Unknown Blues

Unknown Blues -1966-70

Dave Hogan, vocals, harmonica 1966-70

John “Rocket” Hancock, bass guitar 1967-69
Martin Wood, bass guitar 1969
Phil Sharman, drums 1966-67, bass guitar 1967-69
Keith “Wombie” Mason, drums 1967-69
Vaughan “Pig” McKay, lead guitar 1967-70
Bari Fitzgerald, rhythm guitar 1966-70
Chris Smith, slide guitar, harmonica 1969

Wild, unruly and staunchly alternative, Unknown Blues have a special place in Southland’s rock history. They were the Rolling Stones bad boys to every bright-eyed Invercargill Beatles pop group and gained heaps of notoriety as the wildest band in the land.

Unknown Blues were formed by a group of friends who had no pretence to be anybody but themselves and play the music they enjoyed. The band was a searing blast of no-conformity in the Southland music scene – one of the first to play rhythm ‘n’ blues covers when all other bands were pumping out rock and roll beat standards. They took their name from a track on the 1965 self-titled debut by English group the Pretty Things, who had played in Invercargill.

Hancock was the chosen one in the band, recruited mainly for his looks as he couldn’t play an instrument when the band approached him in the street. McKay soon taught him how to play bass.

The Unknown Blues’ debut in 1966 has become the stuff of legend. They were on the bill at a Waverley Bible class dance with bands Sin and The Answer and had their mates from the Antarctic Angels motorcycle group in the audience. The boys cranked up their amps and let rip. The local minister was enraged.  He marched up to the band to complain about the band’s volume and, after a heated discussion, Unknown Blues were kicked out.

It was pretty obvious that Unknown Blues were going to have to organise their own gigs, which they did, hiring halls and giving their names like Klees Kook, Hullabaloo ’66 and Beat Spectacular.

Due to the spirit of rebellion rife in the band, their unkempt appearance and wild stage antics, the Unknown Blues were soon the talk of the town, most of it not about their music.

Hogan worked as a compositor for the Southland Times and made sure the Saturday Sports music pages featured regular Unknown Blues stories to keep the band’s profile buzzing.

They practised at a house that the neighbours called “the noise box” and also at a central city hangout called The Ranch.

Unknown Blues played regular double gigs with Invercargill band Judas Embrace.

They performed in the Big Beat ’67 charity tour of Southland and were support act for the La de Da’s their Auckland equivalent band the Underdogs and Sandy Edmonds.

Following a “Love In” gig at the Scottish Hall which featured flashing lights, flowers and psychedelic patterns on the walls, Unknown Blues headed north to Dunedin, Timaru and Christchurch, where they attracted a loyal following.

A Dunedin venue called the Cellars was a frequent gig, attended by the band’s hippy (sic) fans.

While in Christchurch in 1969 Unknown Blues had their first recording session for Viking Records at Robbins studio.  They cut two covers, Warning and Suspicious but these were never released. Back home in Invercargill they recorded at 4ZA radio studio a cover of an Elmore James song titled Goodbye Baby. 

On Sundays the band would frequent the Artist Coffee Lounge in Don Street. This later became Tillermans Restaurant, where Fitzgerald and Hogan had a revival gig in 1999 with friends and guest artists Dave Baker and Richard Lindsay.

Unknown Blues entered the Invercargill Battle of the Sounds and won a controversial second place before disbanding.

Eighteen years after they broke up, veteran rock writer John Dix wrote this affectionate tribute to the Unknown Blues in his excellent New Zealand rock essay Stranded in Paradise: “There is nothing remotely pop-starrish about these lads. They knocked about with the Antarctic Angels and their reputation for hosting wild, drunken parties was transferred to their live performances  … They were popular with promoters because of their floor, show potential, stumbling around stage drunk, destroying tambourines and microphones, and arguing and brawling among themselves…. Too loud, scruffy and debauched to stand a chance on the national scene …. R&B fanatics swore by the band and they enjoyed a genuine cult following from Dunedin to Christchurch.”

Dave Hogan made the local papers as “the schoolboy still in his uniform” after he found time inside school hours to greet the touring Rolling Stones when they arrived at Invercargill Airport in 1965. He managed to obtain some special autographs when he met them again, later, at a milk bar.

Hogan secured a front-row seat at the Civic for the Stones concert but his friend Fitzgerald did one better. He and a mate just walked through the unattended back door at the theatre, had a play on the Stones’ guitars and found an overhead viewing spot above the stage.

In 2005 Hogan’s Melbourne-based band The Meltdowns won the Australian Blues Song of the Year award for Little Lies.

Source: 45 South in Concert