Saturday, July 17, 2010
My Kiwi Top 10 -- Part II
It's true, there is a bit more to my appreciation of the NZ music scene during the years I was there than was indicated in my previous post. Like the wonderful Main Street and Zwines years – too few and too fast a-passing – that contrived to delay my PhD completion by some not inconsiderable time. There was music most nights, some of it so good that I recall its sound even over and above the methodical bang of the old BSA B-33 that would ferry me back to Laingholm in all conditions and states. As my mention of Red McKelvie in the previous post betrays, I'm not above a bit of casual namedropping here and there. So I can tell you that I was there and abouts during gestation period and short-lived comet-like career of the totally wonderful Screaming MeeMees – counting the van der Fluit family among my friends at the time. I see that Peter has stayed in the music game and nowadays co-runs a sound mix and production business (with his former MeeMees co-conspirator MM). “If this is paradise I'll take the bag” is in that heap of vinyl we lugged to Coatepec, and it gets dusted off regularly – along with Tall Dwarfs and the incomparable AK79 collection. Digging out the youtube flicks of those AK79 folks playing the 2008 reunion was a hoot. I couldn't find any vids of the Spelling Mistakes, but will keep looking.
So, to round the story out a bit, here's a selection that pretty much captures the best of the live local stuff that could be had on a reasonably regular basis in Auckland during the best times I knew there.
Screaming MeeMees – Compilation
Tall Dwarfs – Nothing's going to happen”
Chills – Wet Blanket
Clean “Tally Ho”
Verlaines – Death and the Maiden
Suburban Reptiles – Saturday Night
Spelling Mistakes – Feel So Good
The Terrorways – She's a Mod
Proud Scum – I am a Rabbit
The Scavengers – Mysterex
