leaving them wondering what had they’d just seen. A beast finally unleashed : on Wellington, rather than the large booted ' beast of f 5 Wellington unleashing itself l on the band - as usually happens. * Pity I can’t gcPtoTjr; Christchurch. If they’ve slowed down now, what were they/ / like two .years ago. ';