2013 Southland Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Sat 5 Oct

Left to right, Paul Rosel, Tony Ross' son. Tony Ross Murray Burns, Maaki Goodwilie, Neil Blue

I  arrived at the Working Men's Club a few minutes past 7.00pm expecting to be early. To my surprise the place was already mostly full with the first part of the programme already started. Apparently the doors opened at 6.00pm and the locals were not slow getting in early to claim their tables.

First up was the formal induction ceremony for those Southland musicians recognised for their contribution to the music industry over the decades. The inductees were:

Keith Walker (Drummer/Vocalist)
Bands: Three Company, Pickwick, Southern Dixie

Peter Miller (Drummer)
Bands: Six Farthings, Midnight Cruise, Transition

Peter Chilton (Drummer)
Bands: Tarbet, Airstrike, Kasmsha, Eighties Band

Murray Burns (Keyboardist, Bass-Guitarist, Songwriter, Producer)
Bands: Edge, Storm, Watchdog (ChCh), Red Rose, Mi-Sex

After the formal part of the programme was over the evening was set aside for live performances by those bands associated with each of the inductees. These are often one-off and rare performances.

Highlights included the great harmony vocals of Edge, the excellent guitar work from Dave Baker and Tony Ross' son, and experiencing for the first time the exceptional stage personality of Neil Chilton. This guy is an accomplished and polished entertainer.

The bands playing were:

Southern Dixie
Transition (with a tribute to Elvis the Pelvis)
Edge
Baker Boys/Thunderbirds

The last set of the night was a jam session involving such notables as Garry McNatty, Murray Burns, Dave Gillies, and Roger McLachlan. A rare combination indeed.

The best part of the night was being reacquainted with the characters from the past, including:

Tim Snow (Strobe Lightshow Luminary)
David Clarke (Southern Intellectual)
Allan Timmins (Watchdog Road Manager)
Ken Jones (Co-Creator of the outrageous Flog Balls)
Jackie Cooper

I took a bunch of photos throughout the evening using my Canon 1D Mark IV. I prefer the Mark II but because of its low light capability it seemed better to include this in my kit. I also had a Canon 40-70mm L/2.8, a Canon 85mm f/1.8, Sigma 16mm f/2.8 and a Canon 24mm Lf/1.4. As it turned out lighting was not an issue in fact some of my early shots were over-exposed.

The lighting for the show was provided by Tony Ross of Remarkable Audio and included some FOH Strand Pattern 23's which at 500 watt each are useful at close range.

The sound and mixing system was provided by Taff Sound which is the Invercargill sound production company owned by well known local musician Taffy Hewton.

2013 Murray Burns to Be Inducted Into the Southland Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame

The Southland Musicians Club recently announced the lineup for the 2013 Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame show.  This will include the induction of Murray Burns and a reunion performance of the Edge one of the bands that Burns played in when based in Invercargill. The full Southland Times news item is as follows:
 
"Hall of Fame Lineup Finalised

 Former Mi-Sex rocker Murray Burns is one of five veteran musicians who will be inducted into the Southland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.

Burns, originally from Invercargill, rose to international fame in the late 1970s and 80s as the keyboards player and hit songwriter for the new wave band Mi-Sex, who had hits with classic songs such as Computer Games, People, Space Race and Blue Day. Burns played a major hand in crafting the band's edgy synth-driven pop-rock sound and punchy songs.

He'll be performing with a reunited lineup of his early Invercargill band Edge, which includes fellow 2013 Hall of Fame inductee Tony Ross.

The annual show will be held at the Invercargill Workingmen's Club on October 5, this year with the theme from Elvis to Mi-Sex.

Joining Burns and Ross on the Hall of Fame honours board will be Peter Chilton, Keith Walker and Peter Miller. They'll be joined by their former bandmates in reformed lineups of Tarbet, Southern Dixie and Transition for a night of nostalgic rock."

 

 

 

The Edge, circa 1974, featuring 2013 Hall of Fame inductees Murray Burns, centre, (sitting) and Tony Ross, second from the right.

 

The full list of band members starting from the left is:

Paul Rosel (drums)

Neil Blue (Keyboards)

Murray Burns (Bass Guitar)

Tony Ross (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar)

Maaki Goodwillie (Lead Guitar, Vocals)

 

This is what the 45 South In Concert band almanac says about the band:

 

"The Edge evolved from the band Abraham. Tony Ross recalls them as a great band to be involved with, which made his decision to leave and join Vision in 1974 especially difficult. Ironically, all of Abraham's members ended up in Vision except Goodwillie who probably would have as well if Bob Daley had ever left.

 

Murray Burns wore his bass in the style of the legendary  guitarist Jimi Hendrix upside-down with the strings fitted in the reverse order. He later played keyboards with Watchdog before making his name over the ditch in Mi-Sex."

 

Rud Wilson replaced Tony Ross as vocalist after he left to sing for the Vision. The Edge then changed its name to Storm which is a difficult decision to fathom from a marketing and brand building perspective. Murray Burns never played for Watchdog in Invercargill and was a member of the revived Watchdog that formed by Tom Svhela in Christchurch after Tony Bennett, Danny Bennett and Peter O'Neil teamed up with John Purvis and Nancy Kyle-Purvis to form  a new iteration of the famed Baby. Following his stint with Watchdog Burns joined Red Rose and moved to Wellington taking on a residency at the Dr Johns Nightclub in Courtney Place where I saw them numerous times. The core of Red Rose ultimately formed up with Steve Gilpin to create Mi-Sex which quickly took Australia by storm. 

Sixties Band Caught On Film

The story below appeared in the printed version of the Southland Times just prior to the first screening of the Unknown Blues documentary at the Appleby Tavern, Invercargill.

"The grandfathers of Kiwi punk will hit the limelight once more in a new rockumentary. Jamie Howells-Cosson speaks with the director about his journey to capture one of the south's wildest bands.

Getting thrown out of a Bible class dance for being too loud was probably a sign of things to come.

That Waverley dance in Southland was the Unknown Blues' first gig, and while the minister objected it would not be the only time the band courted controversy.

Put together a hard-rockin' band and a friendship with the biker gang the Antarctic Angels, things were always bound to get loud, large and messy.

The band and the bikers have been captured in a rockumentary by producer Simon Ogston, of Bellbird Pictures.

Antarctic Angels and the Unknown Blues is the result of two years of interviews.

Ogston stumbled upon the Unknown Blues when working on another documentary called Rumble and Bang about the Christchurch band The Chants R&B.

When Ogston mentioned The Chants had a reputation as rock and roll hellraisers, he was told to check out the Unknown Blues.

He first met the southern band when he filmed their partial reunion gig at the Appleby Tavern, Invercargill, in 2010.

He started interviews, compiled footage and delved into the past, when the band was regarded as one of Invercargill's notorious live acts in the 1960s.

"The Unknown Blues were the worst-behaved band in New Zealand at the time," Ogston said.

The band played between 1965 and 1970.

The original lineup was Dave Hogan (vocals, harmonica), Phil Sharman (drums), Bari Fitzgerald (rhythm guitar), John Hancock on bass and Vaughan McKay (lead guitar). Sharman later left and was replaced by Keith Mason on drums.

As for the Antarctic Angels, they were not an official chapter of the Hells Angels. Regarded as an informal and not so organised group, they were formed and led by Roy Reid.

The Angels used to ride their bikes to the Blues' gigs in rural Southland.

The band had a recording session with Viking Records, but they were never released commercially.

In 1969 the band was second in Invercargill's Battle of the Bands and the following year they split up.

Most of them now live in Australia.

The band was often billed as "Invercargill's wildest group" on its gig posters.

Blues vocalist Dave Hogan said the band's notoriety gave them a selling point.

They played at the Agriculture Hall in Dunedin, attracting 1000-plus crowds.

"Invercargill in [the] 1960s was a great place to be a teenager and in a rock and roll band.

"I would not trade that experience for anything. I regret nothing and apologise to no-one. Every member of the band is a life-long friend and that is a really big thing," he said.

45 South In Concert author Neil McKelvie described the band as wild, unruly and staunchly alternative. In the Southland Musicians Club history book, McKelvie says, "They were the Rolling Stones bad boys to every other bright-eyed Invercargill Beatles pop group".

Included in the rockumentary is footage of the band's 2011 reunion gig with the full lineup of original members, which they played when Hogan was inducted into the Southland Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

Ogston filmed the gig, which was to be the last time the band played together.

Immersing himself in the past was the enjoyable part of the job, Ogston said.

He found a lot of old photographs, and a lot of his favourite pictures connected to the band are at the Southland Musicians Club.

Ogston said a favourite photo was of Antarctic Angels leader Roy Reid racing down Dee St on his Triumph motorcycle.

Another that caught his attention was Reid sitting on a horse in a suburban setting in "some kind of paramilitary jacket".

Another is of Reid playing a guitar with a Maltese cross stuck to it and with a large swastika in the background.

Ogston said Reid also occasionally played rhythm guitar for the band.

Reid was "not a Nazi, but not to be f***** with", Ogston said.

The motorcycle gangs in the 1960s and 70s were different to what they were today, Ogston said.

There was far fewer drugs and violence involved, in the days of free love and flower power.

"There were never any large or small scale brawls at our gigs," Hogan said. "Roy Reid and Barrie Neilson, of the Antarctic Angels, were often our bouncers and they knew how to take care of business."

Ogston calls the band the "grandfathers of kiwi punk".

This claim is backed up by Chris Knox, of 1980s Dunedin-based punk rock band The Enemy and later of Toy Love, who cited the Unknown Blues as an influence, Hogan said.

The reunion gig last year in Invercargill is one of his favourites.

The rockumentary premiered at the Appleby Tavern last month."

Source: stuff.co.nz

2012 Unknown Blues Documentary Dave Hogan Radio Interview

On the eve of the Bellbird Pictures documenatry Dave Hogan talks to Jim Mora on National Radio about his several encounters with the Rolling Stones and his experiences as a member of the Unknown Blues.  This is a great interview which adds to the rich archive of material about this iconic Invercargill band.

2012 Unknown Blues Documentary Set for Premiere Screening and DVD Release

The long awaited documentary about the late-1960's Invercargill band the Unknown Blues, and its unusual association with biker gang the Antarctic Angels, is set for release in late September.  Filmed and produced by Simon Upston of Bellbird Pictures in 2011, the 52 minute documentary will provide a rare insight into what it may have been like to be a teen rebel in Invercargill two-and-a bit decades after the end of World War II. 

"They imploded in 1970 with only one scratchy recording to their name, the Unknown Blues have remained  a fascinating footnote in Kiwi music history. Together with their equally-infamous biker mates the "Antarctic Angels", the band made such an impact in New Zealand's conservative deep south they continue to be talked about more than four decades later after they stopped playing.

Then in 2011 the complete Unknown Blues lineup reformed for the very first time in more that forty years. Simon Upton's 52-minute documentary features this very special reunion and also provides the very first comprehensive account of both the Unknown blues and the Antarctic Angels.

This documentary is a unique, parochial and often hilarious tale of New Zealand's emerging counter-culture as told by the trailblazers themselves. It features interviews with all of the band members and former-Antarctic Angels, as well as around 100 fantastic photos from the era.

This self-funded film is about to premiere in Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. It will screen as the first-half of a short series of double-features, together with Simon Ogston's other rock documentaries, "Rumble & Bang" (about Chch legends "Chants R&B") and "Gone With The Weird" (about ChCh underground band "Squirm"). Both of these films were part of the 2011 NZ International Film Festival

Simon, as well as members of the band and biker gang, are keen to publicise these screenings and the documentary release on DVD. Simon can provide interviews, information and photos on request. Simon is happy to put people in touch with the band and/or gang members. Please do not hesitate to contact him if you are interested in covering this very special event."

Screening information:

 Wed Sept 26 - The Brewery, Christchurch, 7.30pm (followed by "Rumble & Bang")

Thurs Sept 27 - The Brewery, Christchurch, 7.30pm (followed by "Gone With The Weird")

Sun Sept 30 - Appleby Blues Bar, Invercargill, 7.30pm (followed by "Rumble & Bang")

Mon Oct 1 - The Church, Dunedin, 7.30pm (followed by "Rumble & Bang")

Contact Simon Ogston:

Email - simon@bellbirdpictures.co.nz

Web - www.bellbirdpictures.co.nz

Phone - 027 2129038

Trailers
Antarctic Angels and the Unknown Blues
Rumble & Bang
Gone With The Weird

2011 Unknown Blues Reunion - The Southland Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame Workingmen’s Club Sat 25 Sep Unknown Blues

After the Romanian RWC team departed the province scoreless, the Unknown Blues arrived ready to plug in the amps and lay it down. Following an absence of 43 years, the long-awaited reunion of the full-line-up of the Unknown Blues came to fruition on Saturday night.

The reunion gig was largely due to the willingness of the band members to get together once again and by the hard work put in by the Southland Musicians Club organisers and those others behind the scenes.

Although various members of the band had played with each other in reunion mode before Saturday night, the full reconstituted band had only rehearsed as a unit over that week. The short Friday night stint at the Appleby was essentially did double as a warm-up gig, but its prime purpose was to support the Southern Blues Club band night and the occasion of Marty Astone’s visit from Perth.

The significance of the Unknown Blues reunion gig cannot be overstated. While Southland has produced a number of good musicians who have gone onto fame and fortune, the Unknown Blues story of wild gigs and the even wilder parties has generated a reputation and mystique that has interested music writers both in NZ and overseas. Anyone who went to an Unknown Blues show or who knew them has a story.

A film documentary project currently being pursued by Simon Ogston of Bellbird Pictures will try and bring us the truth (but hopefully not too much of it) behind the stories and maybe separate fact from fiction. It will examine the Unknown Blues association with local biker gang the Antarctic Angels led by Roy Reid and what prompted Vaughan Mackay to play at a local dance wearing a WWII German uniform.  The band is still debating whether it was the RSA or some other venue. When finished the Ogston documentary will be a cracker.

On the night the Unknown Blues delivered a memorable set comprised of songs they played when first starting out. From the outset it was evident that the Unknown Blues had not lost any of the zeal and off-the-cuff cheekines, that characterised their shows.

Led by Dave Hogan, the charismatic and witty ring-master the band blasted through a range of 60’s rhythm and blues songs to the delight of those old-timers who came to experience the return of the most controversial that Southland has produced. In typical witty style Vaughan Mackay, stopped playing to request bourbon, and as an afterthought, six people to carry him off the stage afterwards. Dave Hogan made it clear he wasn’t volunteering. The interplay between Hogan and Mackay is classic.

It was no accident that the last song played was the Rolling Stone’s “Last Time” which may or may not be an indication about any future Unknown Blues reunion. I can envisage a return by Dave Hogan and possibly Vaughan Mackay for some Appleby gigs, but getting the whole band back together is probably not something that will be foremost on their minds right now.

"Well this could be the last time
This could be the last time
Maybe the last time
I don't know. Oh no. Oh no"

But from me and all of the other old buggers who remember the raucous times in Invercargill in the late 1960’s, thank you guys and to the Southland Musician’s Club organisers for making possible what many would have thought impossible.

 As a wrap-up the list of the old faces that I ran into, or were spotted, over the weekend is: Tony Bennett, Jackie Cooper, Bob Daley, Trevor Daley, Mana Davis, Ray Eade, Terry Fitzgerald, Maaki Goodwillie, Ken Jones, John Kennedy, Paul Kirkwood, Neil McDermott, Bob Newbury, Taff Hewton, Basil Quinlan, Ray Quinlan

More photos of the Unknown Blues

2011 Unknown Blues Reunion - The Southland Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame Workingmen’s Club Sat 25 Sep Route 66

“Route 66 1990-95

Rock, Rock ‘n’ Roll, MOR Covers

Band members:

Richard Byron (Porter), drums 1990

Colin Burke, drums 
Geoff Chilton, keyboards 1992
Roger Chilton, drums
Tony Edwards, guitar, vocals
Glen Hayes, guitar, vocals 1990-95
Carwyn Henigan, drums, vocals 1990
Mark Hewton, guitar
Taff Hewton, bass guitar, vocals
Craig Rodmell, keyboard, vocals, 1990-92, 95

Route 66 was a hard-working and popular pub and private functions band. They once played at the Mokotua Hall at a social night for the Sahara Desert Raft Club. After the gig a game of soccer was started across the beer-spilt floor, with one of the drummer’s toms as the ball.”

Source: 45 South in Concert

More photos of Route 66