RUMOURS

Rip It Up, Issue 212, 1 April 1995, Page 34

RUMOURS

AUCKLAND Supergroove are back in New Zealand for a short tour, then return to Australia mid-April for gigs, before trying their hand in Asia ... after six years warming the stool, Mark Pollard has left the Nixons, new drummer is Luke Casey ... new host of bFM’s NZ music show Freak The Sheep is Flying Nun Records' Natasha Griffiths ... former Christchurch band Future Stupid have been playing regularly in Auckland, and are currently filming a video for their forthcoming single "Spontaneous Combustion' ... Abba Salutely is a Aying Nun tribute album to the Swedish popsters due to be released in July. The compilation will include the 3Ds covering 'Mama Mia', Breast Secreting Cake doing Ring Ring', and Shayne Carter and Fiona McDonald duetting on Does Your Mother. Know' ... Three The Hard Way are to play 12 headlining gigs in Australia from the 18-27 of April, to promote the Australian release of Old Skool Prankstas ... the Mutton Birds are currently touring Canada and the US, including gigs in New York with Dean Wareham's Luna ... Pschyo Andy's Bone Machine celebrates its third birthday with a do at .Squid on April 28 ... Greg Fleming has been completing pre-production, and will record his second album this month ... drummer Mike Crowhen has left Braille to devote more time to Seat Bee Sate. New Braille skinsman is Tim Whitehead (ex-Jazz Committee) ... issue nine of Intravene magazine is out now. Write to PO Box 8385 Symonds St, Auckland for details... Thursday Night Soundclash at Deßretts' Shortland Deli sees Slave and guests spinning the latest hip hop and funk from 9pm ... Respect is back at the Box and Cause Celebre on April 14. and features DJs Simon Grigg, Mark Phillips, Peter Urlich,- Manuel Bundy, Roger Perry, Sam Hill, and Murray Cammick ... Hello Sailor play at Squid on April 13 ... big Sailor fan Andrew Moore has formed a new band with Boyd Thwaites (of the Lils) and Nicola Rush, called Cane Slide ... Superette (featuring Dave Mulcahy of JPSE) are recording a single /Killer Clown' for release on Aying Nun ... Jim Laing, also of the Experience, has a new band together called Lanky ... the Semi MCs have split up ... the Paua Fritters are recording an EP called 'Harbour' at Montage ... Sudersuk have a cassette release on the way ... the Hanson brothers (ex-Spelling Mistakes, Terror of Tinytown and Green Eggs & Ham) have new bands on the go. Nick Hanson’s band the Doris Days are recording demos at Montage and Julian is doing the same at Revolver Studios with Lozenge. ■ ' JOHN RUSSELL HAMILTON The Contact 89FM Subcard Series takes place during the first week of April ... Lovefish are planning to release a CD compilation of Hamilton bands very soon ... the Widdershuns have been recording at Orange and at the Fridge for release on Dunedin label IMD ... Dave Whitehead of Theta Productions is now working for Waikato University's Audio Visual Department

... Spatula Death plan to record and release a 7" single by the end of April ... Jackie Keelan Davey's debut single, 'Parihaka', will be released mid-April . 4 . Blackjack are presently recording their second album at the Zoo ... Inchworm are planning a short New Zealand tour in late April/early May to support their 'Come Out, Come Out' single and video. JUSTIN HARRIS HAWKES BAY Hanging Tree mainman Hannay has been cruising down the information superhighway with reviews; write ups and a complete song from the Windows in Wonderland tape being distributed on Internet. Interest from overseas, especially the States, has been promising, with a great number of contacts being made, along with chances to swap material, including zines and independent recordings ... music industry changes are happening, with Hawkes Bay Agencies losing their Ibanez guitar and Tama drum franchises to Australis Music ... Original Music Nights have moved back to Napier and are now held at Mossy's, still on Wednesday nights ... also at Mossy's, every second Monday, is a jazz night being run by Bob Jackson ... Scotty Smith of the Kaweka Flyers has been recording demos in Wellington with Robbie Duncan ... Beat Not Fish are in the mixing stages of their album and are planning an initial release of 500 CDs in April ... HB Musicians club is continuing its club nights every second Tuesday of the month at the Union Hotel ... Access Radio hits the Bay with Radio Kidnappers broadcasting on 1431 AM. Keep. an ear out for Hannay every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, 12-2 am, and Graeme Chaplow every Saturday night, 8-10 pm. Both are playing some interesting sounds not heard elsewhere ... country boy John Fletcher did well at Tamworth, winning a number of awards, although not the big one. Recording time was part of the prize ... a note to all Hawkes Bay musicians reading this: if you want your news printed here contact me on (06) 844 5245. TONY PARKER PALMERSTON NORTH Zigsaur continue to take over the world (by taking it hostage) with the launching of a Zigsaur fanclub. For $4.95,' or SIOO with a subcard, you get a Zigsaur newsletter, comic, badge and Zigsaur underwear... rumour has it that Sub Zero night club is moving and will be having nights for bands. Hooray! ... Rob Thorne-Man Alone is getting it together between bouts of being obnoxiously drunk, to release a cassette of material he recorded at the Stomach last year. The cassette is being released on Lizard Mull Records, famous for the Foisemaster 7” ... CUNT are releasing a limitied edition cut 7” record. The records are being cut on real vinyl (ie. not pressed) at Foxton and will be released on Yellow Bike Records. In fact, it will be Yellow Bike Records' fourteenth release ... Dave White never ceases to shock us all. This time he has written a novel called Battery Acid. The novel is now one of five finalists for the Reed Action Award. The winner is to be announced in Dunedin the same night as his band CUNT perform at the Empire ... 99.4 FM Radio Massey have a new building which houses both the studio and the offices. That's right, they used to be hundreds of - ■ metres apart ... Shoeshine, featuring Andrew Coy, ex-Feast of Stevens, and Matt and Boris from Blunt, have recorded an album which they plan to release on CD ... Next Big Thing played at a Normal gig in Wellington, and are planning on recording in Wanganui ... Pretty on the Inside are having a few instore gigs to help bands avoid being threatened by regular drinkers at the New Royal for having a soundcheck while the juke box is playing. CLAIRE PANNELL

NEW PLYMOUTH The Mill has been the centre of any sort of contemporary live music event lately with six nights in a row of everything from Gate to the Managers. Billed as a Mad March Festival of the Sonic Arts, it went well and will happen again next Taranaki Anniversary Weekend ... The Nod are still recording in Auckland ... Nefarious have a new drummer, Chris Harding (ex Bogans, Sin). He has to travel 50 miles from Hawera to New Plymouth to practice twice a week after work. That shows commitment to rock 'n' roll ... New Plymouth departees Warp Spasm played with Slayer in Wellington. They are planning a mini tour of New Plymouth, Palmerston North’ and Wellington sometime in April ... Supergroove, Pumkinhead and Future Stupid play Westpoint Complex on April 2 ... the Nitespot (ex Section 8) has been the scene of a few local gigs recently. Two new bands, Schizophrenia and Amaranth, have been playing there lately. A Rock Against Work event, featuring Brother Love, Space Dust and Schizophrenia, will take place there at spm on August 13 ... Beggars Banquet Is a smorgasbord of rock 'n' roll on August 15, featuring Nefarious, The Butcher Club and Wretched Skinny ... George Bamby, owner of the Taranaki Times, claims he has booked Tina Turner to play two shows at the Bowl Of Brooklands in December, and he also claims to have sponsorship from Coca Cola. Tina Turner

currently promotes Pepsi ... the Rocks Hard CDs are sitting on the floor of Ima Hitt waiting for covers ... the Sticky Filth 7” is on its way back from its fourth trip to the pressing plant ... Mushroom Ball takes place on May 12 & 13. Bands disgracing the stage are Hideously Disfigured, The Ashvins, Snort, Ape Management, Sticky Filth, Dog Tooth Violet, Nefarious, Schizophrenia, The Warners, Dead Centre and Iris. Ball tickets are available by post from Ima Hitt Records at PO Box 407, New Plymouth ... the number of Nefarious cassette releases has reached five. The latest being called Land of 1000 Shifting Bones ... for info on any New Plymouth Rumours call (06) 75899, and if you wanna play here, ring or fax that number also. FRED SMITH WELLINGTON The big name overseas acts have been taking pride of place in the Capital over the last few weeks, with M People, the Grid, Slayer, Biohazard and Dinosaur Jr., all doing what they do best in various venues around the city, turning the musical focus away from local acts. Yet there are some positive aspects to the foreign invasion — Short, the resident great hopes, scored the prime Dinosaur Jr support 510 t... the city has a new studio up and running. Situated in the Thorndon Railway Yard, the studio’s first task is to record the much loved Truckstop. Also on the agenda are recordings by Plankton, Seep and Clay ... Lichen Pole' have just released their debut cassette ... the Godchildren single will be out in the not too distant future ... the long awaited CD release from Funkmutha is somewhere in the pipeline. Meanwhile, a couple of Funkmuthas and a Head Like A Hole have joined together for a venture called Baconfoot. Gigs and possible recordings to follow ... the Brainchilds have released a three song EP, accompanied with a single and a Grant La Hood directed video ... jazz singer Tim Strong has been working with Apollo 10 on a slightly hushed project, but details are far from clear on that one ... TimWerry, lead singer of the Waltons, is recording a solo album ... Blood Flower are recording demos at the Original Music Workshop for a single release on Lost Records. - - ' DONALD REID CHRISTCHURCH Swim Everything, who last appeared in 1993, have recorded a 7” to be pressed at King Records in Geraldine. Swim Everything, for those who don't remember, are Blair Parkes (Creely), Brett Lupton (Squirm) and Campbell (Squirm and Creeley’s video producer) ... speaking of Squirm videos, after rejection from Frenzy for their videos for ‘Whip Me Honey' and 'Broken Planet’, a third video is in production which doesn’t include sex, swearing or even the band members. In the words of Virgil Reality: “Hopefully they'll play this one” ... Urinator have been quiet recently, but promise this , will end with Operation Music Storm ... now that student loans are available again, Nerve have started recording for a forthcoming CD EP ... Other 7-s also released (or to be released) on King Records come from Chicane (stocks limited to 50) and Dr Lovegland Sound System’s ‘Chopper Baby’ ... Andrew Hampton, keyboardist for Wadd, has left Christchurch to work in Wellington ... confirmed entries for the Christchurch heats of Operation Music Storm on April 6, 7 and 8 include Snort, Urinator, Mezzanine, Leonard Nimoy, Chameleon, Atomic Blossom and others ... In Vitro Vaccine and Leonard Nimoy both have recent release on KRKRKRK Cassettes. For a catalogue write to PO Box 36-249, Christchurch ... German label Incoming have expressed interest in including Salmonella Dub on a compilation to be called Surrenity Dub, along with other dub artists from around the world ... new bands who have recorded recently, and who can be heard on RDU at the moment, include Disgraceland, and the Tardigrades. Any bands who are recording at the moment and would be interested in airplay for their demos, contact Tim at RDU ... Quadrophenia recently celebrated its first birthday with Chicane, Holocene and Saturn Rising playing to a kinda pissed crowd ... responses heard to last month's RipltUp article on the Christchurch music scene included: “Who cares what Grant McDonough thinks anyway”, and: "What was the article supposed to be about?” In addition, Grant McDonough ensured that he cut his own throat even fur-.

ther with more opinionated lies about Simon McLaren's statements in the article ... any rumours for this column ph 3796320. HAT DUNEDIN HDU played their first gig of ‘95 at the Empire recently. Apparently 'such an intense display of guitar smashing rock has not been seen in recent memory’... mayhem and carnage at the Empire when Chris Knox and the Renderers played on March 24. Local rock promoter and marketing student Juan was last seen attempting to fly down the Empire stairs ... Skin, the Otago University Students Association literary review (‘it’s a book, it’s a set of postcards, it’s a CD with one song and hours of art noise, plus surgical glove’) was launched at the railway station, complete with screaming poets, semi-clad dancers, free wine, ‘rock and roll’ and startled American tourists ... Humania have a new bass player called Jamie, formerly of Umlaut, and a new singer Toni, ex-Ernie’s ... Das Phaedras have split up. Victor Billot has gone on to form new group Body Bomb with Tristan Dingemans (HDU) and Tim O'Dea (Junkyard Jesus) ... Big Brough Band, who debuted at Too Many Daves' triumphant last gig, have mutated into New Van(a), a grunge revival band ... John Howell (Too Many Daves) is forming a new three piece ... Swarm, Trash and Nimrod Diabolique's national tour has been postponed until June to avoid clashing with Sebadoh. Swarm are to record a new single at Volt in April ... others recording at Volt — forthcoming Trash album, the Verlaines to a demo new album in April, HDU set to demo and record, Kid Eternity to record a best of. Both My Deviant Daughter aand Runt recently completed their first full length albums at V01t... Peter Jeffries has left imd. Jo Keith (Verlaines manager) is imd's new sales and administration person ... Horodrody X is soon to release material recorded at Broken Ear studio in 1994 ... Laughin Gas have recorded six songs. They’re hoping to release a CD ...

BVC’s new single ‘Hey Baby’/'Grain of Salt' is to be released on Roofbolt recordings (Chicago) later this year. Andrew Barsby stands in for Paul Cahill, who was in Australia ... Cloudboy are to release a single soon. The Cloudboy CD is on the way and will be released through Flying In and Yellow Eye ... Funhouse have just finished recording an as yet untitled mini album (eight songs), to be released through Yellow Eye. They’ve made two videos for the songs ‘Don’t Mind’ and ‘Maze’ ... Smirky have been recording with Darren Steadman (Verlaines) on drums ... Drugs vs Grandchildren’s first single ‘Noise and Fumes’, is available from 90 Russell St, Dunedin ... Cheese Band and Drunk Uncle have recorded demos at Graffiti Recordings Studios ... a new night club is to open soon in Vogel Street, ominiously titled XS ROCK ... Radio One is organising a free APRA seminar on Thursday May 18for all songwriters and anyone interested in finding out more about APRA. Phone Radio One for more details ... if you have any info for the column phone David 477-6115.

DAVID MUIR