rip it up's believe it or not

Rip It Up, Issue 100, 1 November 1985, Page 20

rip it up's believe it or not

"One of the big conflicts which broke up the band was when Jonathan wanted to be more like Van Morrison and Buddy Holly and the rest of the band didn't want to give up the electricity of the sound that went before. We got into tremendous fights about all these things, I mean he wanted us to start pounding the floor with newspapers instead of playing instruments." Jerry Harrison on Jonathan Richman and the demise of the Modern Lovers, July 1979.

"Pop music and our sort of music is like a Christmas present in that it’s excitable at the time whereas soul and R&B last for years because so much of the stuff is classic.” Alison Moyet whilst in Yazoo, Dec 1982.

“I didn't mind them throwing things at me so much, but I think the things that were going on in front of me were like something out of Dante's Inferno. There were guys hitting each other over the head with fucking cans, guys hitting each other with poles. It was just hell. I’ve played all around the world and I've never seen things like that going on.” Steve Kilbey of the Church on Sweetwaters, Feb 1983.

"We were together four years, and the changes that happened in that time were quite incredible, especially touring the country and all of a sudden being these ridiculous faggot pop stars. It just got to be too much after a while."

Dave Dobbyn on Th' Dudes, March 1982.

“In terms of world success the Beatles are on top and nobody will ever beat them but there's always a chance of being second and if we carry on for a few more years with albums like Dare then we might manage

second.” Adrian Wright of the Human League, June 1982.

“There aren't any.” Tony Backhouse, then of Spatz, talking about the compensations of being in a working band in NZ, June 1978.

“Last year it wasn’t chic to want money. I always thought that was bullshit. Money shit, give me all you've got. I can have fun with it.” Tom Petty, August 1978

DEER RIBID UP: SORREE IM UNAYBILL 2 GRAYZ YOR KURINT SPRED, BUT IM IN PEEZFUL SEEKLEWSHIN GROWING MY FINGGA NAYILLZ. AS U CAN SEE IM HAVING TRUBBILL HOLDING THA PEN, BUT HERZ HELLOOH 2 ORL THOWZ IBORLZ THAT TAYK THIS IN, AN HERZ CHERREEOOH FROIM MY SELIF. ABSALOOTLEE, NOEL Noel Crombie’s note apologising for not being able to turn up to be interviewed for a Split Enz article, Sept 1977.

“You can only learn from Toy Love they tried to be as idealistic as possible and

they tried to be honest, they did their best and they got chewed up by the business, and that’s an example to any band." Hamish Kilgour of the Clean, March 1982.

“I've never really liked rock ’n’ roll that much. I’ve often found it very exciting, it didn’t really add anything to life, but I saw the great potential of it as a new art form. Hopefully I’ve expanded from rock to encompass a lot more of the writing styles of the 20th century." David Bowie, Dec 1978.

So you didn’t like going to New Zealand? “No. I think it is the worst place I've ever been to.” Because of the reception, audiences or what? "Because you couldn’t get any drugs.” Nick Cave in LA, October 1984.

Where do you come from? “I don't come from anywhere. I was born in a stable in Jerusalem.” Nick Cave again.

“The solution is not to continue depriving people of their rights. It’s no different from a business problem you identify the causes and then come up with the

solutions. We can’t afford to go the other way and risk

teenagers being virtually banned from the inner city." Michael Dow, record retailer and member of the Queen St Retailers’ Association, after the Aotea Square riot, Dec 1984.

“I moved to Nashville, still with my big hairdo, long since out-of-style. People started telling me I should change my look. And I thought well, for somebody to tell me that only means they’ve noticed the way I look. So I decided to change it alright by exaggerating it.” Dolly Parton on hairdos, August 1979.

"We were into a lot of camp and a lot of shtick. Like knives on stage and day-glo crosses and all kinds of weird stuff....blood. It was definitely punk.” Debbie Harry on pre-Blondie group The Stilettoes (founded 1973), the houseband at CBGBs. Dec 1977.

“We saw Frankie on television and nobody would sign them because they were gay and most of the people in the record industry are gay and they don’t like it dragged out in the open. We wanted to cause a fuss in a very

banal way. We weren’t claiming it was going to change the face of pop but me and Trevor just wanted to upset.” Paul Morley on Frankie, June 1984.

“When I heard about that, I thought this must be some kind of police state. That guy knows fuckin' nothin’ about culture. I’m really glad to come here and try and fuck up that kind of a bloke.” Wreckless Eric on Rob Muldoon’s views on “culture”, July 1980.

“We really wanted to do the single but we couldn't be bothered trying to convince anyone else that we should. I did approach Simon Grigg about getting on Class of 81 but the others threatened to beat me up.” Harry Ratbag explaining the Herco Pilots' do-it-yourself philosophy, April 1981.