​While most of the rest of the bands on the compilation have played at Nivara Lounge, the first track is a notable exception. This was a track submitted anonymously by ‘r.p.i.l.d.’, and titled ‘I Love Nivara Lounge’; “This is a song about my happy place”, it begins. This song really sums up what Nivara Lounge means to so many people, and it serves as a great compilation opener, to keep our thoughts on what this compilation is really all about; “City park placement, the Tron’s best basement; It pushes all my buttons, but not when I am shut in”. Brilliant stuff. Who is this mysterious musician, and what is r.p.i.l.d.? Well, the following appeared on the Hamilton Music Wiki from an anonymous IP address, that explains at least part of our question:

HUP: Tell me briefly about Lizard; when did you form, how would you describe Lizard’s music, and who were your biggest influences?
 
Gwyn: Lizard formed in 1994. Keith [Wright: vocals, guitar] and I were good friends but in different bands. Both of our band’s split up. So we started a new project with a few other friends and started writing new music. My brother Rod [guitar, vocals] joined later that year and Mark Brightwell on drums when Th’ Clap finished. That was the line-up for the ‘Rumours’ EP.

Our music covers a wide range of styles as Keith, Rod and I all write and sing. Reggae, funk, rock and punk all featured through our music. Our influences are Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Ramones, Dead Kennedy’s, Fishbone, Suicidal Tendencies, and Infectious Grooves, but also Van Halen and Black Sabbath, and we evolved into a surf punk and funk band.
 
HUP: You are re-releasing your early album and EPs online. What are the releases, and when were they originally released? What has made you release then online at this stage?
 
Gwyn: Our first EP ‘Rumours’ was released in 1996, our first album ‘Dave - Once A Lizard, Always A Lizard’ was released in 1998 and our second EP ‘ZFS’ (Zesty Fruit Slice) was released in 2011.
​
No Lizard releases have ever been released digitally. In October 2018 my brother Rod and I released our ‘Morgan Brothers Band’ EP ‘Kin’ digitally through DRM. That went really well and it led to Rod, Keith and I agreeing to remaster and re-release the Lizard back catalogue.

DRM are great to work with, and after ‘Kin’ was released we had a lot of people asking where they could get our Lizard albums.

HUP: How do you think the songs have stood the test of time? Are there any songs you are still particularly proud of?
 
Gwyn: I think the songs are still great. Because we have a variety of styles it works well.

‘Rumours’ is a great song off our first EP and really got Lizard our start. ‘Chocolate Fish’, ‘Boris’ and ‘Take Me Away’ off the Dave... album got a tonne of airplay, and that album sold over 3000 CDs. Off ZFS ‘Never Seem The Wiser’ is a great track.
 
HUP: For people that haven’t head Lizard before, what three songs from these releases would you recommend someone have a listen to, and why?

Gwyn: ‘Rumours’, ‘Boris’ and ‘Chocolate Fish’.
 
HUP: Where online can people find the releases?
​
Gwyn: Spotify, iTunes, YouTube and 30 other streaming or download platforms.

​The self-titled album from Hamilton’s Datemonthyear has been long in the oven. Head chef/band founder Trevor Faville has been working on this material for the last five years and the results show a true dedication to the craft, both in musical arrangement and aesthetics. This is an album that, despite being created by “independent music bohemians”, is professionally astute. It is paired with quirky lyrics and memorable hooks that will no doubt ensure its popularity. 

Opening number, entitled, ahem, ‘Numbers’, is a great example of this. The vocals of Emma Koretz float breezily over the instrumental but spike surprisingly in the ear.  Lines like, “dancing with Machiavelli’s Ghost” followed quickly with “Supermarket queue on a Saturday” give the elaborate and the mundane so succinctly.  The song gives way to the punchy ‘Flowers’. Here, the instrumental prowess of Brooke Baker (guitar, keyboards), Tyler Leet (guitar) and Hayley Schwass (bass) come to the fore to support Koretz’ smooth vocal delivery. 

‘July’ must have been written with northern hemisphere whanau in mind (“July/making hay while the sun shine’s down”). It is the lead single and sees squelchy guitar and soaring singing keeping fans of everyone from early Neil Young to Fur Patrol hanging onto every note. It would be easy for these songs to be lumped into something quintessentially “Kiwi”, with some similar sounds to other local heroes like the basslines of Lucid Three or the understated but complex drumming of someone like Ross Burge of The Mutton Birds, but there is something more here. 

That may well be picked up by listeners as far flung as Essex, Argentina and Germany (where Datemonthyear are already getting airtime), and it may be that artists in general are not being hemmed in by geographical constraints the way that may have been true of the Dunedin Sound for example. The smaller the world becomes, the bigger a band like Datemonthyear will be able to be. It feels like that Datemonthyear are “making faces to the scenery” and taking a journey that is just as emotionally varied as it is not grounded in solely being a “kiwi” band and that makes it a mighty fine record.
​

​More recent New Zealand band postcard releases have included those produced for the ‘Volume: Making Music in Aotearoa’ exhibition, which ran at Auckland Museum from October 2016 to May 2017. Included among the postcards sold were images of Suburban Reptiles and The Enemy, as well as a series of historic ‘Rip it Up’ covers; among these was the magazine’s 2014 cover featuring Jennie Skulander of local band Devilskin. 

​Perhaps the favourite postcard in my collection, however, is one advertising Patea Maori Club’s ‘Poi E’, likely originating from around the time of its original release in 1984; it features the art associated with the release, ‘Kahui rere – Ngarauru’, created by Joe Wylie, with its moa riders, its half-man/half-tuatara creatures and flying people.

R E V I E W
Fly My Pretties at Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival
By K.D. [with additions and critical counterpoints in parentheses by I.D.]
 
After a few afternoon showers on the penultimate day of the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival, the evening sky was open and clear, and the families were out when Fly My Pretties took the stage; their first visit to Hamilton in seven years.

​The well-known ‘Bag of Money’ followed, which was perfect for the audience. This was accompanied by lots of loud cheers. While I also really enjoyed it, it was about this point that I really realised how much I was enjoying my introduction to the “new” (to me) material, rather than the old-school, well known reggae beats. Troy Kingi later fronted ‘Ethiopia’ – some more enjoyable but fairly typical reggae – although the high keys sounded an enjoyably interesting counterpoint. The musicians possibly had the most fun of the night with ‘Hit the Hay’, led by Ryan Prebble. Kind of grungy, kind of electronica, kind of voodoo rock reggae. Whatever the genre, it was funky and enjoyable.

[For me, the reggae strums and beats were wearing a bit thin though this section. Nevertheless, overall, the performance spanned a range of other genres, including laid back funk, smooth jazz, gospel and pop, with precise musicianship and vocal harmonies. All of this was highly inoffensive and unchallenging – you didn’t need to know the songs to enjoy them, which made this performance perfect for the broad-aged festival crowd].

Mutunga: The whole ensemble was back on stage to finish with some funky reggae, and with a much fuller sound than that which opened the show. They went off, returned, and when they finally sidled off again, we were left with some excellent synchronised drumming to finish. Impressive stuff.

Those who didn’t take centre stage but were still impressive on their instruments included: Nigel Patterson (keyboard), Jarney Murphy (drums), Mike Fabulous (bass), Iraia Whakamoe (drums), and James Coyle (keyboard).

[‘What kind of flower would Fly My Pretties’ be?, I asked myself following the show. They were certainly showy, like an orchid, but they were also as accessible to pollinators as a buttercup – having the ability to be appreciated by a wide range of visitors who came to sample their nectar].

We were treated to a selection of new songs from her forthcoming album ‘Out Of My Province’ followed, and felt immediately familiar. ‘Oh Canada’, ‘Best Thing’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Take Anything From You’ are certainly from the same stable as previous offerings, although on initial listen seem a little darker, perhaps more introspective than material from the first two albums.

A cover of Mazzy Star’s ‘Fade Into You’ was treated just like the other songs, no introduction, and I wondered of any of the older crowd had ever heard of Hope Sandoval. Ultimately it didn’t matter and of course, they applauded politely. The set closed with my personal highlight ‘Right On Time’ from 2016’s Preservation LP. It seemed to get a fair amount of seat jiving happening too, reminding me of the opening credits of Fraggle Rock. In a good way.

A solo encore followed, ‘Get The Devil Out’, the closing track on the new album, with its twisted sadness a weird-in-a-good-way end to the set.

Overall a faultless performance from an established star and an excellent live band in a wonderful environment, but a weird perhaps too-gentle crowd making it a slightly awkward atmosphere at times. No one's fault of course, that’s just how it goes.

​As I slunk into the hazy last light of the day to be bombarded with what people probably call ‘blues’ music on the other stage, I was reminded to always be grateful for what you have.  

I N T E R V I E W
Unlikely Banter: A Q&A with Paul Kean of The Bats
with Ian Duggan

It’s been a little over two years since The Bats’ last (sellout) show in Hamilton, and they are finally returning to Nivara Lounge on Friday, 6 March! And with support from Matthew Bannister and Bitter Defeat, we are pretty much guaranteed of a memorable night of quality music! HUP spoke with The Bats’ Paul Kean about their upcoming album, ‘The Foothills’, what we should look forward to on the night, and the best bands that The Bats have supported, or been supported by!

HUP: Your last visit to Hamilton was hot on the heels of your magnificent ninth album, ‘The Deep Set’. This time around we are going to be the guinea pigs for some material from your soon to be released album, ‘The Foothills’. What should we expect from this album? 
​​
Paul: We thought we’d revisit recording ourselves as we did with [1987s debut album] 'Daddy’s Highway'. We did this in a mobile studio we set up in a farm house in the Canterbury foothills. Some of the songs feel live and edgy, whereas others have a dark introspective vibe... and we have a couple of quirky ones. The recorded and mixed sound has come out very well. We are still selecting the final songs and order to include on the album, thinking about the A and B sides for vinyl flow, and also how ‘the whole’ will work on CD or streamed. 

HUP: You have a couple of great support acts lined up in the form of Bitter Defeat and Matthew Bannister for this show. Who in your opinion have been the best bands that have ever supported The Bats, or that you have supported?

Paul: Hard to single out the best support acts. Bird Nest Roys at the Rising Sun popped into my mind, the Flowers at NYC Popfest, Goblin Mix... we opened for Radiohead on their first USA tour with Belly. Radiohead were a surprise for us. Creep had just rocketed up the charts and they were buzzing. It was good for us to open as the venues were full for our set. People sang along to our songs which was encouraging.
​
We played with the Wedding Present and Television on a tour in France, which was memorable. Especially at La Cigalle in Paris. It was broadcast live on Bernard Lenoir’s radio show - one of our best performances.  A couple of songs are released on a CD from his show.

HUP: You have promised “some Friday night fun… and a bit of reflection”. Is this, being your tenth album, providing an opportunity to look back over your career to date? Should we be expecting some between song reminiscences?

Paul: Unlikely you’ll get much in between banter! Certainly nothing planned. I’ll have a think about it and discuss with the band... but we have pulled out a few old songs we haven’t played in a while. There are a few from our last two releases, ‘Free All the Monsters’ and ‘The Deep Set’, plus a selection of favourites.
 
HUP: The album was originally intended to be released last year; why has it taken so long, and what is the revised release date?
 
Paul: The long time is partly to do with too many other projects, parties, weddings, funerals, and partly to do with me having to mix while still doing a day job… it’s mixed and I’m about to send it off to Flying Nun. Then it takes six months for vinyl, but expect a digi-single or three over the next few months! We’re making some videos too.

HUP: Is the ‘skeleton string section’ you included on ‘The Deep Set’ still with you? 

Paul: The Skeleton Strings won’t be joining us on this date. Rochelle Brugh will play with us on a few songs.
 
HUP: Do you still have the bass you played in Toy Love? And where did it come from?"

Paul: I still have my barracuda bass that I made from a modified fender jazz neck and a body of red beech that I carved out. I still play it occasionally and record with it, but it’s a bit too heavy for me to play standing up these days.

Tickets are available from undertheradar!

I N T E R V I E W
Waikato Rockers Reunion: An interview with Phil Walsh
​with Ian Duggan

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there appeared to be two distinct music scenes in Hamilton. One, the ‘alternative’ scene, centred around Contact 89FM at the University of Waikato. The other, more mainstream scene, was centred on the clubs in town. The ‘Waikato Rockers Reunion’ at the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival takes place on the Rhododendron Lawn on 28 February, organised by Phil Walsh of Doublebass Promotions, and focuses on this latter scene. Bands and musicians appearing on the night had their heydays in the times of The Lady Hamilton (later Shakes) on Alexandra St and Zaks in Te Rapa. We talked to Phil about who he has organised to play, how he has managed to get them back together, and the limited re-release of Hamiltune – Rockin’ the Tron.

​
​HUP: There is a long list of bands and musicians advertised as making guest appearances at the reunion. Who have you got playing, and how is the night going to work?

Phil: Yes, trying to organize that many bands in such a limited time-span is problematic for a hundred reasons. Just getting ALL of the full line-ups together with the musicians spread all over the globe, and the time lost in changing equipment.

Velvet Bulldozer will open with a short set, as they are pretty much the only band from that era still playing, and still with the same line-up from the late ‘80s.

​Four-fifths of The Giants are available, so they will be the ‘House Band’, and will feature a series of ‘guest stars’ including Darryl Monteith (Joe 90, WhisperScream), Lawrence Arps (The Break, Stainless Steel), Zed Brookes (Step Chant Unit), Rik Bernards (Knightshade), Woody Dean (international session keyboardist), Mike Wilkie (Sly Tourists, Citizen Kane, Made in Britain) and Martyn Clist (Fury). Members of the Giants also played in Echoes, Russia, 8 Forty 8, Living Proof, and other bands. It was a pretty incestual scene back then.

They will be followed by The Bronx with guest guitarist Grant ‘Weka’ Shaw from Gafford Hamsters. They will play a full set of originals and covers. After that Gavin Dempsey and Paul Martin from Blackjack will play a couple of their songs with Jeff Downey (Echoes, The Politicians) and Denis Newby (The Bronx) on drums and bass.

Both Mark Rimington (Echoes) and Tim Armstrong (The Politicians, Kiwi Bandits) are unavailable for the night, but we have a video screen backdrop so they have given me permission to play their singles videos from the era.
On top of that, ‘80s-‘90s rock photographer (and ex-Radio Contact DJ) Karen Ford is putting together a display of photos from the day to display as the bands as playing.  The photos include shots from a huge range of bands from back in the day; some still with us, some sadly not.
​
And, to cap it off, we have a special guest MC, radio personality of the era, Mr Ronny Philips.

HUP: How have you managed to get all these musicians back together for the night? I imagine there was a lot of planning involved!

Phil: Yep, the planning has been… intense. Not just organizing the night, but arranging combinations of rehearsals with musicians from all over the North Island.  I liken it to “trying to organize a pre-schoolers day trip to MOTAT”. But a huge part of it is that most of these musicians all played together in various combinations over the two decades, and just having them all in the same room at the same time will be like big hugest family reunion ever.
 
HUP: Are you having to deal with any egos, regarding who plays at what time of the night?

Phil: No, not at all.  We’re all a bit older now and the egos are well in check. In fact, I have been humbled by the enthusiastic response and the willingness to help out and work in. All of the artists are as excited to be there as I am; just to be back playing with each other again.
 
HUP: Do you know what is being played by each of the artists, or is a lot of it going to be a surprise for you too?

Phil: No… the songs are all pre-determined. Especially for the artists being supported, we are rehearsing all of those now.  And, I have to submit set lists to APRA before the gig. There may be a couple of last minute substitutions, but only one or two.
 
HUP: Many of bands played in the clubs in town and, to keep the punters happy, would have played primarily played covers. However, most of the bands, including Echoes, Blackjack, Step Chant Unit and The Bronx, all released original music also. What is the mix going to be of originals and covers on the night?
 
Phil: It’s going to be a mix of both.  You’ll be getting original songs (live and video) from Joe 90, Step Chant Unit, Knightshade, The Bronx, Blackjack, Echoes and The Politicians.
 
HUP: One of the exciting aspects for me is that Gavin Dempsey and Paul Martin of Blackjack are performing together again for the first time in 26 years. Who are you most anticipating seeing live again, and why?
​
Phil: Yes, getting Gavin and Paul involved has been a HUGE bonus, and I can’t wait to see them play. Again, for me, as I was involved with most of those bands (and played in a few) and I am playing with The Giants again; getting to be on stage with these guys is like a dream come true. I’m equally ecstatic and terrified at the same time.

HUP: Associated with the gig, you are doing a limited re-release of Hamiltune: Rockin’ the Tron - a compilation of songs from the more mainstream bands from the time - which I think provides a great complement to Discordia Concors, which covered the alternative scene through a similar period.  How can people get hold of Hamiltune, and do you think you will ever consider a Hamiltune Two?
 
Phil: YES…  A limited re-release of Hamiltune is due to drop on Monday. There will only be 100 copies, and apart from the duplication and printing we are waiving all admin and percentage cuts, so ALL profits will go directly to the musicians who contributed.  $15 for 20 tracks of Waikato musical history.

People can purchase online at www.doublebass.net.nz/shop/product/220218/db91-HAMILTUNE-2015/

Or, I will be at the Hamilton Blues Soc gig, back bar of Biddys on Thurs 13th, and the will be sales on the night (if there’s any left),

Or, if none of the suits, people can contact me at doublebass.co@gmail.com
​
Hamiltune Two?  It’s been in the back of my mind since the first one. There were so many bands that Zed and I couldn’t track down or just ran out of space for.  Let’s see how the concert is received and if the re-issue is popular.
​

Arpie caught up with brilliant Hamilton-based indie-folk duo Lhasa ahead of their show with Manchester's Good Habits at Nivara Lounge next Wednesday, January 22nd.

Who is Lhasa and how long have you been a band?
We are an indie folk duo from Hamilton and we sometimes sing a little too loudly. We are Micaela and Samuel Fistonich and we first met around 4 years ago while studying music. About a year after that we started to write songs together and that’s really where it all started. We released our debut EP in September 2019. We love writing music and playing shows together, and we’re just trying to create the kind of music that we’ve always loved listening to.

​What are your main influences? In music, and in life?
Our biggest influences on our music in terms of artists are probably Led Zeppelin and The Civil Wars. We both listen to quite a lot of different music though and that shows in our songs. Our families and the places we grew up in really shaped us into who we are today. Sam spent the first 18 years of his life in China and Micaela grew up in Australia and then Tauranga. Both of our families are really supportive of our music and have encouraged us a lot on this journey.

Who writes the songs and how do they come to be?
It’s definitely always collaborative. We each come with ideas and both build on them together. Most of the time it flows pretty easily when we write which is good. Sam then does all our recording, mixing, and mastering for our releases.

How do you find being in a band based in Hamilton?
It’s been a pretty good experience so far. We’ve got quite a few musician friends who are always keen to gig and it’s quite a supportive community. 

What has been the highlight of being in Lhasa so far?
Finally releasing our first EP last year was pretty awesome. It took a little longer to complete than expected so it was a great feeling when it came out. We’re really proud of it and stoked with the positive feedback we’ve got from it.
​

​​What plans do you have for 2020 and beyond?
To continue on the road we’re on, really. We’re on our first North Island tour right now and we keen to book some tours overseas as well. We’re also going to start recording some new songs in February, so keep an eye out for new music!

What was the last album you bought?
The Road Home by Paper Cranes. We’ve been fans for a while but we finally bought a physical copy at their gig last year in Hamilton. 

What has been your favourite show in recent times, by another band?
That’s a tough one. Would have to be a toss up between George After James’ single release show in December and a gig we went to that featured our friends Lasair, Artinian, and Isabella Velvet. 

Get along to catch Lhasa live at Nivara Lounge with Good Habits next Wednesday Jan 22nd...here they are with their neat track 'Small Person'...

​Die! Die! Die! make a welcome return to Kirikiriroa this coming Friday (Dec 13th) with a show at Nivara Lounge with Coolies, OKSUN OX and Sora Shima. Hayden Pyke caught up with band's guitarist and vocalist Andrew Wilson ahead of the show. 

Nostalgia is a bastard of a thing. It serves up all this expectation. It colours things often in ways that aren’t as exacting on a revisit. Finding out I was going to have a chat to Die! Die! Die! guitarist and vocalist, Andrew Wilson about (among other things) the reissue of their acclaimed album Promises, Promises, I’ll admit I was a little nervous.

​Promises, Promises was the soundtrack to a particular time in my version of Hamilton, my little Nissan Pulsar and several raucous nights on Vic Street back in 2007-08ish. A CD long since lost or given to an ex-girlfriend but remembered with great fondness. Had my memories changed the facts or vice versa? I needn’t have worried. The album and its vocalist are just as endearing after all this time, which is probably an insult to a punk band, but never meant that way. 
​

​Andrew tells me that he still considers Die! Die! Die! just that, a punk band, though they’ve been called all kinds of other things. Labels like noise pop, post punk are always thrust upon the group never created from the inside and aren’t generally that helpful. I wondered about raising a previous interview where the band recounted playing The China Hardcore Music Festival and felt they were being booed for not being ‘Hardcore’ enough. In fairness, that’s not entirely a labelling issue, and our conversation had moved on. What had occurred in China at that time was that Lachlan Anderson left the group leaving Andrew and drummer Mike(y) Prain once again without a bassist.

Times have turned however as Andrew tells me that Lachie is back, and this change seems like Die! Die! Die! to a T. The band has often had a rotating cast of bassists, several much-needed hiatuses and there are times when Die! Die! Die! just weren’t doing music. Hell, they were meant to be playing their last show in the summer of ‘03-04. Andrew explained that there have been many times the band had stopped being fun, wasn’t sustainable or just in a “bullshit holding pattern,” and so these breaks and personal changes were always on the cards. But the band wasn’t over. 

Andrew and Mikey’s friendship is such that not only has the band continued, it produced some of the best music of their careers. The spikey and aggressive EP, O (pronounced ‘Oh’, and not ‘Zero’ as I did in one of my many gaffes’ during the interview) saw Die! Die! Die! with Lachie back in the fold. It became popular in part due to the band’s ability to play it live with stark replication of the record. 
​

​​Previous outing, Charm.Offensive, was heavily produced with plenty of over dubbing and while that produced a noisy sonic aesthetic all of its own, it became hard to duplicate live. Andrew seems spurred on by the relative success of O, and is hoping the re-issue of Promises, Promises, will get enough money together that the band can record again without, “owing anyone”. Andrew did qualify that by saying, “When we release music, we don’t expect it to sell!”

​The recent success may also be in part due to the use of bandcamp (and subsequent interview with Nick Fulton there) and streaming sites. Not that Andrew could tell me much about that, having only signed up to Spotify in the last few months. He recalled the early days of the band when record labels would foot the bill for studio time, including their famous trip to Chicago to record with Steve Albini who produced records for the likes of Nirvana and The Stooges. Things are being done a lot differently now with the band calling their own shots.

Andrew explained that every time personalities or professionals in the music industry told them to do something a certain way, it wouldn’t work. So, when the band head back to Chicago next year to once again record with Steve Albini, it will be under their own steam. First however, they’ve got to get to Hamilton. Yes, they’ve had coveted spots at SXSW and toured Europe, Asia, Russia, but they (unlike many others) have always had time for Hamilton. They’ve even skipped the capital in the past to make  sure The Tron gets its dose of Die! Die! Die!, and for that and on behalf of our little town, I said a heartfelt thank you.

I’ve seen Die! Die! Die! play in venues like Soul (RIP), Void (RIP) and Ward Lane (RIP) over the years and recall a time Andrew swung from a light fitting which we agreed may well have actually been The Mint Chicks’ Kody Neilson. Nevertheless, their high energy live show will be a timely reminder of the legacy of Die! Die! Die! - grab your presale tix HERE !